Whether you own an open fireplace or a combustion heater the common factor is the chimney that draws smoke up from the fire and out of the house. But a chimney is not a set and forget proposition, they get dirty and they can become clogged if they are not occasionally cleaned. The potential if the necessary maintenance is not carried out is for a chimney fire with all kinds of resultant damage that is associated with it.
A chimney fire is an awesome event and can be incredibly destructive. The fire can burn explosively producing a great deal of black smoke and heat and all of it directed inside a small area. It doesn’t take very long for a chimney fire to spread from the chimney to more combustible parts of the house such as the roof.
The purpose of a chimney is to draw poisonous gases and smoke away from the living area and out into the air. When these gases and other particles leave the fire they are very hot and travel quickly up the chimney but as they near the top of the chimney they cool and condensation occurs. Substances such as unburned wood particles, gases, vapour, tar fog and hydrocarbons all form part of this condensation to form a sticky substance known as creosote. This creosote sticks to the inside of the chimney as a hardened surface that may be sticky, shiny, crusty or flaky.
The problem lies in the fact that the creosote that is now lining the inner walls of your chimney is highly combustible. If it is allowed to build up into sufficient quantities there is the real risk that it could catch fire inside the chimney causing a chimney fire.
The creation of creosote is accelerated in certain conditions such as burning unseasoned wood, restricting the air flow to the fire and a cooler than normal chimney temperature. Each of these circumstances result in the wood burning at a lower temperature than normal where there is not as much fine particulate burn. Those particles are actually being emitted into the chimney.
So how can you prevent chimney fire damage? You can start by burning the right type of wood and ensuring it is properly dried before adding it to the fire. Even more important is to get your chimney swept and the chimney venting system is inspected annually. You can find a Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA) certified chimney sweep who will come and check your chimney for you. There may be some additional recommendations apart from simply having the chimney swept.
You don’t want a chimney fire and you can prevent them by burning smaller fires that burn quickly and hot. You want to create fires that don’t produce very much smoke. You shouldn’t ever burn cardboard boxes, wrapping paper or trash. Monitor the heat of the chimney, possibly installing a thermometer to track the flue temperature.
How To Put Out A Chimney Fire
An important item to keep in any household but particularly a house where an open place fire or a wood burning stove are in use is a fire extinguisher. The fire extinguisher should be in close proximity to the fireplace in the desperate case that a fire has broken out. In many cases though a chimney fire will be inside the chimney itself where a fire extinguisher will not be able to reach.
Products exist specifically to extinguish a chimney fire and they work by throwing them into the fire where the resultant burning chemicals rise up the flue to replace the oxygen, removing all of the oxygen from inside the chimney, thus smothering the fire. If you are faced with a chimney fire the first consideration should be the safety of you and your family. If there is time to use a chimney fire suppressant then throw it into the firebox before vacating the house and calling the fire department
It is little comfort that chimney fire repair and the damage and restoration work necessary to recover are covered by the homeowners insurance.
Showing posts with label Fire Damage. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Fire Damage. Show all posts
Buying A Fire Damaged House
There are many things to consider before buying a fire damaged property. Fire damage restoration can be quite costly because often a specialist has to be hired to assess the damage and do the cleanup. Furthermore, getting financed to buy a fire damaged property can be quite difficult, unless one is able to qualify for a construction loan that will also include the cost it would take to do the fire damage cleanup.
Here are some often overlooked considerations to take into account before buying a fire damaged property:
1. There may be a significant amount of water damage to the house. Firefighters most likely soaked and saturated much of the wood construction including flooring and roofing. Water damage will cause significant problems including mold and structural damage. Mold, in particular, can be quite costly to clean up.
2. The smoke from the fire could also leave a very sticky residue that can be difficult to clean up and an odor may linger in smoke-saturated construction for years. Often the smoke residue is invisible, so fire damage repair is even more difficult, and yet another specialist has to be brought in to assess the damage. The smoke odor may also be temporarily masked and could begin to seep out weeks, months or even years down the track.
3. There may be a large amount of damage to the electrical and plumbing systems. In addition to the cost of rebuilding, re-wiring and plumbing will most likely have to be redone as well.
4. The cost of the cleanup will need to be assessed and taken into account, along with the asking price of the property. Unless the seller is able to meet the buyer halfway, buying a fire damaged house could be almost as costly as buying a property that is not damaged by fire.
The most important point is to make sure the buyer has a clear understanding of the amount of clean up and the cost involved when buying a fire damaged property. While the asking price may look attractive on paper, the additional time and financial commitment to make the house livable may be more than many are willing to undertake. With that being said, if a person is able to negotiate with seller on the fire damage clean up costs, pay in cash, and has significant experience in fire damage restoration, then this could be a wise decision.
Here are some often overlooked considerations to take into account before buying a fire damaged property:
1. There may be a significant amount of water damage to the house. Firefighters most likely soaked and saturated much of the wood construction including flooring and roofing. Water damage will cause significant problems including mold and structural damage. Mold, in particular, can be quite costly to clean up.
2. The smoke from the fire could also leave a very sticky residue that can be difficult to clean up and an odor may linger in smoke-saturated construction for years. Often the smoke residue is invisible, so fire damage repair is even more difficult, and yet another specialist has to be brought in to assess the damage. The smoke odor may also be temporarily masked and could begin to seep out weeks, months or even years down the track.
3. There may be a large amount of damage to the electrical and plumbing systems. In addition to the cost of rebuilding, re-wiring and plumbing will most likely have to be redone as well.
4. The cost of the cleanup will need to be assessed and taken into account, along with the asking price of the property. Unless the seller is able to meet the buyer halfway, buying a fire damaged house could be almost as costly as buying a property that is not damaged by fire.
The most important point is to make sure the buyer has a clear understanding of the amount of clean up and the cost involved when buying a fire damaged property. While the asking price may look attractive on paper, the additional time and financial commitment to make the house livable may be more than many are willing to undertake. With that being said, if a person is able to negotiate with seller on the fire damage clean up costs, pay in cash, and has significant experience in fire damage restoration, then this could be a wise decision.
Importance Of A Quick Fire Damage Assessment
Following a fire there are many things that must take place in order to begin the restoration process but one of the important first steps is to get a fast fire damage assessment. In order to minimize further damage, health hazards and the damage caused by smoke and soot residue, having an expert on site to guide you in the early stages is very important.
