IMPACT OF SMOKE DAMAGE

9/12/2018 (Permalink)

Smoke damage can have devastating affects to health and property. SERVPRO can help!

At SERVPRO of Downtown Long Beach / Signal Hill, fire restoration and clean-up is one of our specialties. Smoke, comprised of carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, and soot, affects a building’s structure in unexpected ways. Depending on temperature, the environment, and air flow, smoke can distribute in many different areas and cause more damage than you realize. To protect your health and preserve your property investment, count on SERVPRO of Downtown Long Beach / Signal Hill to restore your building back to new.

Because hot air rises, smoke residue is most commonly found on the ceiling directly above the source of the fire. Soot can also extend to the inside perimeter as cold air below opens a path for smoke to travel to exterior walls and windows. Because of this, noticeable staining and odor remains present throughout.

Furniture, decorations, and enclosed spaces interact with the smoke in unusual ways. As molecules become excited in warmer air, they move from hot areas to colder areas of the room, falling out of the air and onto relatively enclosed areas. These particles rest behind cool drapes or under shades, and they travel into drawers, closets, and cavities. Since smoke particles are often ionized (possessing an electrical charge), smoke damage may also occur on surrounding nail heads in the ceiling and synthetic materials such as vinyl, due to their greater ionization characteristics. You may also witness cobweb-like shapes in the corners of the room caused by the strong charge of burning plastics.

Furthermore, air currents may carry smoke away from the fire, causing damage in surprising areas. First, the smoke will find its way into the cool ductwork, damaging rooms located away from the fire. Airstreams may then carry it around doors, like water passing objects in a stream. As a result, residue builds on the far side of door openings with the pattern diminishing further away from the fire. Understanding the physics takes mystery out of stressful situation.

Smoke resulting from fire can behave in unintended ways. It permeates a house as it seeks new places to settle. The resulting effects can be long lasting and have an impact on your health. Until professionals repair the damage and replace smoke stained areas, the room is virtually uninhabitable. If you find yourself in such a situation, SERVPRO of Downtown Long Beach / Signal Hill will have you breathing better.