Fire Damage and Your Morris/Ottawa Home

12/14/2017 (Permalink)

The damage to your property following a fire can often be complicated due to the unique behavior of smoke. Smoke can penetrate various cavities within your home, causing hidden damage and odor. Smoke flows around plumbing systems, seeping through the holes used by pipes to go from floor to floor. Hot smoke migrates to cooler areas and upper levels of a structure. Additionally, different types of smoke cause different types of damage. Here are four different types of smoke you may have to deal with in a house fire:

Wet Smoke (Plastic and Rubber)

Low heat, smoldering, pungent odor, sticky, smeary. Smoke webs are more difficult to clean.

Dry Smoke (Paper and Wood)

Fast-burning, high temperatures; heat rises, therefore smoke rises.

Protein Fire Residue

Produced by evaporation of material rather than from a fire. Virtually invisible, discolors paints and varnishes, extreme pungent odor.

Fuel Oil Soot (Furnace Puff Backs)

While “puff backs” can create havoc for homeowners. A puffback is an explosion inside the burner chamber of a furnace or boiler. Although such puffbacks are typically confined to the burner chamber, they can do considerable harm to your heating system.

Because there are different types of smoke, there are different types of soot residue after a fire. Knowing this information is vital to proper restoration after fire and smoke damage has occurred.

Before restoration begins, you will need to survey the loss to determine the extent of impact from fire, smoke, heat, and moisture on the building materials and contents. This task will typically require the resources and experience of a professional fire restoration company.

As a trusted leader in the restoration industry, SERVPRO of Morris/Ottawa provides 24-hour emergency service. We specialize in fire and water damage restoration; it’s the cornerstone of our business. We have specialized equipment, specific training, and certifications that allow us restore your home to pre-fire condition.