What a timely fire damage assessment can get for you is the security of the safety of you and your family. Very often the urge is almost overwhelming to enter the fire damaged premises to see if there is anything you can salvage or even just to gauge for yourself how extensive the damage is.
The problem is that the house is at its most unstable immediately following the fire, there will be some smoldering embers lying around and live electrical wires could still be present. The assessment is not the home owners to make and a professional fire assessor will make it their business to keep people away from the damage.
Part of the assessment of the property will include ways in which the home can be secured against unwanted guests. For some reason a burnt out home is a target for looters, lowlifes who think nothing of walking into the property with an aim of taking anything that has survived the fire as if the presence of a fire automatically removes ownership of the belongings.
Soot damage is a real problem after a fire of any size and the sooner the fire assessment has been made, the sooner the restoration can get under way. This is relevant to soot damage because soot can continue to damage whatever it is sitting on and the longer it sits there the more significant the damage becomes. Moving quick over the first few hours can save a lot of permanent furniture damage.
A successful fire damage assessment will not be limited to either only inside the house or outside the house, it should involve all aspects of the property. Before going near the structure a complete examination of the state of the walls, chimneys, surrounding trees should be made and a decision be made on whether it is safe to approach them.
The first action you should be taking in response to a house fire is to get in touch with a fire damage assessment expert to guide you through the stages of the restoration. Getting this part right will ensure that later steps will also be done right and it could also ensure the continued health of you and your family.
What a timely fire damage assessment can get for you is the security of the safety of you and your family. Very often the urge is almost overwhelming to enter the fire damaged premises to see if there is anything you can salvage or even just to gauge for yourself how extensive the damage is.
The problem is that the house is at its most unstable immediately following the fire, there will be some smoldering embers lying around and live electrical wires could still be present. The assessment is not the home owners to make and a professional fire assessor will make it their business to keep people away from the damage.
Part of the assessment of the property will include ways in which the home can be secured against unwanted guests. For some reason a burnt out home is a target for looters, lowlifes who think nothing of walking into the property with an aim of taking anything that has survived the fire as if the presence of a fire automatically removes ownership of the belongings.
Soot damage is a real problem after a fire of any size and the sooner the fire assessment has been made, the sooner the restoration can get under way. This is relevant to soot damage because soot can continue to damage whatever it is sitting on and the longer it sits there the more significant the damage becomes. Moving quick over the first few hours can save a lot of permanent furniture damage.
A successful fire damage assessment will not be limited to either only inside the house or outside the house, it should involve all aspects of the property. Before going near the structure a complete examination of the state of the walls, chimneys, surrounding trees should be made and a decision be made on whether it is safe to approach them.
The first action you should be taking in response to a house fire is to get in touch with a fire damage assessment expert to guide you through the stages of the restoration. Getting this part right will ensure that later steps will also be done right and it could also ensure the continued health of you and your family.
After The Fire: Seal Fire Damaged Wood
Following a fire there is a lingering odor that serves as a constant reminder of the disaster. It is an unpleasant smell that sits in every pore of the hard surfaces of the house. A complete fire restoration operation can only remove a certain amount of the smoke and soot odor but there is inevitably a residual smell remaining.
Paint products are available for the walls that will seal fire damaged wood that has maintained a strong odor even after the most rigorous treatment. These products are sealers and primers that contain the smell and also covers stains too.
A fast dry alkyd is an oil based sealer that can be used as part of a fire damage restoration. It is an oil-based product that can be applied using a roller or sprayer. It is an inexpensive option but it comes with a few problems such as its smell which, while it replaces the smell of the smoke, can be unpleasant in its own right. It also isn’t particularly effective and can require multiple coats before the smoke odor is removed.
Another option when looking to seal fire damaged wood is to use shellac which is an alcohol-based resin product and comes in either a clear or pigmented version. It can be brushed on or applied with a roller and, through the small particle size of the grains within the liquid, gives good coverage that effectively seals the odors. Once it dries the odor of the shellac dissipates quickly leaving it virtually odorless. This is the more expensive option but it will give you a better result and the application time will be shorter.
Before you use a product like shellac you should first prime it with an oil-based primer. Following that you can use the shellac to seal in the smoke odor.
This type of treatment should only be considered for fire damage that is not of a significant nature. If there is structural damage to the wood surfaces after a fire a fire restoration expert will be able to help you with advice on whether or not the surface can be saved or whether it should be replaced.
The primary aim of the work done following the fire is to make the building safe again, then it must be fit for human habitation. All safety aspects should be followed and that includes the dangers of introducing new chemicals and their accompanying smells. When performing a fire damage restoration, you want to be sure that you are improving the situation and not introducing new and unexpected dangers.
Paint products are available for the walls that will seal fire damaged wood that has maintained a strong odor even after the most rigorous treatment. These products are sealers and primers that contain the smell and also covers stains too.
A fast dry alkyd is an oil based sealer that can be used as part of a fire damage restoration. It is an oil-based product that can be applied using a roller or sprayer. It is an inexpensive option but it comes with a few problems such as its smell which, while it replaces the smell of the smoke, can be unpleasant in its own right. It also isn’t particularly effective and can require multiple coats before the smoke odor is removed.
Another option when looking to seal fire damaged wood is to use shellac which is an alcohol-based resin product and comes in either a clear or pigmented version. It can be brushed on or applied with a roller and, through the small particle size of the grains within the liquid, gives good coverage that effectively seals the odors. Once it dries the odor of the shellac dissipates quickly leaving it virtually odorless. This is the more expensive option but it will give you a better result and the application time will be shorter.
Before you use a product like shellac you should first prime it with an oil-based primer. Following that you can use the shellac to seal in the smoke odor.
This type of treatment should only be considered for fire damage that is not of a significant nature. If there is structural damage to the wood surfaces after a fire a fire restoration expert will be able to help you with advice on whether or not the surface can be saved or whether it should be replaced.
The primary aim of the work done following the fire is to make the building safe again, then it must be fit for human habitation. All safety aspects should be followed and that includes the dangers of introducing new chemicals and their accompanying smells. When performing a fire damage restoration, you want to be sure that you are improving the situation and not introducing new and unexpected dangers.
