How Does Smoke Damage Your Home's Contents?

Fires can cause irreversible damage to your home, possibly even destroying it. The flames can easily jump from one item to the next, burning your valuables quickly. The heat a fire produces will radiate and melt any of the surrounding items. Some might crack and even shatter. 

After all of that, you will then be left with smoke damage to deal with after the fire has been put out. In Dallas, Fort Worth, Amarillo, and other surrounding areas , you don’t have to feel overwhelmed after a fire. Mr Restore specializes in smoke damage cleanup. Check out Mr Restore’s guide to smoke damage, we have seen it all: 

Why Does Smoke Cause Damage?

Leaving smoke damage unaddressed can ruin your home and its contents, even in other areas of the home that might not have been close to the fire. 

Even small fires that get put out quickly can cause smoke damage. On top of that, it can damage the structure of your home. This is why it is so important to quickly clean up the smoke and soot after a fire. 

Smoke is a bit like acid. It will eat away at things if it is left on them for too long. It’s a safe bet that if a fire strikes in or around your home, you will need to act fast to reduce any damages. Consider hiring a professional smoke damage restoration specialist. They will be able to assess the damage and create your own custom mitigation plan. This is the best way to ensure that your home will be completely free of fire-related damages.

What Can Be Saved?

Some items might not be salvageable depending on their materials and the extent of the damage. You should take the cost into consideration, also, since some items will cost more to salvage than to replace. 

Smoke damage specialists will be able to determine whether an item ought to be: 

• Cleaned
• Discarded
• Replaced

The Smoky Smell

Smoke will affect different kinds of materials in their own way. There are other things that can cause variations of smoke damage throughout your home, like the temperature and type of fire. 

One of the worst kinds of smoke damage is when it sneaks into small cracks and crevices. This is because the particles are so fine that they can often go undetected for a long time. It can leave your home with a lingering smell of smoke for months. Cleaning your home’s building materials and any affected items is the only way to remove the smell.  It's best to use proper cleaning agents that are designed for smoke damage; and we recommend to leave it to the professionals.  Mr Restore will clean salvageable items for you. 

Cleaning Smoke Damage

There are three steps that professionals usually take to help minimize the damage, once it is safe to do so:

• Step 1: Properly and thoroughly ventilate your home. This will help some of the smoke particles to leave your home. That way they won’t settle onto other items in your home. 
• Step 2: Remove as much of the debris to begin the process.
• Step 3:  Every surface area where damage has occurred will need to be cleaned. This will remove the particles that cause the smoke smell. Odor neutralizing products will help get the smell of smoke out of the structure. 

Getting these steps done as soon as possible will reduce the chances of cross-contamination. 

These items will need different care in order to restore them from the damage:

• Upholstery and Curtains: Professionals can best decide what is most effective to use to restore if possible. 
• Bedding and Clothing: Clothing and bedding will probably come into contact with smoke, even if they were inside a closed drawer or closet. Restoration professionals will most likely use commercial cleaning detergents.
• Wood Furniture: It can be tricky to clean wood furniture. Professional restoration specialists have access to the correct products and knowledge on which use on your wood furniture.
• Hardwood Floors: Hardwood floors, unfortunately, are porous. This means that smoke particles will get nestled inside it. It is possible that the entire will need to be refinished or replaced.  Our team can help asses which direction is best for your home so we recommend leaving this to the professionals. 

Do Not Delay

Time is important when dealing with smoke damage. The longer the smoke damage in your home is left untreated, the worst the damage will become. The cost to mitigate will also continue to increase. The quicker you act, the more likely you will be able to prevent any permanent damage. A few examples of this include:

• Synthetic fibers and porous items need to be cleaned or removed within minutes. 
• Painted walls and flooring can be permanently stained if not addressed in a day or two. 
• Metal surfaces can’t be left sitting too long or they will rust and corrode from the smoke and soot particles. 

Calling Mr. Restore right away is the best course of action you can take to mitigate the effects of smoke damage. They can assess your damage, and then mitigate your house, turning it into a home again.