Where there is smoke, there's soot.

1/21/2020 (Permalink)

Rule of thumb- If it is smoke it is acidic. So don't delay and call us today!

Did you know long after a fire has been put out, it can still threaten your household and the people living in it with smoke damage that it leaves behind? 

As the smoke travels through your home, the chemicals and soot it caries cling to walls, floors, ceilings, cloths, furniture and appliances. Even after cleaning up with traditional materials, unseen traces of smoke remain locked deep in tiny crevices and fibers of whatever it came in contact with.

The Hidden Dangers of Smoke and Soot Damage

As fire consumes wood, textiles, synthetic material and plastics, it creates thick plumes of smoke that spread throughout the burning structure.

Below is a list of damages that smoke can create if not completely removed after a fire: 

• Corrosion of Metal house parts- Iron can weaken with rust when constantly exposed to water. When a fire occurs and caustic substances are added to the mix, the rusting process becomes even more rapid.
• Appliance failures- Appliances have plenty of sensitive metal parts in them. When smoke passes through their ventilation and exhaust panels, it can come in contcat with the circuit boards and other critical components. Over time, the soot and chemicals aid corrosion, destroying your electronics from within.
• Damage to Artwork- Artwork can suffer profound damage when exposed to thick smoke and left untreated afterwards. Paintings can be ruined by paint discoloration. The same goes for stone sculptures which can develop color irregularities over time. Smoke and soot's corrosive particles can also get trapped in tiny pores on the surfaces of sculptures, weakening them and making them more susceptible to chipping and breakage.
• Weaker Woodwork- Wooden floors, walls, ceilings and furniture can degenerate under the corrosive influences of soot and smoke particles left behind after a fire.  

Smoke is caustic in nature. Little by little, it's residue can eat away at the surfaces where it landed. Creating corrosion to metal, glass and plastics. The heat of a fire opens the pores of substrates and drives the soot particle deeply into the outer layers of the substrates affected. Soot when combined with water or higher humidity conditions exponentially increases the acidic strength and thus the damage is very aggressive. 

In a lot of cases, you'll need specialized help from a fire damage restoration service provider to get things back to normal. The more time you wait, the damage will increase. This is why SERVPRO is here to help you with the cleanup and restoration. Once we begin our work, the main priority will be to prevent the damage from getting worse. At SERVPRO we use a special formulated cleanser, designed to reverse most of the damage. Our technicians have the training and expertise required to clean and reverse the damage after a fire.

To remove the smell of smoke and any remnants of soot from your household, rely on a professional fire damage restoration service. Damage escalates, and restoration costs increase when you delay the cleanup process.

So don't wait to contact SERVPRO of Longview/ Kelso (360)703-3884. So that you can go back to your normal lives "Like it never even happened." Our office is ready to take your call at anytime.