Prevent Damage With Passive Fire Protection
We don’t spend our days obsessing over the worry that out house may somehow fall victim to a fire, or at least, we shouldn’t. There are some basic steps that you can take to minimize the chances that it will ever happen to us by making structural changes and additions to the house. This type of action is known as passive fire protection and it concerns the materials used to build the house, coatings that can be added to the walls, beams and pipes and compartments that the house may be broken into to retard a fire’s progress.
As opposed to active fire protection which involves sprinklers, fire alarms and fire extinguishers, passive fire protection is actually always at work to stop or retard a fire. It is in the way the building is built and the materials that are used to build it.
Passive fire protection can be broken down to four key areas:
As opposed to active fire protection which involves sprinklers, fire alarms and fire extinguishers, passive fire protection is actually always at work to stop or retard a fire. It is in the way the building is built and the materials that are used to build it.
Passive fire protection can be broken down to four key areas:
- Structural fire protection which guards the essential parts of the building should a fire break out. Supporting beams, walls and ceilings are all coated with insulation.
- Compartmentalization involves ensuring that the fire can be contained to a single area of the building by use of fire barriers such as fire-rated walls, floors and ceilings.
- Opening protection by installing fire doors and windows and surrounding them with fire resistant frames so that they won’t be distorted in a fire.
The aim of passive fire protection is to contain a fire in the same part of the building as it starts, 
limiting the damage it will do to other rooms. Measures such as coating the walls, ceilings or subflooring with materials that will slow that spread of a fire are commonly seen in buildings for this purpose.
It is extremely common to see thick layers of vermiculite coating on the walls and ceilings of the basements of public buildings. This is not a particularly attractive look which is why it is placed in parts of the building that isn’t populated by frequent traffic. But the fire retardant qualities are particularly valuable.
A more acceptable looking method of protecting against a fire is a coating of intumescent paint used on the internal supporting beams. In addition to this you will find fire resistant materials covering pipes or other steel surfaces.
Passive fire protection doesn’t only refer to how the building is insulated or otherwise protected, it also refers to the fire doors and fire walls. Fire resistance rated walls are designed to sub-divide the building and contain a fire for a set period of time.
Part of a building’s passive fire protection involves the ease and means of allowing the occupants to escape. There must be the ability to close doors to protect oneself from a fire in another part of the building and then, in so doing, be able to escape out of a different exit route.
Fireproof cladding is one of the essential materials that make up a firewall and it can be made from such products as vermiculite, perlite, gypsum, intumescent epoxy, calcium silicate, MicroTherm or DuroSteel.
The greater the level of protection that is built into your building, the lower the risk of fire damage. Passive fire protection will also mean that your own personal safety will be assured.
Safety After Fire Damage
After a fire the dangers to your safety have not necessarily passed with numerous hazards still present in a structure which will have been weakened by the fire. If you have to enter a fire zone, there are a number of precautions that must be taken to avoid while beginning your own fire damage restoration.
Assess The Structural Damage
Before you even think about stepping inside your house you must get a determination that the property is structurally safe to enter. This should be done by the local fire department who will confirm it for you. There may be puddles of water on the floor and ground left over from the extinguishing process. If this is the case, check that the electrical power to the house has been turned off.
On the ground outside the home on your property there may be damaged or fallen power poles or lines and should be kept clear at all times. These electric wires can potentially start a new fire or can be the cause of electrocution. Similarly, damaged power poles may be extremely unstable and ready to fall with at slightest touch.
Even if the building is determined safe by a professional, take care when re-entering the building and carefully inspect the indoor stability.
Food
Food, beverages and medicines that were in the house during the fire will have become affected by the smoke, heat, soot and the water used to extinguish the fire. None of them will be fit for human consumption and should be discarded.
Safety Clothes
Basic safety clothes should be worn to protect you skin and clothes. In some cases it may also be necessary to wear a breathing mask with a particulate filter. Disposable plastic gloves are a good idea if you are going to be touching anything when there is likely to be plenty of toxic residues lying around.
Soot Removal
One of the substances that can get into airways as well as being particularly damaging to furniture and surfaces after a fire is soot residue. If it is left to sit for any length of time it will permanently discolor the surface. This process can start in as little as an hour. It is a good idea to vacuum up as much of the soot that is lying around the house as possible. Make sure you don't actually touch the soot, but hover the nozzle of the vacuum just above it as it sucks.
Secure the Site
Often times after a fire, it may not be easy to lock the house up or seal it against the weather. If you are going to be leaving the home unattended make sure you have protected the site from further damage from the weather, vandals or thieves. You might be able to get help from the fire brigade in securing the premises. Above all, remove anything of value that has survived the fire, particularly if the home has been ruled too unstable to inhabit.
The police are probably going to be aware of the fire but if you are going to leave the house unoccupied they should be notified. There are some heartless people out there and will see an unoccupied home as an easy target.
Often times when performing a fire damage clean up you are going to be faced with the possibility of having to walk on unstable surfaces. There may be piles of debris that will increase the chances of slipping resulting in traumatic injury, puncture wounds or causing the pile to collapse. For this reason extreme caution must be taken when working on a fire damage site and the necessary protective equipment should be used and worn.
The overwhelming urge will be to return to your damaged home as quickly as possible to assess the damage and to start to get your life back into order. Sometimes it is a wiser and safer move to be patient, wait until the professionals have done their job and have given the all clear.
Assess The Structural Damage
Before you even think about stepping inside your house you must get a determination that the property is structurally safe to enter. This should be done by the local fire department who will confirm it for you. There may be puddles of water on the floor and ground left over from the extinguishing process. If this is the case, check that the electrical power to the house has been turned off.
On the ground outside the home on your property there may be damaged or fallen power poles or lines and should be kept clear at all times. These electric wires can potentially start a new fire or can be the cause of electrocution. Similarly, damaged power poles may be extremely unstable and ready to fall with at slightest touch.
Even if the building is determined safe by a professional, take care when re-entering the building and carefully inspect the indoor stability.
Food
Food, beverages and medicines that were in the house during the fire will have become affected by the smoke, heat, soot and the water used to extinguish the fire. None of them will be fit for human consumption and should be discarded.
