When it comes to dealing with a fire's aftermath, you need to understand why it's important that you work with a fire and smoke damage restoration contractor to deal with the problems. While you could theoretically clean things up on your own, you're not going to be able to deal with all of the residual damage, and you may leave your family facing some potential health issues. Here's a look at what you need to know about dealing with the aftermath of a house fire.
Soot Is Hazardous To Your Health
After a fire, the residual black, powdery substance you find all over your home is soot. It's a byproduct of the fire, and it will coat pretty much everything. It's also challenging to remove from some surfaces, and the soot residue can be hazardous to your health. Unfortunately, if you don't hire a professional smoke damage restoration company, you risk even having soot residue remaining in your home's HVAC system where it will circulate through your home when you turn the system on.
Wet Smoke Is Challenging To Deal With
Despite its name, wet smoke is actually a combination of smoke residue, humidity, and soot. Unlike soot alone, which is produced in a rapidly burning, high-heat fire, wet smoke often results from a low-temperature, slow fire or even from the smoldering ash in the hours and days following a house fire.
Wet smoke is dirty, sticky, and hard to remove from any surface. It's in your best interest to work with a professional to ensure that any wet smoke in your home is removed carefully and properly without leaving any damage behind.
Lasting Effects Can Be A Struggle
Unless you've dealt with a house fire in the past, you may not realize how long it can take to get your home back to normal afterward. Smoke odors can be difficult to extract from porous surfaces, which leaves you struggling with the smell of smoke for quite some time after the fire unless you have it dealt with properly.
In addition, you might find discoloration from the smoke appearing on surfaces for weeks after the fire. Sometimes it takes time for the damage to show, which is something that most fire damage restoration companies are aware of. They know the areas that are most likely to show delayed effects and they can deal with those areas right away to help prevent lasting damage issues.
For more information on smoke damage restoration contact a professional company like Willamette Restoration Services, Inc.
Having your home damaged by flooding, a fire, mold growth, or termites can be incredibly stressful. You rely on professionals to repair the damage and restore your home to its former glory. Yet, even though the work is being done by contractors, you want to understand what is happening and what changes are being made to your home throughout the restoration process.
You can learn all of that right here on this website. We've written these articles with homeowners in mind, focusing on the repair and renovation issues that are most relevant these days. Find guides to quick DIY projects, tips for hiring a renovation contractor, and even advice for selecting new materials when your home is being transformed.