You might think if there hasn’t been a fire in your home, you are safe from smoke damage. Unfortunately, this isn’t true. Many homes suffer smoke damage without there ever being an uncontrolled fire. How can this happen? And what are the dangers of smoke damage?
Causes of Smoke Damage
Smoke damage is unfortunately common in homes and businesses. Here are some common causes:
- Uncontrolled fires. This is the obvious cause! A fire in your home will leave smoke and soot damage.
- Chimney puff back. If you do not clean your chimney on a regular basis, burnt gases can build up on the inside of your chimney and obstruct airflow. Eventually, this can lead to an explosive puff back of burnt gases that throws smoke and soot into the room.
- Furnace puff back. When a furnace fails to burn fuel efficiently, it can release unburnt fuel in the form of soot or charcoal smoke. The result – called furnace puff back – is an odorous, powdery smoke that sticks to everything.
- Unattended cooking. Even something as small as burned food can cause smoke damage if left to smoke long enough. If you smell lingering smoke after airing out the room, or see discoloration on the walls, you might have smoke damage.
Dangers of Smoke Damage
Smoke damage has more effects than you might think! Here are some of the consequences of smoke in your home.
- A strong odor. Smoke can ruin your furniture. Fabrics like curtains and soft furniture like couches will smell like smoke until they’re cleaned.
- Health problems. Breathing in smoke is harmful to your lungs, and you should avoid being in your home until the smoke damage is entirely cleaned.
- Broken electronics. Soot and smoke can disrupt the circuitry in your electronic devices. To be safe, you should get them cleaned before using them to avoid shorts.
When Should I Call a Professional?
Smoke damage can be almost impossible to remove without professional tools. Besides the overwhelming odor, smoke and soot can be dangerous to breathe. Breathing in large amounts of smoke is bad enough for your lungs that fire restoration workers must wear masks when cleaning up damage. Fire restoration professionals will be able to safely clean up smoke and soot from your home, even if there was no fire. They can remove the smoke and soot odor and make the air in your home safe again.
It is important to check with your insurance company to see if any smoke damage cleanup is covered by your policy.
Quit Smoke Damage With Green Restoration
At Green Restoration, we can help you with smoke damage. We are locally-owned and operated and pride ourselves on using environmentally-friendly cleaning supplies. We will even work directly with your insurance company if your policy will cover the restoration process. Contact us today.