Safety Clothes
Basic safety clothes should be worn to protect you skin and clothes. In some cases it may also be necessary to wear a breathing mask with a particulate filter. Disposable plastic gloves are a good idea if you are going to be touching anything when there is likely to be plenty of toxic residues lying around.
Soot Removal
One of the substances that can get into airways as well as being particularly damaging to furniture and surfaces after a fire is soot residue. If it is left to sit for any length of time it will permanently discolor the surface. This process can start in as little as an hour. It is a good idea to vacuum up as much of the soot that is lying around the house as possible. Make sure you don't actually touch the soot, but hover the nozzle of the vacuum just above it as it sucks.
Secure the Site
Often times after a fire, it may not be easy to lock the house up or seal it against the weather. If you are going to be leaving the home unattended make sure you have protected the site from further damage from the weather, vandals or thieves. You might be able to get help from the fire brigade in securing the premises. Above all, remove anything of value that has survived the fire, particularly if the home has been ruled too unstable to inhabit.
The police are probably going to be aware of the fire but if you are going to leave the house unoccupied they should be notified. There are some heartless people out there and will see an unoccupied home as an easy target.
Often times when performing a fire damage clean up you are going to be faced with the possibility of having to walk on unstable surfaces. There may be piles of debris that will increase the chances of slipping resulting in traumatic injury, puncture wounds or causing the pile to collapse. For this reason extreme caution must be taken when working on a fire damage site and the necessary protective equipment should be used and worn.
The overwhelming urge will be to return to your damaged home as quickly as possible to assess the damage and to start to get your life back into order. Sometimes it is a wiser and safer move to be patient, wait until the professionals have done their job and have given the all clear.
Preventing Fire Damage From Forest Fires
One of the biggest tasks facing emergency services at the start of each summer is the work involved in preventing fire damage. One of the biggest causes of fire damage to the forest is lightning strike. As such there is no way to avoid the ignition of a wildfire from lightning strike, but there are preventative measures to limit the damage the resultant fire can cause.
As a resident living in rural or forested areas, there are measures you can take to limit the fire damage that can be caused from a forest fire and to lower the risk that the fire will also claim your home.
Clear flammable materials away from the outside of the house. Create a buffer zone that can be classed as a defensive zone and make it at least 30 feet wide. This zone will give your house a chance to survive a passing fire and will also give fire fighters space to work.
Landscape the garden with fire resistant materials. Putting in a lush lawn or a rock garden will act as a good fuel break. A thatch-roof pergola wouldn’t be such a good idea in areas that are prone to bushfires.
If there are trees surrounding the house within the 30 foot defensive zone should be kept well pruned, particularly branches that may reach towards the house.
If you have a wood-fired fireplace for heating in the winter months make sure the firewood is stored well away from the house and not up against one of the walls.
Gutters and roofs should be kept clear of debris such as leaves or pine needles. A single spark from a bushfire can ignite any rubbish sitting in the gutters.
Ensure that there is always easy access to the house and yard in case emergency vehicles need to pass.
Sometimes there is no way to avoid your house succumbing to fire damage during a raging bushfire. Because of that you should already have a coherent emergency plan for evacuation so that you can leave as quickly as possible if necessary. It’s always possible to restore the damage of a fire, getting caught in the fire yourself can easily result in death.
If fire strikes, you may need to use these Fire Damage Cleanup Tips.
As a resident living in rural or forested areas, there are measures you can take to limit the fire damage that can be caused from a forest fire and to lower the risk that the fire will also claim your home.
Clear flammable materials away from the outside of the house. Create a buffer zone that can be classed as a defensive zone and make it at least 30 feet wide. This zone will give your house a chance to survive a passing fire and will also give fire fighters space to work.
Landscape the garden with fire resistant materials. Putting in a lush lawn or a rock garden will act as a good fuel break. A thatch-roof pergola wouldn’t be such a good idea in areas that are prone to bushfires.
If there are trees surrounding the house within the 30 foot defensive zone should be kept well pruned, particularly branches that may reach towards the house.
If you have a wood-fired fireplace for heating in the winter months make sure the firewood is stored well away from the house and not up against one of the walls.
Gutters and roofs should be kept clear of debris such as leaves or pine needles. A single spark from a bushfire can ignite any rubbish sitting in the gutters.
Ensure that there is always easy access to the house and yard in case emergency vehicles need to pass.
Sometimes there is no way to avoid your house succumbing to fire damage during a raging bushfire. Because of that you should already have a coherent emergency plan for evacuation so that you can leave as quickly as possible if necessary. It’s always possible to restore the damage of a fire, getting caught in the fire yourself can easily result in death.
If fire strikes, you may need to use these Fire Damage Cleanup Tips.
Smoke Damage Restoration Steps
It would be stating the obvious to say that fires can cause extensive damage to homes and property. But the damage is not only limited to the easy to see soot and scorch marks that you would be confronted with once you are allowed to re-enter your home. Another lingering leftover from a house fire is the smoke damage that has become ingrained into the hard and soft surfaces of the house.
As a fire progresses inside a house, or anywhere for that matter, the heat expands the pores in the wall and the smoke is able to find its way into those pores and fill them up. As the fire is extinguished the house cools and the pores close again, trapping the smoke within them. The smoke odor is gradually released as the house warms up on sunny days and cools again at night. Effectively the house is breathing but it emits a sickeningly bad breath that reminds you every day of the traumatic fire.
The first step that you, as a fire victim, should take in beginning any restoration process is to contact your insurance company who should be able to assess the extent of the damage and advise you on what may be able to be saved, repaired or restored.
Before attempting to enter the home after a fire, there are some fire safety procedures that should be observed. The most critical of these is to wait until the fire department has given the all clear that it is safe to enter. A house that has been fire damaged is a very unstable environment. It is not always obvious that the fire has been completely extinguished and any sudden gust of wind could reignite the fire from what appears to be a smoldering ruin.
Also, if there are still walls and ceilings standing, as will be the case after relatively small house fires, the structure will have been weakened by the flames. Taking note of where you can and can’t walk as well as what you can and can’t touch is vital.
The smoke and fumes produced from the fire are highly toxic and can travel extensively throughout the house penetrating paint, carpet, clothes, curtains and upholstery. Furthermore, it can become trapped in air conditioning ducts, within walls and ceilings.
