If you and your family experienced a house fire, you quickly realized how complicated the clean-up will be. Not only did the firefighters need to destroy some elements of your home in order to control it, the aftermath is a mess. A fire damage service will work on many aspects of cleanup and restoration, they also will work to eliminate smoke odor. Professional restoration companies have several options to help in your situation. But first…
Act quickly; in just hours the smoke will start to permanently damage whatever it’s clinging to. Costs of restoration rise rapidly the longer the time period before professional fire damage restoration. Smoke odor and residue removal require a careful, professional response. You need a team to make an assessment and implement a plan.
You also need complete cleaning of all surfaces: walls, ceilings, floors, cabinets, fixtures.
Even after the debris has been thrown out, and salvageable articles have been separated, the team must address airborne soot, lingering ash, and corrosive elements. For example, an industrial HEPA vacuum can clear away soot from surfaces and improve air quality.
Then there are a variety of chemical treatments available for cleaning areas damaged by dry smoke, wet smoke, and protein smoke. For smoke odor elimination and control, specific commercial products can be applied using a thermal fogger to create a vapor barrier. The team may also choose to use chemical mist or an ozone generator.
While the fire itself can do a lot of damage on its own, the smoke it gives off can cause even more long-term damage to your home, belongings, and even health.
While TCM Restoration & Cleaning is working to make your home beautiful again, they are also working to keep your family safe. Smoke damage can contain toxic chemicals which can be harmful to your health. Address and dangerous chemicals remaining and lingering smoke odors.
Since airborne soot particulates are invisible, you may unknowingly be breathing in danger. Once soot enters your bloodstream, it can cause a wide array of serious health issues, including respiratory issues, shortness of breath, bronchitis, asthma, stroke, heart attack, cancer, and premature death.
While TCM Restoration repairs your house, determine if your current homeowners insurance policy includes “loss of use coverage” protection. This term means that the homeowner’s insurance will pay for temporary housing: a hotel, Airbnb, or even renting a house.
To file a fire and smoke damage claim, you must request a copy of the fire report from the responding fire department. Start to document the damage; take pictures of every aspect of the damage. Record all communications in writing; you need to support your estimate of the value of the belongings lost in the fire. An insurance adjuster will come to the scene to gather their own evidence and document the damage themselves.
If you’re renting, getting details right on how you’re covered for smoke damage can be a challenge sometimes. When your rental unit is damaged by smoke that’s the result of a covered loss, you’ll be protected up to your policy’s limit. Record all communications in writing if a neighbor’s rental space is damaged by that kind of event, your coverage could extend to restore other rental spaces too.
You’ll need a combination of both time-honored procedures and cutting-edge chemicals for complete and long-term smoke odor elimination. TCM Restoration & Cleaning is a full-service fire damage restoration contractor that serves Anchorage and Mat Su Valley. They can handle:
From the initial board-up to the complete reconstruction of your property and the cleaning of all your contents, the fire damage restoration experts at TCM will do everything they can to keep your family and your home safe. Rely on their expertise to remove smoke odors while they restore your home after a fire.
