Fires can cause significant damage to your home or business. One of the most common issues to deal with after a fire is smoke damage. It’s common for smoke from a fire to leave behind unpleasant odors that permeate your property. These odors are much more than a mere nuisance; they can cause just as much damage to your health and property as the fire itself.
Unfortunately, smoke odors after a fire don’t go away on their own. They will linger until they are addressed by professional smoke and odor removal services. This is because the porous materials in your home or business will release volatile organic compounds from smoke damage, resulting in the odors that you will continue to smell long after the fire has been extinguished.
At JRCC Damage Restoration Experts, we provide comprehensive fire damage restoration services, including smoke damage restoration. Our team uses proven techniques and state-of-the-art specialty cleaning equipment to eliminate all smoke odors and restore safe conditions to your home or business.
Dangers Associated with Smoke Odors
The odors caused by smoke damage can present a variety of issues for your property, including:
- Health hazards
- Persistent contamination
- Property damage
- Lingering odors
- Decreased property value
- Indoor air quality issues
Health Hazards
Smoke particles contain toxic chemicals and carcinogens that can linger long after the fire is out. Inhaling these particles can result in a variety of health issues, including:
- Red irritated eyes, runny nose, congestion and respiratory issues
- Exacerbation of existing heart and lung problems
- Chest pain, shortness of breath or exhaustion
- Headaches and dizziness
In addition, long-term exposure to smoke residue and odors may increase your risk of cancer.
Persistent Contamination
Smoke particles and odors can penetrate deep into porous surfaces such as drywall, upholstery and carpets. This contamination from smoke damage can continue releasing toxic chemicals into your home or business for months or even years after the fire.
Property Damage
Smoke damage leaves behind sticky residues and stains on your walls, ceilings and furniture. This property damage requires professional smoke damage restoration services to remove the stains and residues. In some instances, smoke damaged property may need to be completely replaced.
Lingering Odors
Smoke odors are extremely difficult to eliminate without professional smoke damage restoration services. Until you have these odors professionally removed, they will linger in your home or business, making it unpleasant for anyone occupying the property.
Decreased Property Value
Smoke damage and lingering odors that aren’t addressed professionally will make your home less desirable to potential buyers or tenants. This can potentially decrease your property value.
Indoor Air Quality Issues
The odors associated with smoke damage can significantly reduce indoor air quality, potentially impacting the health and comfort of occupants. This is particularly true for individuals with a history of respiratory conditions.
Factors Impacting the Cost of Smoke Odor Removal
Smoke odor removal is performed as part of comprehensive fire damage restoration services. The cost of this component of the restoration process will depend on a variety of factors, including:
- Type of Soot – Dry soot is typically easier to clean and remove than oily soot, which requires the use of special equipment and techniques to ensure it is safely eliminated.
- Size of the Fire – A large fire will release more smoke throughout your property than a small fire.
- Size of the Fire Damaged Area – When the fire damaged area is contained to a small space, the amount of effort required to eliminate smoke odors from the property will often be less than what is required to remove odors from a property that has sustained significant smoke damage throughout the building.
- Type of Materials Burned – Smoke molecules react differently with different materials. Metallic surfaces may develop rust or begin to corrode due to the acidic nature of soot. Porous hard surfaces such as wood, drywall, paint or wallpaper can become stained, requiring prompt treatment to avoid permanent discoloration. Carpet and furniture may also react with the chemicals released by smoke molecules, resulting in staining.
- Time Delay – The longer you wait to perform professional smoke damage restoration, the worse the damage will be. Even when smoke damage appears to be minimal, you’re likely to begin developing rust, corrosion or discoloration on the structures and furniture in your home or business if you fail to address the issue promptly. By addressing smoke damage right away, you can minimize the potential for long-term damage and reduce the effort required to eliminate these odors.
The good news is that professional fire damage restoration services are usually covered by insurance. At JRCC Damage Restoration Experts, our team will coordinate with your insurance company on your behalf to facilitate a smoother claims process and ensure you receive the full benefits to which you’re entitled.
Our Professional Smoke Odor Removal Process
No two properties experience the exact same issues from smoke damage, so a customized approach to smoke odor removal is necessary. At JRCC Damage Restoration Experts, our team will thoroughly assess the extent of smoke damage to your home or business, including walls, ceilings, floors and personal belongings. This will allow us to determine the proper plan to eliminate all smoke odors.
While your smoke odor removal plan will be customized to the specifics of the damage you experienced, it will include the following steps:
- Cleaning and deodorization
- Restoration and reconstruction
Cleaning and Deodorization
Our team will clean ash residue from surfaces to prevent it from spreading throughout your home or business. We use specialized cleaning agents to ensure all soot and smoke residues are properly removed from walls, ceilings and other surfaces. Professional-grade products will also be used to neutralize odors in carpets, upholstery and fabrics before they’re cleaned.
At JRCC Damage Restoration Experts, we use advanced techniques and specialized equipment to ensure all smoke odor removal is completed according to industry best practices. These include:
- Ozone Treatment – Ozone generators will produce ozone gas to break down smoke molecules and eliminate unpleasant odors.
- Thermal Fogging – A deodorizer is heated until it is in a fog form, allowing it to permeate deep into porous materials when it is sprayed. The fog mixture attaches to smoke particles and absorbs them to neutralize and eliminate the odor.
- Nano Filters and Air Scrubbers – Advanced filtration systems such as nano filters and air scrubbers are used to remove fine smoke particles from the air in your home or business.
- Industrial Cleaners and Sponges – Our team will use a variety of industrial-grade cleaners and dry cleaning sponges to effectively clean and remove odors from the specific surface materials impacted.
- Air Purifiers – Air purifiers with HEPA filters are used throughout the deodorization process to continually filter the air and remove lingering smoke particles.
Restoration and Reconstruction
In some instances, it may not be possible to remove smoke odors from damaged materials such as drywall, insulation and flooring. In these situations, our team will replace these materials as part of the restoration process to ensure your property is odor free and safe to inhabit once again.
JRCC Damage Restoration Experts Can Remove Smoke Odors After a Fire
If your property has sustained fire damage, JRCC Damage Restoration Experts can help return your home or business to its original condition. Our comprehensive fire damage restoration services include a thorough assessment of all smoke damage and odor removal using industry best practices. This ensures all health hazards are eliminated and your property is free from odors moving forward.
As the leading fire damage restoration company in the greater Seattle & Spokane Metro Area, you’ll have peace of mind that the entire process is handled correctly. We offer 24/7 emergency response services and will arrive shortly after receiving your call to begin work. This prompt response time helps minimize damage and facilitate a smooth restoration process.
Our team of IICRC-certified crews use the most advanced specialty cleaning equipment and techniques, ensuring all smoke odors are completely eliminated from your property. In addition, we handle all reconstruction work, eliminating the hassles associated with having to coordinate with multiple service providers. At JRCC Damage Restoration Experts, we understand the difficult time you’re going through, and we’ll work quickly and efficiently to minimize the disruptions to your life or business operations.
Contact us today to schedule an appointment. JRCC Damage Restoration Experts serves customers throughout the greater Seattle & Spokane Metro Area.