Whether your home has been affected by a raging inferno that has consumed the entire structure or a localized fire that looks to have only affected one room, there will be soot and smoke issues to deal with.
It may be tempting to try to use scented sprays and perfumes to try to combat the smoke odor that nearly overwhelms the room. But doing this will only mask the smell and will only mask the smell for a short period of time. After that the smoke odor will return, only this time it will be mingled with stale perfume creating an even more stomach-turning odor.
There are a number of different methods that professional fire damage restoration experts can employ to remove smoke from the house. It all depends on the type of cleaning or restore work that is involved and it certainly depends on the type of materials that have been smoke affected.
Cleaning Soft Materials
The first stage in cleaning fire damage in the house may involve general soot and ash removal from the floors and other surfaces such as rugs or carpets.
Soot is an oily substance and should be removed with a powerful vacuum that sucks straight off the surface that is being cleaned without the use of brushes. The brushes will push the soot deeper into the fabric and make the cleaning process even more difficult. Holding the nozzle of the vacuum just above the surface that is being cleaned will smoothly draw the soot up and away without the possibility of driving it into the fabric further.
A proper carpet cleaning will be required after the rest of the fire damage restoration process has been completed. When it comes time to do the carpet cleaning you will want to use a heavy duty rotary scrubber or an extraction machine. Many of these can be hired from the local supermarket or from a tool hire company.
You may wish to launder your clothes and bedclothes to remove the smoke odor from them. This will probably require multiple washings before the odor is completely removed. Soaking overnight before washing may improve results.
An alternative method to rid your clothes and other soft furnishings of lingering smoke odors is to use an ozone generator. This may either be done in a small room or in a portable tent, either way the materials are placed inside the chamber along with the ozone generator which then operates for any length of time from a few hours to a few days. The ozone works to break up the smoke molecules as it circulates through the clothing and, because ozone is heavier than air it eventually falls to the floor. The ozone treatment produces an oxidizing agent leaving a pleasant, fresh smell in place of the smoke odor.
This process may also be used by professional fire damage restorers on upholstered furniture, placing them in a tent and running the ozone generator, allowing the ozone to penetrate deeply into the upholstered fabric.
Cleaning Hard Surfaces
Here we return back to the smoke-laden pores of the house that intermittently release that smoke odor after being trapped during the fire. Thermal fogging is used to counter this process. Thermal fogging works by applying a heated fog, saturated with a deodorizing agent to the affected surfaces. The heat of the fog opens the pores and neutralizes the smoke odor. This method is the single most effective way to treat deeply smoke affected surfaces and hard materials.
While on the subject of thermal fogging, it can also be used to rid the air of smoke particulates that are still hanging in the air. The thermal fogging process bonds the mist particles to the soot and smoke particles and removes them from the air.
Smoke damage will cause discoloration on the walls and ceiling. The marks left behind are a sooty residue. If the charring has not gone too deeply into the surface of the walls or ceiling it may be possible to clean them. Use chemicals such as trisodium phosphate (TSP) diluted in warm water and scrub vigorously with a sponge. The TSP is a corrosive chemical so gloves and goggles must be warn as protection while working.
The washing process may require a number of applications before the surfaces are cleaned satisfactorily. If the walls or ceiling still display discoloration, it may be necessary to repaint.
It should be remembered that one cleaning agent will not be sufficient to clean all affected surfaces. Different agents work on different surfaces and what works best with what must be checked for potential problems. That’s if you are left with no choice but to attempt the restoration yourself.
All of these smoke damage restoration tips and techniques will be best carried out by the proper trained restoration professionals. Apart from working in a dangerous environment, you may be working with dangerous chemicals that could cause injury to you or further damage to your possessions if not used correctly. Fire damage restoration experts handle these products on a regular basis, can assess what can be saved and what cannot and are used to working in fire affected sites.
This short article is meant to give you a basic guideline of what to expect to happen in the process of restoring your home after a fire. It is not an instructional piece that you can use with the expectation that it is complete. The fire damage restoration experts will walk you through the process that they intend to use and, armed with this information, you will have a clearer understanding of what they are talking about.
As a fire progresses inside a house, or anywhere for that matter, the heat expands the pores in the wall and the smoke is able to find its way into those pores and fill them up. As the fire is extinguished the house cools and the pores close again, trapping the smoke within them. The smoke odor is gradually released as the house warms up on sunny days and cools again at night. Effectively the house is breathing but it emits a sickeningly bad breath that reminds you every day of the traumatic fire.
The first step that you, as a fire victim, should take in beginning any restoration process is to contact your insurance company who should be able to assess the extent of the damage and advise you on what may be able to be saved, repaired or restored.
Before attempting to enter the home after a fire, there are some fire safety procedures that should be observed. The most critical of these is to wait until the fire department has given the all clear that it is safe to enter. A house that has been fire damaged is a very unstable environment. It is not always obvious that the fire has been completely extinguished and any sudden gust of wind could reignite the fire from what appears to be a smoldering ruin.
Also, if there are still walls and ceilings standing, as will be the case after relatively small house fires, the structure will have been weakened by the flames. Taking note of where you can and can’t walk as well as what you can and can’t touch is vital.
The smoke and fumes produced from the fire are highly toxic and can travel extensively throughout the house penetrating paint, carpet, clothes, curtains and upholstery. Furthermore, it can become trapped in air conditioning ducts, within walls and ceilings.
Whether your home has been affected by a raging inferno that has consumed the entire structure or a localized fire that looks to have only affected one room, there will be soot and smoke issues to deal with.
It may be tempting to try to use scented sprays and perfumes to try to combat the smoke odor that nearly overwhelms the room. But doing this will only mask the smell and will only mask the smell for a short period of time. After that the smoke odor will return, only this time it will be mingled with stale perfume creating an even more stomach-turning odor.
There are a number of different methods that professional fire damage restoration experts can employ to remove smoke from the house. It all depends on the type of cleaning or restore work that is involved and it certainly depends on the type of materials that have been smoke affected.
Cleaning Soft Materials
The first stage in cleaning fire damage in the house may involve general soot and ash removal from the floors and other surfaces such as rugs or carpets.
Soot is an oily substance and should be removed with a powerful vacuum that sucks straight off the surface that is being cleaned without the use of brushes. The brushes will push the soot deeper into the fabric and make the cleaning process even more difficult. Holding the nozzle of the vacuum just above the surface that is being cleaned will smoothly draw the soot up and away without the possibility of driving it into the fabric further.
