Behavior of Smoke
12/6/2017 (Permalink)
The damage to your property following a fire can often be complicated due to the unique behavior of SMOKE.
There are two different types of smoke:
Wet
Dry
As a result, there are different types of soot residue after a fire.
Wet Smoke (Plastic and Rubber)
- Low heat
- Smoldering
- Pungent odor
- Sticky
- Smeary
NOTE: Smoke webs are more difficult to clean.
Dry Smoke (Paper and Wood)
- Fast-burning
- High temperatures
- Heat rises, therefore smoke rises.
Protein Fire Residue (Produced by evaporation of material rather than from a fire)
- Virtually invisible
- Discolors paints and varnishes
- Extreme pungent odor.
Fuel Oil Soot (Furnace Puff Backs)
- While “puff backs” can create havoc for homeowners, SERVPRO® Franchise Professionals can, in most cases, restore the contents and structure quickly.
Other Types (Tear gas, fingerprint powder, and fire extinguisher residue)
- These special loss situations require special care.
Additional facts you may not know about smoke:
- Hot smoke migrates to cooler areas and upper levels of a structure; and
- Smoke flows around plumbing systems, seeping through the holes used by pipes to go from floor to floor
The type of smoke may greatly affect the restoration process.
SERVPRO® Franchise Professionals are trained to handle even the toughest losses. If your home or business suffers fire or smoke damage, contact SERVPRO® of Greeley/Windsor to make it “Like it never even happened.”