This article is aimed at giving advice on how to clean up smoke damage to walls
, ceiling and contents after a small fire. The main problem with smoke damage is the soot marks, the smoke smell and the bacteria caused by the water used to put out the fire. These are some simple steps that can be followed to restore the smoke damage:
Don't have an untrained smoke restoration business to clean your property. They can easily make the damage worse and they can be inefficient at their job which means they could charge you more than required.
Get in contact with your insurance company as soon as possible after the fire has happened. They can recommend advice on which items are recoverable.
Do not be conservative when it comes to getting rid of fire damaged items. Especially when it comes to insulation and porous materials such as floor coverings.
HVAC systems may need to be fully restored or replaced.
An engineer or qualified contractor can help you determine what part of the structure needs to be replaced.
If the property has been damaged by water applied to extinguish the fire, you need to dry out the property and spray on the appropriate antimicrobial.
The framing of the property may need to be resealed to manage the smell from the smoke damage.
When bringing your textiles to the dry cleaners, ensure they are aware of the smoke odour.
Ozone deodorisation can be used to reduce the odour within the property.
Ceilings and walls can be vacuumed first to make the cleaning process faster and easier. They may need to be cleaned with dry chem sponges.
No less than two coats of paint need to be to the walls and ceilings after cleaning.