What is the Most Common Damage After A Fire? (Part 1 of 2)

8/30/2022 (Permalink)

It’s usually not the actual fire that does the most damage to a home from a house fire. What causes the most damage to homes that suffered a fire is the smoke from the fire and the water from the firefighters. Below we will cover common damages that occur in a home after a fire.

Where You’ll Find Most Damage from a Fire

Obviously, you’ll find the most damage to a home at the source of the fire. In the case of a stovetop fire, this would be around the range hood, back wall, and ceiling above. In the case of a space heater igniting a curtain, the damage would be around the curtain and on the ceiling above the curtain.

While there will be flame damage right near the source, the majority of the damage will be from the smoke of the fire. If you’ve ever blown out a candle or roasted marshmallows over an open fire, you’ll know that smoke rises. When a fire occurs in your home, the smoke will also rise up and to the ceiling. If the fire is near a wall you might see discoloration up the wall with most of the discoloration right above the source of the fire on the ceiling.

As the fire continues to create more smoke, the smoke will spread across the ceiling and look for a place to escape and go higher. This could be up a stairwell or through ceiling vents. If the smoke has no place to go any higher, it will start to build up and start to come down closer to the floor like a fog. With smoke having the tendency to go up, this is why they say to get nearest to the ground when escaping a fire since there is usually less smoke.

The last area where you’ll most of the smoke damage from a fire is around windows and doors. As the smoke builds up in a house, it looks for the easiest place to escape outside. While this could be a chimney, smoke will also slip out through any cracks or drafts in windows and doors. In homes that suffer a lot of damage, you’ll usually find heavy discolorations around drafty doors and windows.

The Two Variables That Can Spread the Smoke Even Further

While we’ve discussed the typical behavior of smoke from a fire and where you’ll typically find the most damage, there are two variables that can change the behavior of the smoke and help carry it and the damage it causes even further throughout your home. The two things that can help spread the smoke even further are your ceiling fans and your central HVAC system. If your ceiling fans are on or your HVAC blower is on, then the smoke can be blown and carried throughout the house.

If your HVAC system is running then the smoke will most likely enter through the return vents and be spread throughout the duct system. This will not only carry the smoke and the smoke damage throughout the house, it will also cause smoke damage to your ducts. Your ducts might have dust throughout the system which can absorb the smoke meaning every time your air conditioner or heater turns on, you’ll smell the residual smoke for weeks and months after the fire. To remove the smoke from your ducts and HVAC system, you’ll need to have them professionally cleaned.

What is the Most Common Damage After A Fire? (Part 2 of 2)

8/30/2022 (Permalink)

Battling Discoloration and Odor from Smoke

As you’ve read above, the most damaging part of a fire is usually the smoke. Smoke can discolor any surfaces it comes into contact with. This can include ceilings, walls, and floors but also furniture, clothes, toys, and other household objects. The smoke can seep through every little tiny crack and space discoloring everything in its path.

The second thing that smoke can do to many surfaces of your home is leave an odor. While surfaces that are smooth and not porous can be cleaned easily, the smoke odor can easily embed into porous surfaces like fabric furniture, clothes, curtains, carpets, sheets, electronics and non-sealed wood.

How to Clean Up Fire and Smoke Damage

Cleaning up after a fire, even a small one, isn’t as easy as cleaning up a spilled glass of liquid off the floor. Due to the chemical properties of fire and smoke, removing the discoloration can be difficult if not impossible in some situations. Removing the smoke odor can be even more difficult especially when dealing with electronics, fabric furniture, carpeting, and clothes.

The best step to take if you should regrettably experience a fire in your Indianapolis-area home is to call the fire damage repair and restoration experts at SERVPRO have the knowledge and equipment to remove all the fire and smoke damage and restore your home to how it was prior to the fire. They are a trusted leader in the restoration industry that business owners and homeowners have turned to for years restore and repair their property.

When Is The Last Time You've Cleaned Your Dryer Vent?

5/3/2022 (Permalink)

Dryer vent cleaning prevents fires. If you live in SERVPRO of Calumet City- Lansing, you will want to make sure that your home or commercial property is completely safe. Whether by flooding, fire or some other mishap, there are plenty of ways that your property can be threatened. One of the best ways to ensure that you are prepared for a catastrophic emergency is always to have a local residential and commercial property cleanup and restoration service.

Dryer Vent Cleaning Prevents Fires 

Keep your property from sustaining irreversible fire damage. Making sure your dryer vents are clean and free from obstruction will help keep your property safe from the possibility of a fire. It's also an excellent precaution to take to keep the air in the building from getting choked up with dust, lint and other health hazards that can accumulate in a dryer vent. 

Get Help from a Local Cleanup and Restoration Service 

It's up to you to contact an expert local cleaning and fire restoration service to ensure that your vents get cleaned in a correct and timely fashion. When you are in doubt as to whether the vents or other areas in your home are functioning correctly, a good, thorough cleaning is never a bad idea. 

