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 issue with fire 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 restorer to clean your property. They can easily make the damage worse and they can be inefficient at their job which means they may charge you more than required.
Get in contact with your insurer immediately after the fire has happened. They can provide advice on which items are recoverable.
Remove any charred and non restorable items and including floor coverings, insulation, contents etc. Don’t be conservative at this step.
If you have air conditioning ducts at your property they will need to be repaired professionally if they are salvageable.
An engineer or qualified contractor can provide advice determine what part of the building may need 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 building may need to be resealed to locked in the smell from the smoke damage.
When taking your garments to the dry cleaners, make sure they are aware of the smoke odour.
A fantastic tool used for removing smoke smell is an ozone machine. Be cautious when using this machine as O3 can be toxic if not used properly. Best to trust this to the professionals.
Walls and ceilings can be vacuumed first before cleaning them. This can make the process progress faster.
After this process is finalised at least two coats of paint may need to be applied.
If you need Smoke Damage cleanup services call New Life Restoration. Fire damage restoration is a speciality of our having completed relevant qualifications and gained 10 years experience servicing Brisbane, Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast.
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