Removing Soot and Smoke After a Fire

What’s In This Articles

• Removing Soot and Smoke Odor After a Fire
• Soot and Smoke Odor Damage
• Removing Soot and Smoke Odor After a Fire
• If You Need a Public Adjuster for a Smoke Damage Insurance Claim, Call AllCity Adjusting
• Does Insurance Cover a Soot and Ash Contamination Claim?

Removing Soot and Smoke Odor After a Fire

For any homeowner, a fire in their home is a terrifying and traumatic event. Depending on the extent of the fire, the homeowner now faces the replacement of damaged furniture, appliances and electronics. Additionally, clothing, drapes and carpeting may have to be replaced. Certainly, if the home was extensively damaged, the family may be living at a hotel or a rental for the next several months while the house is repaired. Lastly, one of the most daunting tasks the homeowner faces is removing soot and smoke odor after a fire.
Once the fire is out, and you can enter your home, you should do so-with your camera. Indeed, you will want to walk room-room to take photos of the damaged areas. Remember, smoke and soot will spread throughout your house. Indeed, it will travel to rooms that were never touched by flames.
However, also remember that soot and smoke residue are hazardous to your health. Therefore, wear a mask or respirator, a long-sleeved shirt and pants.

Soot and Smoke Odor Damage

You will want to go throughout your home so you can make a list of all the damaged items in your house. In addition, you will want to note all the damaged areas. Likewise, take pictures of the water damage from firefighters putting out the fire (that damage is covered by your policy).
Also, take pictures of the soot and smoke damage to floors, walls and ceilings.
Additionally, smoke can often be very acidic. Moreover, smoke can come into contact with metal, such as doorknobs and kitchen fittings. At the very least, smoke can tarnish metal. However, in a worst-case scenario, smoke can corrode metal, such as pipes, hinges, etc., in your home.
As another example, smoke can get behind walls and into ceilings. It can discolor walls and ceilings. Moreover, it can get into insulation and cause an odor. As a result, a contractor may have to knock down walls and ceilings to replace the insulation.
Smoke and soot can spread throughout a house during a fire. In fact, they can make their way into parts of the house that flames never touched. Indeed, you can even get smoke damage in your house if a nearby neighbor has a house fire.
Lastly,smoke and soot can work their way into carpeting, clothes, furniture, upholstery and drapes. In addition, smoke can damage plastics and marble countertops. Likewise, smoke can damage both the outside and inside of appliances.

Removing Soot and Smoke Odor After a Fire

You may be able to clean up some areas with dish soap and warm water. However, even if the fire in your home only does a moderate amount of damage, you may still need a professional restoration company.
Soot is made of minute particles of carbon. Of course, it is dangerous to your health. Professional restoration companies have specialized equipment to remove soot. In addition, they also have cleaning solutions to wipe up soot.
Lastly, they wear personal protective equipment to completely remove smoke odors and soot residue.
The odor of smoke can get into clothing, curtains, carpeting and furniture. Professional cleaning services may be able to get the smell of smoke out of those items and other soft goods.
Additionally, they can do a deep clean of your carpet and upholstery.
However, if they cannot remove the smell to your satisfaction, don’t hesitate to tell that to the insurance company adjuster.

If You Need a Public Adjuster for a Smoke Damage Insurance Claim, Call AllCity Adjusting

We are a family-owned claims company with five decades of combined adjusting experience. As a result, if there’s one thing we understand, it’s that you need 100% of your claim value.
You have already gone through a tumultuous event. For this reason, get an agency that gets you more.
At AllCity Adjusting we work to ensure you get 100% of your smoke damage insurance claim value. Equally important, with over 50 years of combined experience as insurance adjusters, we know insurance companies and understand where they cut corners.
Moreover, we help you build a larger claim and maximize your claim value. Indeed, we get you back to normal fast.
Lastly, don’t get fooled. Get the company that gets you more.

Does Insurance Cover a Soot and Ash Contamination Claim?

You bet it does. At AllCity, we have handled hundreds of smoke damage claims.
Therefore, if you have received a low-ball offer from the insurance company, or they are taking too long to process your smoke damage insurance claim or you just want to talk to someone on your side, call us at 844.692.3587. Or you can email us at info@allcityadhjusting.com.