Types of Smoke and Soot Damage

8/12/2022 (Permalink)

Structural damage and charred walls are unfortunately not the only problems that come following a fire in your home. Smoke and soot travel through the air and can leave an awful smell and damaging residue behind. Since smoke travels through the air, it can easily travel throughout the entire home even to places where the fire may not have affected including behind walls, inside your HVAC system, and other cavities in your home.

While the smell that smoke causes is definitely a huge issue, the biggest problem that soot causes is because of its acidic nature. If left unaddressed the particles of soot can start to break down structural components of your home and damage your belongings, drastically increasing the costs of your home’s restoration.

Facts about smoke and soot:

• Hot smoke rises into cooler areas of the home, getting into the upper levels even if they aren’t affected by the fire itself.
• Smoke and soot particles are actually made up of bits of carbon and unburned materials that were consumed by the fire.
• There are different kinds of soot particles depending on the fuel of the fire, and these differences can drastically change the restoration process.

Kinds of smoke:

• Wet Smoke – This kind of smoke is from low heat, smoldering fires. Typically fueled by plastics, rubber, or oils. The soot particles left behind by this kind of smoke are typically sticky, and difficult to clean, with a very pungent odor.
• Dry Smoke – This smoke is usually fueled by fast burning materials like wood and paper that burns at high temperatures. This smoke tends to spread more because of the high temperatures but is usually a bit easier to clean up because it is less sticky and prone to smearing.

Regardless of the kind of smoke that has affected your home, clean up after a fire is no easy task. SERVPRO of Chesterfield and SERVPRO of Tri-Cities, Plus can help you to decide the best course of action, take care of cleaning your items, and even rebuild your home after cleaning up the damage. We specialize in turnkey service, meaning that we can be your “one stop shop” to getting your life back on track after a fire without having to deal with multiple contractors and companies. We’ll even work directly with your insurance company to help make the process as easy as possible for you.  Remember that when it comes to fire, smoke, and soot damage, the longer you wait to clean it up the more damage that can be caused. That’s why our teams are available 24/7, 365 days a year to help you get your home back to “Like it never even happened.”