A proper carpet cleaning will be required after the rest of the fire damage restoration process has been completed. When it comes time to do the carpet cleaning you will want to use a heavy duty rotary scrubber or an extraction machine. Many of these can be hired from the local supermarket or from a tool hire company.
You may wish to launder your clothes and bedclothes to remove the smoke odor from them. This will probably require multiple washings before the odor is completely removed. Soaking overnight before washing may improve results.
An alternative method to rid your clothes and other soft furnishings of lingering smoke odors is to use an ozone generator. This may either be done in a small room or in a portable tent, either way the materials are placed inside the chamber along with the ozone generator which then operates for any length of time from a few hours to a few days. The ozone works to break up the smoke molecules as it circulates through the clothing and, because ozone is heavier than air it eventually falls to the floor. The ozone treatment produces an oxidizing agent leaving a pleasant, fresh smell in place of the smoke odor.
This process may also be used by professional fire damage restorers on upholstered furniture, placing them in a tent and running the ozone generator, allowing the ozone to penetrate deeply into the upholstered fabric.
Cleaning Hard Surfaces
Here we return back to the smoke-laden pores of the house that intermittently release that smoke odor after being trapped during the fire. Thermal fogging is used to counter this process. Thermal fogging works by applying a heated fog, saturated with a deodorizing agent to the affected surfaces. The heat of the fog opens the pores and neutralizes the smoke odor. This method is the single most effective way to treat deeply smoke affected surfaces and hard materials.
While on the subject of thermal fogging, it can also be used to rid the air of smoke particulates that are still hanging in the air. The thermal fogging process bonds the mist particles to the soot and smoke particles and removes them from the air.
Smoke damage will cause discoloration on the walls and ceiling. The marks left behind are a sooty residue. If the charring has not gone too deeply into the surface of the walls or ceiling it may be possible to clean them. Use chemicals such as trisodium phosphate (TSP) diluted in warm water and scrub vigorously with a sponge. The TSP is a corrosive chemical so gloves and goggles must be warn as protection while working.
The washing process may require a number of applications before the surfaces are cleaned satisfactorily. If the walls or ceiling still display discoloration, it may be necessary to repaint.
It should be remembered that one cleaning agent will not be sufficient to clean all affected surfaces. Different agents work on different surfaces and what works best with what must be checked for potential problems. That’s if you are left with no choice but to attempt the restoration yourself.
All of these smoke damage restoration tips and techniques will be best carried out by the proper trained restoration professionals. Apart from working in a dangerous environment, you may be working with dangerous chemicals that could cause injury to you or further damage to your possessions if not used correctly. Fire damage restoration experts handle these products on a regular basis, can assess what can be saved and what cannot and are used to working in fire affected sites.
This short article is meant to give you a basic guideline of what to expect to happen in the process of restoring your home after a fire. It is not an instructional piece that you can use with the expectation that it is complete. The fire damage restoration experts will walk you through the process that they intend to use and, armed with this information, you will have a clearer understanding of what they are talking about.
Fire Damage Cleanup Tips
During bushfire season the risk of fire damage is great in some areas which has prompted the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to issue recommendations to local residents about how they might conduct a fire damage cleanup. These tips are to help to remove smoke and fire damage in and around the house.
There is quite a lot of stress surrounding any kind of disaster, particularly when you home and loved ones are involved, Fire Water Damage Restoration attempts to explain some of the options that are open to you to make things a little easier.
- Launder or dry clean all clothing.
- Pressure wash, scrub or disinfect all exterior surfaces including walls, walks, drives, decks, window and deck screens, etc.
- Wash and disinfect all interior walls and hard surfaces with mild soap or other appropriate cleaning solutions or products, and rinse thoroughly. Don't forget inside cabinets, drawers and closets.
- Wash, dust or otherwise clean all household items, including knick-knacks.
- Disinfect and deodorize all carpets, window coverings, upholstered furniture and mattresses with steam or other appropriate equipment.
- Upholstery, fabric window treatments, etc. can be spray-treated with deodorizing products available at most supermarkets, but do not use odor-masking sprays.
- Have heating, ventilating and air-conditioning units and all ductwork professionally cleaned to remove soot, ash and smoke residue. Change filters when you first return to the premises and at least once a month for the first year.
- If aerial fire retardant or firefighting foam residue is present on the house and/or automobiles, use a mild detergent and brushes to scrub and dilute the dried residue and flush it from the surfaces; rinse with clean water. A follow-up with pressure washing may be beneficial but will not replace scrubbing to remove the residue.
- Ash and soot on the ground and vegetation in the vicinity will continue to generate smoke odors and airborne particles when disturbed by air movement. Until the ash and soot are diluted and absorbed by the environment, indoor mechanical air filtration may help minimize the uncomfortable and potentially health-threatening impact of these pollutants.
With a house fire cleanup the steps you take will have to be carefully considered so that further damage is not inflicted upon your possessions. On a similar note, take extra care when moving around the damaged property to ensure that you don't misstep and go through a weakened part of the floor or cause the collapse of unstable structures.
Moving outside the house we come to a different kind of fire restoration consideration which comes in relation to the effects on the landscape around the home after a firestorm. In this case there may be considerable damage to the soil upon which the house sits making the landscape itself extremely unstable. Because there will be a lack of vegetation following a large fire there is a real chance of soil erosion which makes another potential hazard for the home. One of the tasks that should be undertaken is to select some fast growing plant species for the land around the house that will help to preserve the soil.
What is not mentioned by the FEMA guidelines is that the best plan for a fire damage cleanup is to contact a fire damage restoration firm. These professionals are equipped with the tools and knowledge necessary to get the best fire damage cleanup results possible.There is quite a lot of stress surrounding any kind of disaster, particularly when you home and loved ones are involved, Fire Water Damage Restoration attempts to explain some of the options that are open to you to make things a little easier.
Conducting Your Own Fire Damage Restoration
Although it is not advisable to enter your home after it has been ravaged by fire and, if you don't know what you're doing, you can cause more harm than good. Fire damage restoration is a specialist job and for the most part should be left to the experts to do. Soot is an amazingly stubborn substance to remove unless you are aware of the techniques that work and those that should be avoided.
