Did you recently face fire damage at home? Read on to learn how the resultant smoke effects the different contents of your home.
House fires pose a significant threat to the people living in your home and the structure of your house. You might think that the risks associated with fire end as the fire abates. However, the smoke and soot that stays can cause a lot of unseen damage to the surfaces of your home as well as to your personal belongings. Depending on the temperature and extent of the fire, the smoke can damage many surfaces in your home.
The fine smoke particles can sneak into small cracks on surfaces and weaken them over time if they go undetected. On top of that, the nasty smell of smoke can last for months.
The more you wait before cleaning, the more difficult it will be to recover the damages. For instance, wooden furniture and painted walls need to be restored in no more than 2 days. Others, such as porous surfaces and synthetic fibers, need to be salvaged within minutes after being exposed to smoke.
Let’s examine some of the objects that can be damaged by smoke and how they can be salvaged:
Hardwood Floors
Since they are porous, hardwood floors will absorb the smoke, allowing the particles to penetrate deeper into them. Mop the floor and deodorize it to restore the damages. If that doesn’t work, refinishing the floor may be necessary and in the worst case scenario, you might need to get the floor replaced.
Wooden Furniture
Cleaning smoke from wooden furniture is not easy. Choosing an appropriate cleaning agent is crucial, otherwise you might end up damaging the varnish and stain. Some strong cleaning agents can even rust the metal frame. Plus, your regular vacuum cleaner can worsen the damage by pushing the soot and smoke particles deeper into the surfaces.
Hence, if you see the impact of smoke on your wooden furniture, there’s no better option than to call a professional. They know exactly which cleaning products to use for different types of wooden surfaces.
Clothes and Bedding
Clothing and bedding are easily exposed to smoke, even those placed inside your closet. The damages will depend on how strong the smoke odor is.
With minimal exposure, you should be able to eliminate the smell with simple washing, while in severe cases, you will need to use a reliable commercial cleaning agent.
Curtains and Upholstery
Cleaning smoke particles from your curtains and upholstery requires special items and methods. Your vacuum cleaner won’t work here. As in the case of wooden furniture, the best approach is to reach out to a professional restoration company and let them decide what products to use to clean these objects.
Hence, the best course of action to restore fire damages is to reach out to a reliable home restoration company.
If your home was recently damaged by fire, call S.T.O.P at your earliest to salvage your belongings.
