Restoring your home after a fire can be a long and difficult process. Even if the fire was small, there could still be significant damage due to smoke and soot. Foul odors could also linger due to smoke and the burning of different types of materials such as rubber and wood. Here's a look at some things a fire damage restoration company might do to get rid of bad odors in your home after a house fire.
Air Out The House
Opening windows and establishing good ventilation is an important step in removing foul odors. Increased ventilation won't remove the odors on its own, but getting rid of smoke and bringing in fresh air helps control the odors so they aren't as strong and are easier to remove later.
Remove Burned Materials
The fire damage restoration crew may need to remove things like doors, walls, cabinets, carpet, furniture, and other items that have been burned and are beyond repair. Getting these items out of the house takes part of the source of bad odors and leaves fewer things in your home to deal with.
Even if you want to save some items rather than throw them out, the fire damage professionals might take the items from your house where they can be restored and deodorized before returning them.
Clean The HVAC And Surfaces
Things left behind in your home will probably need to be cleaned to eliminate soot and smoke particles. This could include having curtains and drapes cleaned and deodorized. Since smoke tends to waft throughout your home during a fire, smoke and soot might be spread to rooms where there were no flames.
Your HVAC may need to be deep cleaned. The ducts could need to be cleaned and deodorized, too. Failing to clean a part of your home that has smoke odors could mean the odors will linger for a long time after the restoration is complete.
Use Deodorizing Treatments
You can't cover up smoke odors. Instead, the odors need to be neutralized. This can be done with cleaning solutions and machines. Your fire damage restoration company may bring in an ozone generator to eliminate the foul odors. The contractor might also try foggers and air scrubbers. Taking steps to eliminate odors at the source could be the difference between a fresh-smelling home and smelling stale smoke odors for weeks or months after a fire.
Some odor-neutralizing methods are dangerous to be around while they're working, so always follow the instructions from your fire damage restoration professional about when it's safe to be in your home during the cleanup process. Contact a fire damage restoration service near you to learn more.
When you have a fire in your home, or when flood waters seep in and saturate your building materials, you of course feel overwhelmed and saddened. It's terrible to see the home you love — a home that was once comforting and caring — be destroyed by natural or unnatural disaster. But rest assured; the home can be restored. Repair and restoration professionals are capable of making some pretty substantial changes and bringing your home back to its former glory. We've seen it ourselves, and it was a very good feeling! We hope this blog raises your awareness of the work these teams can really do.