DID YOU KNOW THT THERE IS BEHAVIOR TO SMOKE?

11/12/2019 (Permalink)

The damage to your property following a fire can often be complicated due to the unique behavior of smoke.  There are two types of smoke – wet ad dry.   As a result, there are different types of soot residue after fire.

SERVPRO of Greater Smithtown technicians are thoroughly trained in fire cleanup and restoration and know the different types of smoke and their behavior patterns.  Knowing this information is vital to proper restoration.   Before restoration begins, SERVPRO will survey the loss to determine the extent of impact from fire, smoke, heat and moisture on the building material and its contents.  The soot will then be tested to determine which type of smoke damage occurred.  Pretesting determines the proper cleaning method and allow SERVPRO of Greater Smithtown to focus on saving your precious items.

Smoke can penetrate various cavities within the structure, causing hidden damage and odor.  Their knowledge of building systems helps them investigate how far smoke damage may have spread.  The following points are additional facts you may not know about smoke. 

• Hot smoke migrates to cooler areas and upper levels of structure.
• Smoke flows around plumbing systems, seeping through the holes used by pipes to go from floor to floor. Type of smoke may greatly affect the restoration.

Types of smoke:

• Wet Smoke – (Plastic and Rubber) Low heat, smoldering, pungent odor, sticky and smeary. Smoke webs are more difficult to clean.
• Dry Smoke – (Paper and Wood) Fast burning, high temperatures, heat rises, therefore smoke rises.
• Protein Fire Residue – (Produced by evaporation of material rather than from a fire) Virtually invisible, discolors paints, and varnishes, extreme pungent odor.
• Fuel oil Soot, (Furnace puff backs) While “Puff Backs can create havoc for homeowners SERVPRO can in most cases restore the contents and structure quickly.

Other types (tear gas, fingerprint power and fire extinguisher residue) Special loss situations require special care.

SERVPRO of Greater Smithtown professionals are trained to handle even the toughest of losses.  If your home or business suffers fire or smoke damage, contact SERVPRO of Greater Smithtown to help make “Like it never even happened.”