Is It Possible To Remove Burnt Odors From my East Brunswick Home Quickly?

3/24/2022 (Permalink)

Malodors can have a massive impact on your home after a fire.

SERVPRO Restorers in East Brunswick Can Remove All Traces of Fire Damage from your Home, Including Odor.

What Causes Smoke Odors?

When materials combust, they release chemicals into the atmosphere. Some of these chemicals include odor particles that are volatile and can bond with surfaces or enter fabrics and upholstery. Without professional odor control technicians (OCT), smoke odors can remain in your East Brunswick home for several weeks or months. To combat these odors, we need to use a combination of cleaning methods to remove the odor-causing soils and deodorization. Different types of soils and surfaces require different treatments, which can make the removal of soils an arduous process. SERVPRO technicians stock a full range of chemical cleaning equipment and deodorants to assist homeowners with minor, moderate, and severe fire restoration.

Why is it Tough to Remove Smoke Odors?

Smoke odors are invisible to the naked eye. Restoring fire damage in your East Brunswick home involves a combination of getting rid of the visible and invisible remains of a fire. It can be tough to identify the source of an odor, which is why we use several odor control techniques in a property. Sometimes, removing a smell can be as simple as cleaning and drying property. At other times, we may need to use a combination of deodorant sprays, mists, and pellets to bring an unpleasant odor under control. Our first method is to perform a meticulous inspection of the property to understand where malodors are occurring and the best ways for removing them.

How do I Know the Extent of an Odor Situation?

• Minor smoke odors are when light smoke residues affect a small area of the property, and there is little to no structural damage
• Moderate smoke odors occur when there is soiling on horizontal and vertical surfaces. There is visible charring on materials in the affected area, and signs of smoke traveling beyond the source
• Dominant smoke odors cover severely damaged structures and may take significantly longer to remove because the material build of the property has become charred, and smoke has spread throughout the home

How Can I Remove Minor Smoke Odors From my Property?

The first step toward controlling odor is to ventilate the space thoroughly. Opening windows can help to encourage a natural air exchange, which can remove odor particles from the structure altogether. Using a detergent, SERVPRO technicians can clean walls, ceilings, and surfaces to clear away any odor-causing smoke residues. Once the cleaning process is complete, our technicians use venting box fans to ventilate the affected area once again. If the odor remains, we can inspect crawlspaces, cavities as well as your heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) system. We may not need to introduce solvents for minor smoke issues, which can decrease restoration time.

What Happens to a Burnt Structure During Fire Restoration?

Charring of materials or structure can be the cause of moderate to significant smoke odors. It is frequently necessary to thoroughly remove these items and replace them to bring an odor issue under control. We use an ultra-low volume (ULV) mister to saturate the remaining materials with deodorant to mask odors until they disperse naturally. Usually, moderate smoke damage requires a thorough inspection and cleaning of your HVAC system. We may need to seal ducts to prevent odors from being redistributed through your home while the restoration is underway. Any charred items can often be repainted using an odor sealing primer to lock in odors and prevent them from affecting your indoor air quality.

How Can I Clean an HVAC System from Smoke Residues?

• Remove ventilation duct and replace, including the return side mesh and filters
• Feed air whips into the pipe to loosen soils
• Apply negative air pressure to the pipe to remove loosened soils
• Seal the HVAC system to prevent the spread of odor

Do Smoke Odors Affect Indoor Air Quality?

Smoke is harmful to inhale because it contains monoxide and other lethal gases. However, in most situations, these gases depart within the first hour of extinguishing a fire. Smoke odors can remain in the air causing an unpleasant reminder of the fire for several weeks without professional intervention. To remove both odors and microscopic soots from your indoor air, SERVPRO can use air scrubbers. This equipment utilizes a potassium and carbon permanganate filter to remove particles from the sky and replace it with clean indoor air. Usually, these filters are only necessary for severe fire restoration projects.

Malodors can have a massive impact on your home after a fire. Contact SERVPRO of East Brunswick / Princeton Meadows at (732) 432-9800.