A topic we often get calls about is how folks can clean up in their homes after a fire or smoke damage.
Fire in our homes is a scary thought, but it doesn’t have to be a big fire to cause damage from the flames themselves. One of the more common fires is on our stovetops. The US Fire Administration identifies cooking fires as a leading cause of fire and smoke damage to a home.
Often, smoke from a fire can cause a significant problem. Mitigation, or clean up, can be a challenge for the homeowner, no matter how minor. Major damage will likely require engaging a professional cleanup and restoration company.
What a professional clean-up crew does
Fire Damage
If the flames have damaged any part of the house, such as walls, flooring, or cabinets, the chemical reaction caused by the heat has made the damaged parts quite toxic. When removing the damage, carcinogens are released. Because of this, crews are required to wear Personal Protective Equipment or PPE.
This is head-to-toe protection gear from hoods, eye protection, full face cover masks with filters, body cover jump suits, gloves, and even booties.
If you are cleaning up damaged parts, while you are not required to use full PPE, it is a good idea to be aware of the toxins you will face and take precautions. Here is a guide from OSHA you may want to research.
Partitioning off the affected area is next.
When only one area of the house is affected, say the kitchen, then keeping that space and a clear exit path sealed off from the rest of the home is necessary to prevent contaminants from spreading.
Plastic barriers are installed floor to ceiling and wall to wall.Tape is used to secure the plastic seal to the connecting surfaces.
Disposal of damaged pieces also has a specific process.
When the pros come in and remove damaged pieces, those pieces, due to their toxic nature, don’t go into common trash bins. Damaged items are encapsulated in plastic bags that are sealed before they are taken out of the home. There are specific sites to which these items are taken, essentially toxic dump sites.
TIP: If you do have a small fire in your home, and you put it out yourself (because your fire extinguisher was at the ready), shut down your HVAC system as quickly as you can, and ventilate the affected space.
If the fire is contained in one room, and after the fire is out, try to contain that space separately from the rest of the home. Shut the door if there is one.
When a fire happens in a great room where the kitchen, dining, and family room are all one space, try to isolate the remaining rooms in the house.
Smoke Damage
Smoke damage to your home is not always related to a house fire.
Wildfires near your home, even if there is no fire damage to your home, can require mitigation and clean-up. Smoke finds its way into your home through gaps in doorways, windows, vents, and roof-mounted equipment.
The particulates in the smoke are the real damaging culprits. They land on hard surfaces and embed themselves in the porous surfaces, such as carpets, curtains, and even the linens neatly stacked in their closet.
Smoke, even from a small kitchen fire, can reach every room and closet in your home.
Ductwork is a likely conduit throughout your home.
Mitigating smoke damage is so much more than just airing the space out. As we said, the particulates, which carry the odors in the smoke, need to be removed from all surfaces. Hard, non-porous surfaces can be washed with a detergent to help mitigate odors. The porous surfaces, not so much.
You might be surprised to know how many surfaces in your home are porous.
- All fabrics, including leather.
- Carpets, and other flooring materials such as cork, padding under the carpet, and Luxury Vinyl Flooring are not exempt.
- If exposed masonry surfaces are not sealed, they are also quite porous, and particulates will embed in them.
Bringing in the Pros
Getting those nasty particulates out requires specialized equipment and training. If you even have a small incident and can’t get rid of the smell, call the pros. Of course, with a larger or major incident, contacting the pros can help you evaluate the damage.
We turn to Rosie on the House Certified Partner Jim Kowalski of Kowalski Construction Inc. for our restoration advice.
We asked Jim who we should call first in the event of a fire: the insurance company or a restoration company.
Jim was quite clear on his answer, “Call the restoration company first, because the longer the damage sits, especially water, the worse it will get and the more money it will cost to fix”.
Jim tells us that “You have the right and the obligation to select a restoration company”. Always check your insurance policy. Most insurers will require you to take reasonable emergency measures to protect your property from further damage.
It wouldn’t be a Rosie article if we didn’t inject a couple of very important preventative steps you should take to protect you and your property.
- Always have a fire extinguisher at the ready. Check to make sure it is charged at least every 3 to 6 months.
- Make sure all your smoke alarms are up and functioning.
- Have an escape plan posted in your home and make sure everyone is aware of the plan.
Taking a few precautions could prevent disaster from happening, or when it does, from not being as devastating as it could be.
###
Homeowner Handbook | #SmokeAndFire
PODCAST
Our Weekly To Do on smoke and fire with an emphasis on what to do and who to contact first after a fire. Plus some startling statistics about energy needs and the federal debt over the next decade. Homeowner questions and other notes of interest around Rosie On The House.
Archive Page With Expanded Content
PHOTO CREDIT
- IStock
- Kowalski Construction
- US Fire Administration