Even if it turns out that your property is not quite yet due for a full cleaning, a reputable local cleanup service can help such as removing any excess pollen or debris that has accumulated in the vents. This way, you can save a great deal of time, money and worry by taking timely preventative measures. Keeping the proper level of air quality in your home or commercial building will go a long way toward keeping the structure safe for your family or employees to inhabit. An expert local service will ultimately save you a great deal of time and stress.

Expert Help for Dryer Vent Cleaning Is Available 

At SERVPRO of Calumet City- Lansing we know that dryer vent cleaning prevents fires. This is only one of the many services that we can provide for you to make sure that your home or commercial property will be safe against the event of an unforeseen mishap or emergency. If an emergency should befall your property, you'll want to call a service that can get to you in a prompt and timely manner. 

Locally Owned Company with National Resources

If you are in need of quick and efficient dryer vent cleaning, we're here to assist you. Call SERVPRO of Calumet City/Lansing today at 708-627-0077

Do You Know How To Properly Use A Fire Extinguisher?

5/2/2022 (Permalink)

All of us at SERVPRO hope you never have a fire. If the worst happens, we are experts in cleaning the damage left by smoke and fire in your home or office.

Fire extinguishers may help prevent fire damage or smoke damage, but only if you know how to use them.

SERVPRO wants to share these tips from FEMA. You can try to fight a small fire only if:

• You have alerted others in the building that there is a fire
• Someone has called the fire department
• You are physically able to use a fire extinguisher
• The fire is small and contained (like a wastebasket)
• You are safe from the fire’s smoke
• You have a clear escape route

How to Use a Fire Extinguisher: SERVPRO suggests you remember PASS:

Pull the pin. Hold the extinguisher with the nozzle pointing away from you and release the locking mechanism.

Aim at the base of the fire.

Squeeze the lever slowly and evenly.

Sweep the nozzle side to side.

If you see a small fire at your place of business or home, and you think you can take care of it yourself, use these tips above. If you have any worries, you and everyone should leave the building and call 9-1-1 when you are safe, outside.

Links:

https://www.usfa.fema.gov/prevention/

https://www.usfa.fema.gov/prevention/outreach/extinguishers.html

After Fire Damage Protect Upholstery and Carpets

3/8/2022 (Permalink)

Hot air rises. As hot air rises, it pushes cooler air beneath, creating pressure. Understanding this process can help you to understand the types of harm your home may sustain during a fire, and how you can avoid excess damage. Property fires can come from just about anywhere. Leaving a hob on or a portable heater too close to dry fabrics and material can set alight, forcing you to evacuate in the middle of the night while the fire department deals with the resulting blaze.

The success of restoring your home depends on the extent of your knowledge of fire, smoke, and ash. Once a fire official declares your home is safe for entry, the first thing you may notice is the extent of soiling. The pressure created by rapidly rising temperatures causes smoke to spread out from the source of the fire exponentially. This pressure is why even a contained fire may present a homeowner with a myriad of soiling on ceilings, furniture, walls, inside cabinets, and your building's exterior.

When temperatures cool, loose soiling may drop from the ceiling onto your floor or furnishings. At SERVPRO of Calumet City- Lansing, we always recommend that homeowners protect furnishings in the affected area as quickly as possible. You can use old sheets or tarpaulin to place over surfaces and upholstery as a simple solution that could mitigate losses significantly. Unfortunately, while soots remain in the property, the affected rooms are unusable. 

The quickest way to regain access to living rooms or kitchens is by using a professional fire restorer like SERVPRO of Calumet City- Lansing. Our team can scope the property, assess the damages, and put in place a gameplan to recover your contents. Carpets and upholstery that show signs of smoke damage are frequently restorable to a good condition. SERVPRO deposit carpet conditioners using truck-mounted wands in combination with rotary machines for upholstery and carpets. These can remove soiling while cleaning the carpet at the same time.

SERVPRO of Calumet City/ Lansing is Here to Help when you need us most! 24/7!

3/6/2022 (Permalink)

At SERVPRO of Calumet City/ Lansing we know that a fire is devastating.  From the very beginning our team will be with you to walk you through the process.  If your home has experienced a fire damage it is likely that you will first need a board up to secure your property and belongings from further damage or theft.  Once your home is boarded up our cleaning crew will come in to assist in gathering your belongings and determine what can be salvaged.  With the highest level of cleaning equipment and technicians we are able to clean and restore to preloss condition many of your personal items.

Once your home is packed out and brought to our secure location, our fire team will begin the process of cleaning your home and removing any effected building materials.  Our on site construction team can begin to rebuild and restore your home once the fire team if finished.  We aim to make the process as simple and easy for you as possible by having several different divisions all under one roof.  

If you or someone you know has experienced a home fire, please give our office a call 24/7/365 at 708-627-0077 for more information on our fire restoration services.