The fire is out. The firemen have packed up their equipment and headed back to their station. You and your family are left standing at the curb forlornly surveying what was once your beautiful home. Relatives have suggested that you to come live with them while things get sorted out. So what’s next?
Is this fire cleanup really something you should tackle on your own? After all, it is your stuff. The answer is absolutely no! Call Cleveland Water & Fire Restoration, 440-530-4881. The fire may be out but the danger is still lurking. Besides the danger of structural damage, the smoke and ash is continuing to do damage to your possessions and possibly also to your health if you spend any time breathing them in.
The Nature of Smoke and Ash
It is crucial to immediately call upon professional fire restoration services to minimize further damage. Both ash and smoke are corrosive and will ruin plastics, clothing, and even wood furniture and metals if left to sit inside your home. Not everything may have burned in the fire, but your possessions, by being exposed to smoke and ash residue, are still being exposed to ongoing damage from the fire.
Heat Reaction
Smoke and ash react to heat. The heat causes them to become airborne and drift throughout your home. As they reach cooler areas, the smoke and ash particles will begin to settle. This is one reason that exterior walls in your home will be covered with a heavier concentration of fire residue. The outside air that is pressing against the exterior walls is cooler than the air inside where the fire is burning. If you take a picture or curtains off a wall you will see an outline of the item, not with less smoke damage, but with more. Even the slightest temperature difference will “attract” smoke and ash. Open a refrigerator after it has been in a home with a fire and you will understand why all the food inside it needs to be thrown away. Smoke will have penetrated the refrigerator’s door seals.
Dangerous Chemicals
Smoke and ash particles contain things like carbon monoxide, methane, acetic acid, sulfur dioxide, and other chemicals. The particles are a result of incomplete combustion. As they coat objects throughout your home, they begin to act corrosively, adding additional damage to your possessions the longer they remain on them. This is why quick, knowledgeable action needs to be taken. An untrained person who attempts to clean up fire damage can actually cause more damage to what they are trying to clean.
Fire Damage Restoration
In order to be successful in removing smoke and its odors, you need to understand the different cleaning methods used for different types of fires, including what was burned. This is where Cleveland Water & Fire Restoration certified fire restoration technicians excel. Fast response is required. That’s why we are always available 24/7. Call us at 440-530-4881. We can board up your property and start our salvage operations immediately. We offer pack out (removing and protecting the contents of your home) and content cleaning and restoration. We can also provide onsite storage and reconstruction services. Allow Cleveland Water & Fire Restoration to get started right away and we will do everything we can to return your home to its pre-fire condition as quickly as possible.
