Smoke 101

 

Fire damages are complex due to the unique nature of different types of smoke. Some things you may not know about smoke.

-Hot smoke migrates to cooler areas and upper levels of a structure.

-Smoke flows around plumbing systems, using holes around pipes to go from floor to floor.

-They type of smoke may greatly affect the restoration process.

-Once at a fire scene, a SERVPRO Professional tests the soot to determine which type of smoke damage occurred.

 

Types of Smoke:

Wet Smoke Residues: result from smoldering fires with low heat. Residues are sticky and smeary with a pungent odor. Smoke webs can be difficult to clean.

Dry Smoke Residues: result from fast burning fires at high temperatures. Residues are normally dry, powdery, small, nonsmeary smoke particles.

Protein Residues: are virtually invisible residues that discolor paints and varnishes. They have an extreme pungent odor.

Fuel Oil Soot:  occur when furnances puff back, distributing fuel oil soot.

Other Types of Residue: include tear gas, fingerprint powder and fire extinguisher residues, all requiring cleanup.

For more information: http://www.servprolexingtonsc.com/fire-smoke-damage-restoration

-Denea Duran

Photo Credit: Google Image

Clean House + Clean Air = Happy, Healthy People

 Did you know that there is not only a such thing as outside pollution but also indoor pollution? To be honest, I never knew what would cause indoor pollution besides tobacco smoke. Here is a list of things that can cause indoor pollution!

Causes of Indoors Air Pollution

• Asbestos building products when dislodged (no longer intact)  
• Biological contaminants such as mold, dust mites, viruses and pet dander
• Carbon Monoxide
• Formaldehyde found in pressure treated wood
• Lead (pre-1978 house paint)
• Nitrogen dioxide
• Particulates found in dust, pollen, cleaning sprays and poorly ventilated areas
• Tobacco Smoke
• Volatile organic compounds including household cleaning products, pesticides and aerosol propellants

If you don’t think it is important to have clean air in your home, well here is a few fun facts!

Clean Air in the Home

• Children in homes with high levels of mold show persistent, cold-like symptons-300% more than those in clean environments.            
• Every year about 40 pounds of dust is generated per 1,5000 square feet in a home.
• Roughly 80 percent of the particles you see floating in your home in a ray of sunshine are dead human skin.

So now what do you think?

-Denea Duran

Photo Credit: www.emaxhealth.com

Fire Damage Tips

“When fire and water take control of your life we help you take it back”

Many times when a tragedy strikes our first state is shock. Your first responsibility as a home owner is to contact SERVPRO of Cayce/West Columbia & Lexington. (803)755-9774.

SERVPRO Professionals understand your home is more than four walls. Your home includes your memories and personal belongings. Our SERVPRO response team is trained in caring for both you and your home.

Do:

*Limit movement in the home to prevent soot particles from spreading and additional damage from occurring.

*Place clean towels or old linens on rugs and high traffic areas and upholstery.

*Coat chrome faucets, trim and appliances with petroleum jelly or oil.

*Place aluminum foil or wood blocks between furniture legs and wet carpet.

Do Not:

*Wash any walls or painted surfaces.

*Shampoo carpet or upholstery.

*Clean any electrical equipment.

*Send clothing to dry cleaner since improper cleaning may set smoke odor.

Photo Credit: google.com

-Denea Duran

Limiting Fire Damage

Although kitchen fires generally begin on the stove, the damage can affect the entire kitchen, from the walls to the ceilings and the air ducts to the appliances. Once the fire is out, you may be overwhelmed or devastated by the smoke and soot damage.

First, contact your local SERVPRO (Heyo! 803-755-9774) Franchise Professional. Then, follow these steps to help prevent further damage:

• Limit movement to prevent further damage.
• Place clean towels or old linens on carpeted traffic areas to prevent additional soiling.
• It electricity is off, empty freezer and refrigerator and prop doors open.
• Clean and protect chrome on kitchen and bathroom faucets and appliances with a light coating of petroleum jelly.

Here at SERVPRO, we are trained in the cleanup and care of your customers’ homes and personal belongings following a fire incident. Before you attempt to clean up the fire damage yourself, give us a call.

Sandy Hayden

Photo Credit: http://blog.tvfr.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/Kearney-Kitchen-Fire-300×225.jpg

The Big 3.

When it comes to fire, smoke, and soot restoration… we’ve got some all star services. I like to call them The Big 3.

1. Structural Cleaning — After a smoke or fire damage, ceilings, walls, woodwork, carpeting and floors will often need a thorough cleaning. Your experienced local SERVPRO Professional will pretest to determine the extent of damage, and then use the specific equipment and cleaning products required to clean and protect the different types of surfaces found in your structure. Depending on the amount of soot, we may even be able to reduce the cost of recovery by cleaning lighter soot deposits found on some surfaces, eliminating the expense incurred with repainting or refinishing. In other cases, we will clean to “prepare for painting.” This process deodorizes and ensures the new paint will adhere properly to the surface.

