As you know, fire and smoke damage is a danger for your home and your health. Whilst the fire damage can render your home or property unsafe to live or work in. The smoke and odour that remains on the walls, in the ducts and throughout the property is a danger – breathing in smoke particles has serious adverse health effects. It is important to ensure the proper restoration of the property is undertaken as soon as possible.

Whilst the cost conscious homeowner may be tempted to take on the cleanup on their own, it is important to be aware that without the appropriate knowledge or experience, this can make conditions worse – and cost more in the long term. It is recommended by the Institute of Inspection Cleaning and Restoration Certification (ICCRC) that you contact a professional, certified in fire and smoke damage restoration, to refurbish your property.

As qualified technicians, the team at Steamy’s Carpet Care are time conscious when restoring fire and smoke damaged properties. When neutralization, corrosion control and cleaning are delayed the level of damage increases and restorations costs will escalate. The more the restoration process is prolonged, the more the property will be exposed to the effects of the smoke.

The following timeline illustrates why there is such a sense of urgency to restoring a fire and smoke affected property. According to the IICRC…

Within Minutes
Acid soot residues cause plastics to yellow; small appliances located close to the source of combustion discolour; highly porous materials (marble, alabaster) discolour permanently.

Within Hours
Acid residues stain grout in bathrooms; fibreglass bath fixtures yellow; metals tarnish, counter tops may yellow; finishes on appliances, particularly refrigerators that extend into the heat line, may yellow; furniture finishes may discolour.

Within Days
In time, acid residues cause painted walls to yellow permanently; metal corrodes, pits and rusts; wood furniture requires refinishing; vinyl flooring requires refinishing or replacement; clothing becomes soot stained; upholstery stains permanently.

Within Weeks
Restoration costs escalate tremendously. Synthetic carpet fibres may yellow or discolour permanently; silver plate is corroded permanently; glass, crystal, china may require replacement due to severe etching and pitting caused by prolonged exposure to acid soot residues.

It is crucial that soot residue is cleaned as soon as possible. During combustion soot residue is carried by humidity, volatile vapours and air currents to surfaces throughout a structure, and deposited. This deposition process occurs repeatedly until combustion ends, with soot residue building up on surfaces layer-by-layer. If not addresses quickly, the hardened lacquer-like soot residues will become extremely difficult to dissolve and remove.

Removing the residue is only one part of the job, it is also necessary to rid your property of its smoky odour. All good professionals and our qualified technicians use the following four step process to eliminate odours:

1. Identify the source of the odour and remove – this includes removing any unsalvageable debris that contributes to odour and risks the recontamination of cleaned and deodorized areas.
2. Clean all salvageable surfaces and items thus removing the odour causing residue.
3. Apply an appropriate odour counterbalance. Using the direct application of deodorants, or by generating a deodorizing fog that seeks out and combines with odour causing substances.
4. Encapsulate and prevent progressive recontamination by sealing salvageable surfaces that are inaccessible or only slightly scorched.

To minimise the need for costly repairs, we recommend home and property owners educate themselves on how fire and smoke can affect their property and know that when using the right professionals, your home can be restored to a ‘pre loss’ condition.

Should you require further information, or would like to speak with a qualified fire and smoke restoration technician, please call Steamy’s Carpet Care today on 1300 881 110.