What Can I Do About Odors in My Home After a Fire?

6/8/2020 (Permalink)

Do you know how to clean smoke and soot damage? SERVPRO does!

SERVPRO Can Remove Smoke Odors and Restore Your Helena Home 

In every fire, there is physical damage from the heat and flames. In residential fires, it is usually limited, with the odors created by smoke and soot often being the hardest sign of the fire to eliminate from your Helena home. 

How Quickly Can You Get Started? 

Once our restoration team arrives, SERVPRO can start removing property scorched by the fire damage. In Helena homes, this usually means demolishing and removing ceiling panels, drywall, and linoleum or carpeting, depending on where the fire started. As an example, if there was a short in the wiring in the living room, our teams remove all this plus items such as lamps, televisions, sofas, and other furniture. 

This first step is important for two reasons. The scorched material in these items generates odors, and it is also covered in soot and smoke particles left by other burned items. Removing these items pulls a large amount of the odor-causing particles completely out of the home and makes cleaning efforts more effective.

How Long Does Cleaning Take? 

Cleaning efforts depend on several factors. Our team has a wide inventory of cleaning agents tailored to each type of odor-causing particle, but using them means knowing what items burned, how long the fire burned, and how far the smoke went through your home. Once we have that information, cleaning can take from a day or two to several weeks.

OK, the Odors are Gone, but is My Home Clean Enough to Live in Again? 

Yes. SERVPRO actions meet the requirements established by the Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification for returning a clean, safe home to the owner. If you are still concerned for children or older family members, our office offers Certified: SERVPRO Cleaned. This goes further and meets the cleaning standards of the Center for Disease Control and state health agencies. 

To schedule a service call, contact SERVPRO of Helena & Great Falls at (406) 458-6008.

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