That being said, the sooner a fire damage cleanup can be started the better the chance that objects can be saved. Even though the fire may be out, some materials continue to be affected if they are not treated promptly. While waiting for the experts to arrive there are a few simple tasks that can be carried out that may reduce some of the ongoing damage.
What to do if you have smoke/fire damage
* Blow off or brush-vacuum loose soot particles from upholstery, drapes, and carpets.
* Cover carpeted traffic areas with towels or old linens to prevent additional soiling.
* Discard open food packages. The food could be contaminated.
* If electrical service is off, clean out your freezer and refrigerator. Leave the doors propped open or place charcoal in the unit.
* Send clothing with heavy smoke damage to a qualified professional dry cleaner who specializes in smoke damage.
* Clean Formica and chrome fixtures in the kitchen and bathroom to prevent permanent tarnishing.
* Wipe residue from porcelain bath fixtures to prevent etching.
* Wipe the leaves of houseplants to remove smoke residue.
* Change the air filter on your furnace if it uses forced hot air.
* Tape cheesecloth over intake and outlet air registers to capture any loose soot in the air. This is even more effective if the cheesecloth is damp.
* If the outside temperature is above 60 degrees, air out the house to reduce smoke odor.
Important warnings on smoke and fire damage
* Do not attempt to wash any papered or flat painted walls without consulting your professional cleaner. Incorrect cleaning procedures could compound the soot residue problem.
* Do not attempt to clean carpets or upholstered furniture. Again, incorrect procedures could increase damage.
* Do not use electrical appliances that have been close to fire or water before having them checked. They could malfunction.
* Do not use ceiling fixtures if the ceiling is wet. A short circuit could result.
* Do not touch anything. Soot on your hands can permeate upholstery, walls, and woodwork, causing further damage.
* Do not eat food that has been exposed to fire or smoke.
* Do not wait to call for professional help.
Tips To Prevent Fire Damage
There are some valuable steps that you may think about taking before a fire ever has a chance to occur in your home. Rather than find yourself in the position where you have to get someone to come and perform fire damage restoration, you can fireproof your home.
Make sure your power points aren’t overloaded nor are the electrical circuits. Make sure that smoke detectors have been fitted throughout the house and that they are situated close enough to bedrooms that they will be heard and will wake a sleeping person. Clothes dryers can be the cause of a house fire if the lint tray isn’t regularly cleaned. Make sure that this becomes a regular task, particularly if you use your dryer a lot.
Generally, taking extra care when there is an open flame, such as from a fireplace fire or even the gas cooker, is essential. So many kitchen fires are started simply by not taking close enough care to the open flame and brushing clothes or a piece of material into the fire which catches alight.
Failing to extinguish a cigarette properly is also a recipe for a fire disaster, either by falling asleep while smoking or throwing it in a bin without ensuring that it is no longer alight. Taking an extra few seconds to finish the job will eliminate the possibility that you risk starting a house fire.
By following as many of the common sense tips for preventing fires as you can, you may just avoid having to call in a fire damage restoration professional after all.
That being said, the sooner a fire damage cleanup can be started the better the chance that objects can be saved. Even though the fire may be out, some materials continue to be affected if they are not treated promptly. While waiting for the experts to arrive there are a few simple tasks that can be carried out that may reduce some of the ongoing damage.
What to do if you have smoke/fire damage
* Blow off or brush-vacuum loose soot particles from upholstery, drapes, and carpets.
* Cover carpeted traffic areas with towels or old linens to prevent additional soiling.
* Discard open food packages. The food could be contaminated.
* If electrical service is off, clean out your freezer and refrigerator. Leave the doors propped open or place charcoal in the unit.
* Send clothing with heavy smoke damage to a qualified professional dry cleaner who specializes in smoke damage.
* Clean Formica and chrome fixtures in the kitchen and bathroom to prevent permanent tarnishing.
* Wipe residue from porcelain bath fixtures to prevent etching.
* Wipe the leaves of houseplants to remove smoke residue.
* Change the air filter on your furnace if it uses forced hot air.
* Tape cheesecloth over intake and outlet air registers to capture any loose soot in the air. This is even more effective if the cheesecloth is damp.
* If the outside temperature is above 60 degrees, air out the house to reduce smoke odor.
Important warnings on smoke and fire damage
* Do not attempt to wash any papered or flat painted walls without consulting your professional cleaner. Incorrect cleaning procedures could compound the soot residue problem.
* Do not attempt to clean carpets or upholstered furniture. Again, incorrect procedures could increase damage.
* Do not use electrical appliances that have been close to fire or water before having them checked. They could malfunction.
* Do not use ceiling fixtures if the ceiling is wet. A short circuit could result.
* Do not touch anything. Soot on your hands can permeate upholstery, walls, and woodwork, causing further damage.
* Do not eat food that has been exposed to fire or smoke.
* Do not wait to call for professional help.
Tips To Prevent Fire Damage
There are some valuable steps that you may think about taking before a fire ever has a chance to occur in your home. Rather than find yourself in the position where you have to get someone to come and perform fire damage restoration, you can fireproof your home.
Make sure your power points aren’t overloaded nor are the electrical circuits. Make sure that smoke detectors have been fitted throughout the house and that they are situated close enough to bedrooms that they will be heard and will wake a sleeping person. Clothes dryers can be the cause of a house fire if the lint tray isn’t regularly cleaned. Make sure that this becomes a regular task, particularly if you use your dryer a lot.
Generally, taking extra care when there is an open flame, such as from a fireplace fire or even the gas cooker, is essential. So many kitchen fires are started simply by not taking close enough care to the open flame and brushing clothes or a piece of material into the fire which catches alight.
Failing to extinguish a cigarette properly is also a recipe for a fire disaster, either by falling asleep while smoking or throwing it in a bin without ensuring that it is no longer alight. Taking an extra few seconds to finish the job will eliminate the possibility that you risk starting a house fire.
By following as many of the common sense tips for preventing fires as you can, you may just avoid having to call in a fire damage restoration professional after all.
Fire and Water Damage Restoration Services
There are companies that specialize in the restoration of fire damaged structures. Whether you or your insurer employs this type of service, be clear on who will pay. Be sure to request an estimate of cost for the work. Before any company is hired for some fire damage cleanup, check its references.
