Fire damage is one of the most devastating types of property damage. It is also difficult to remediate and smoke leaves a nasty mark on damaged homes as well.
Even the smallest fire that has been put out relatively quickly can still cause smoke damage to your possessions in property. Not only that, but it can even affect the very structure of your home. This is why soot and smoke cleaning after a fire is so important. Smoke can act as an acid and will eat away at different materials if left too long. It’s best to say that if a fire strikes your home, or if you live near an area where a wildfire has occurred, it’s crucial to act fast to reduce damages. A professional smoke damage restoration company like ServiceMaster of the Upstate can assess the damage and create a custom mitigation plan to ensure your home is completely clear of fire-related damages.
What is Considered Smoke Damage?
- Smoke damage is a combination of smoke and soot. It can destroy prized possessions and ruin the home’s air quality.
- Smoke damage is any physical or structural harm caused by smoke, not the fire itself. Read: https://www.epa.gov/pm-pollution/.
- Some effects may include coating items in soot or a persistent odor, but it can also take other forms.
Most Common Types of Smoke Damage
Wet Smoke Damage
One of the most difficult types of smoke damage to restore and clean is “wet smoke”. Slow, low-temperature burning flames create this type of smoke. It gets its name because sometimes it creates a thick, sticky film of residue that can build up on any surface. This residue causes specific damages and can emit heavy smoke odors. Wet smoke residue is very hard to clean up.
Fuel/Oil Residue Damage
Fuel/Oil smoke comes from burning oil. This includes any oil-based substances too. This type of smoke is dark in appearance and will discolor and stain any material it touches. This smoke can ruin upholstery and flooring if not taken care of quickly.
Protein Residue Smoke Damage
Protein smoke occurs when food or other compostable material is flamed. The resulting soot of protein smoke is very hard to see. Because it’s hard to see, the light color of the soot can make it difficult to find and completely clean. This can leave your furniture and other surfaces to be damaged and discolored if the soot is allowed to sit long enough. The smell of protein smoke is like no other. Very strong and foul. This smoke type is a good example that shows good reason for the necessity of professionals.
Dry Smoke Damage
Dry smoke comes from much higher temperature fires. Dry smoke leaves behind a fine, powder substance and due to this form, it can easily be cleaned from solid flat surfaces. If the surfaces are flat, no problem. This debris can be easily cleaned, but how many surfaces do you have with cracks in them? In between wood slats, title grooves, or other places that have grooves, this powder substance can get lodged in there making it very hard to clean out. If dry smoke debris stays laying around in your home, it will not stop giving off a foul odor. Easy to clean, but stinky if you don’t get it all.
Always remember that immediate action is very important to minimize the health and safety hazards and reduce the amount of fire-related damages to your property. The expertise of our IICRC-trained fire damage restoration professionals at ServiceMaster of the Upstate will help get you through the devastation you experience during a loss caused by fire, smoke, and soot as quickly as possible.
Benefits Of Hiring Fire Damage Restoration Professionals
Our fire damage experts use specialized equipment to restore homes in Greenville, SC after smoke damage. When you call in an experienced fire damage restoration company in Greenville, SC like ServiceMaster of the Upstate, highly trained technicians take care of everything from water removal, content cleaning down to board up and pack up storage services. They remove soot from all surfaces, eliminate the smoke odor and replace damaged drywall. Letting pros do the heavy work also comes with these benefits that include:
- Immediate fire, soot, and smoke damage cleanup
- Extensive tear-out and reconstruction capabilities
- Specialized odor removal and air purification techniques
- Property-wide cleaning and sanitizing
- Mold removal and remediation using certified antimicrobial products
- Knowledgeable assistance with processing homeowners insurance claims
Professional Fire Damage Restoration Experts in Greenville, South Carolina
ServiceMaster of the Upstate‘s commercial fire damage restoration team is trained in every step of the fire remediation process. We have the necessary equipment and can quickly restore your facility to pre-disaster conditions.
ServiceMaster of the Upstate is available to respond to your emergency needs and provide you with immediate solutions to fire and smoke damage 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Contact ServiceMaster of the Upstate at (864) 310-7891.
We service Greenville, Saluda, Spartanburg, Newberry, and Laurens, South Carolina and the surrounding areas.