2. Contents Cleaning — All of the restorable contents in affected areas will be profesionally cleaned and deodorized. This includes area rugs, furniture, draperies and upholstery. We begin by carefully inspecting and testing all fabrics in the structure to determine which cleaning methods are most appropriate. We can provide wet or dry cleaning services. Additionally, all the other restorable contents will be cleaned and deodorized to preloss condition. This includes electronics, art, wood furniture, kitchen items, clothing, bedding, bric-a-brac and much more. Finally, we can provide an inventory list of all “to be claimed” items if requested.

3. Deodorization — We provide specialized services that rid your home or place of business of offensive odors left by fire or smoke damage. We do not merely cover up lingering odors with a fragrance, rather we seek out the sources of the odor and remove them. Ask us to explain the various deodorization methods available and which will work best for you!

Sandy Hayden

The Right Stuff

Yesterday we talked about mold cleanup and the overwhelming importance of calling a professional. This is mainly because professional equipment does far more extensive cleanup than is possible with household products. We understand that our equipment makes a measurable difference in reducing claims loss expense. When time matters, the right technology and equipment are vital. So not only do we answer your call with fast action and trained, uniformed personnel, but also with the right equipment for the job!

When it comes to fire damage, we train our teams thorougly. For instance, knowing the different types of smoke and their behavior patterns are vital to proper restoration.

Wet Smoke — Plastics and Synthetics; Low heat, smoldering, pungent odor, sticky, smeary.
Dry Smoke — Paper and Wood; Fast burning, high temperatures, dry, powdery, nonsmeary residues.
Protein — Virtually invisible, discolors paints and varnishes, extreme pungent odor.
Fuel Oil Soot — Furnace Puff Backs
Other Types — Tear gas, fingerprint powder and fire extinguisher residue.

Pretesting determines the proper cleaning method and allows us to focus on saving your precious items (what really matters).

Two amazing pieces of deodorization equipment include ultra low volume (ULV) foggers and thermal foggers. ULV foggers will atomize liquid deodorizing agents, producing a fine mist that easily penetrates sites where odor-causing residues accumulate. The device can also be used to apply fungicides and disinfectants. Thermal foggers dispense solvent-based products in large volume, dense fogs suitable for confined areas. The fog consists of tiny particles of deodorant solution that pair with and neutralize odor-causing particles.

We’ve got the right stuff.

Sandy Hayden

Talking Business: Damage Lingers Even When Smoke Clears

Let’s talk business. In the corporate world, office downtime can mean bad news for a company. Especially following a devastating fire, the days and weeks that a company’s doors are shut mean money lost that may not be recouped. In addition to the loss in productivity, it is not hard to imagine what could become of millions of dollars of computers and other office equipment, having been enveloped in smoke and doused in water.

Expensive electronic equipment is not the only thing damaged when exposed to water and smoke. Conference rooms, tables, chairs, carpeted floors, art, lamps and other employee possessions are among the many office components at risk for fire and water damage. In fact, a fire can and sometimes does mean an untimely end to a once successful business. These critical moments require immediate attention from specialists trained in fire and water restoration. Fast response time can be step one in the eventual recovery of a business.

When we get a call from a business owner who has experienced a fire, we know they are experiencing a whirlwind of fear, frustration and anxiety, which is why we get on site as fast as we can to assess the damage and get to work. SERVPRO is a nationally franchised professional fire and water cleanup and restoration company in Greater Columbia. We also provide professional pack-outs, relocating any damaged documents or equipment to a cleaner environment so they can be restored to preloss condition.

Restoration companies trained in this type of cleanup must also be familiar with the inner workings of the insurance industry. SERVPRO works with agents and adjusters to quickly settle claims and achieve high customer satisfaction. The work that we do to restore equipment and materials, as opposed to replacing them, saves the insurance industry a lot of money each year.

Few companies are able to efficiently get in there and clean electronics after a fire. We happen to be one of them. There are a series of steps we take to ensure that electronics and important documents are properly cleaned and restored. Of course, we can also professional clean the carpets and other saturated items. Chairs may not be expensive compared to computers, but if you have 100 chairs that are soaking wet, the cost of replacement can be quite high. When customers see our green trucks on site, they can rest assured that “green means clean.”

*Photo credit: http://photography.nationalgeographic.com/staticfiles/NGS/Shared/StaticFiles/Photography/Images/POD/p/pines-fire-blair-444449-xl.jpg

Sandy Hayden