These companies provide a range of services that may include some or all of the following:
Ideally, the required fire or water damage restoration process can take place as soon after the fire as possible. It’s for this reason that there should be as little delay before calling the professionals as possible. Knowing the services available to you will help you to cope with fire or water damage.
There is quite a lot of stress surrounding any kind of disaster, particularly when you home and loved ones are involved, Fire Water Damage Restoration attempts to explain some of the options that are open to you to make things a little easier.
These companies provide a range of services that may include some or all of the following:
- securing the site against further damage – this involves repairing any obvious damage to walls, doors, windows or ceilings. Basically any breach of the home’s ability to be locked due to the course of the fire damage.
- estimating structural damage – ideally, the fire damage restoration professional you hire will be licenced to perform an estimate of the work that will be required to repair structural damage to the house.
- repairing structural damage – the restoration experts should have a general contractor’s licence and be insured to perform the repairs necessary to put the house in order again.
- estimating the cost to repair or renew items of personal property – similar to the structural repair estimate, a decision must be made as to what items need to be replaced and what can be restored.
- packing, transportation, and storage of household items – your fire and water damage restoration experts should provide a service of packing up the household items and removing them from the location to be stored or restored and stored, to be returned after the general clean up is completed.
- securing appropriate cleaning or repair subcontractors – the cleaning services that you would be seeking would involve cleaning the ceilings, walls, trims, windows, doors, flooring, cabinets, joists, generally any surface that has been affected by soot and smoke from the fire.
- storing repaired items until needed – after any necessary repairs are made, the items should be stored along with any items that were deemed not to require repair.
Ideally, the required fire or water damage restoration process can take place as soon after the fire as possible. It’s for this reason that there should be as little delay before calling the professionals as possible. Knowing the services available to you will help you to cope with fire or water damage.
There is quite a lot of stress surrounding any kind of disaster, particularly when you home and loved ones are involved, Fire Water Damage Restoration attempts to explain some of the options that are open to you to make things a little easier.
Coping With A Fire & Water Damage Restoration
Dealing with a disaster such as flood damage or a house fire is a harrowing ordeal in the first place, attempting to go through the process of fire and water damage restoration on your own can prolong the pain. The problem is, failing to get the proper restoration experts in to clean up the fire or water damage can result in even higher costs, or worse, can result in the unnecessary loss of sentimentally valuable objects.
Metal fixtures such as door handles and faucets can suffer permanent damage if they are not properly treated as soon as possible after a fire. Calling in professionals trained to restore fire damages resulting from the effects of heat, smoke and residues from fire and smoke is very important. Often times, there is further damage that requires restoration work that has resulted from the process of attempts to put the fire out. Water damage on top of the fire damage introduces a range of new and unique complications that must also be dealt with.
In attempting to cope with the trauma of the incident ourselves the chances are that we can become easily upset and distracted which leads to accidents. A fire or water damage restoration job should be done as coolly and dispassionately as possible, preferably by someone who is not emotionally attached to the property they are attempting to restore.
Part of the process of a fire or water damage restoration involves assessing what can be salvaged and restored and what must be replaced, the most effective method of cleaning, the condition the property was in before the damage occurred and the full extent of the loss.
Services that you made need to make use of when calling on a fire damage restoration may include the removal of smoke odor, cleaning soot from electronics and/or machinery, toxic chemical detection and removal, noxious gas detection and removal and restoration of surfaces back to their original condition.
When requesting a water damage restoration you can expect a full inspection that may identify faulty construction allowing moisture into the home, poor maintenance and identification of points where humidity may be allowed to get too high. Water damage doesn’t necessarily come as a result of a natural disaster such as a flood or hurricane. Leaky pipes, poor insulation, badly installed windows or plumbing can all be to blame. A good water damage restoration expert should be able to identify the cause of the water damage, advise on the best way to prevent further damage and repair the damage already caused.
The main thing you are trying to achieve is to get some peace of mind so you are able to put the ordeal behind you. A fire water damage restoration team that is efficient and professional will help you to achieve that peace of mind quickly. A fast turnaround means the process of coping with the reality of damage to your house is over as soon as permissible.
There is quite a lot of stress surrounding any kind of disaster, particularly when you home and loved ones are involved, Fire Water Damage Restoration attempts to explain some of the options that are open to you to make things a little easier.
Metal fixtures such as door handles and faucets can suffer permanent damage if they are not properly treated as soon as possible after a fire. Calling in professionals trained to restore fire damages resulting from the effects of heat, smoke and residues from fire and smoke is very important. Often times, there is further damage that requires restoration work that has resulted from the process of attempts to put the fire out. Water damage on top of the fire damage introduces a range of new and unique complications that must also be dealt with.
In attempting to cope with the trauma of the incident ourselves the chances are that we can become easily upset and distracted which leads to accidents. A fire or water damage restoration job should be done as coolly and dispassionately as possible, preferably by someone who is not emotionally attached to the property they are attempting to restore.
Part of the process of a fire or water damage restoration involves assessing what can be salvaged and restored and what must be replaced, the most effective method of cleaning, the condition the property was in before the damage occurred and the full extent of the loss.
Services that you made need to make use of when calling on a fire damage restoration may include the removal of smoke odor, cleaning soot from electronics and/or machinery, toxic chemical detection and removal, noxious gas detection and removal and restoration of surfaces back to their original condition.
When requesting a water damage restoration you can expect a full inspection that may identify faulty construction allowing moisture into the home, poor maintenance and identification of points where humidity may be allowed to get too high. Water damage doesn’t necessarily come as a result of a natural disaster such as a flood or hurricane. Leaky pipes, poor insulation, badly installed windows or plumbing can all be to blame. A good water damage restoration expert should be able to identify the cause of the water damage, advise on the best way to prevent further damage and repair the damage already caused.
The main thing you are trying to achieve is to get some peace of mind so you are able to put the ordeal behind you. A fire water damage restoration team that is efficient and professional will help you to achieve that peace of mind quickly. A fast turnaround means the process of coping with the reality of damage to your house is over as soon as permissible.
There is quite a lot of stress surrounding any kind of disaster, particularly when you home and loved ones are involved, Fire Water Damage Restoration attempts to explain some of the options that are open to you to make things a little easier.
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