Common Types Of Fire Damage Residues

11/30/2021 (Permalink)

If your home has experienced even a small fire, the damage will go deeper than just the materials that were burned. Unfortunately, whenever there is fire, there is most often smoke. Additionally, water damage usually results from the efforts of firefighters or homeowners trying to put out the fire. Even if a fire extinguisher has been used, that's a separate mess to have to deal with.

Here, we are going to examine the three basic kinds of fire damage residues.

Natural

The burning of paper products, wood, and other natural products results in a grayish-black colored, dry powdery residue. You may even be tempted to refer to it as ash. Compared to protein and synthetic residues (see below), this type of residue is far easier to clean up. With a bristle brush, vacuum the area in which the residue has been left. After that, cleaning should be done with a dry-chem sponge method.

Proteins

The burning of proteins such as beans and meats involve fires that leave behind a residue which is yellowish brown. The texture of this residue sticks to any surface and has a greasy feeling. To clean this up, it can be an intensive and involved process. There are proper fire cleaning chemicals that should be used and can be purchased at some hardware stores. Your best course of action, however, when it comes to cleaning up protein fires, is to rely on a professional service. We'll introduce you to one at the end of this piece.

Synthetic

When oil-based materials such as fabrics and plastics are burned, synthetic residue can appear. This could include everything from electronics and carpets to furniture and window coverings. A thick black smoke is produced when synthetic materials burn. A smeary residue is left behind that, if not cleaned up properly, can create an extraordinary mess. To prevent smearing, the residue should not be touched, if at all possible. The best approach to cleaning left behind synthetic residue is vacuuming. After that, cleaning can be accomplished through a dry-chem sponge method.

Dry-Chem Sponge Cleaning

Since we referred to it a couple of times above, let's look at the basics of a dry-chem sponge method.

To absorb and scoop up soot and dirt, dry chemical sponges are used. These sponges are perfect for removing smoke and loose dirt from acoustic tiles, blown ceilings, latex paint, etc., due to their soft surface. The pores of the sponges do the absorbing. Because debris usually follows the law of gravity, begin cleaning at the ceiling when using these dry sponges.

Sponges such as these that clean a surface without getting it wet are also referred to as the following:

• Dry clean sponge
• Chemical sponge
• Soot remover
• Dirt eraser and more

Let SERVPRO of West Somerset County Help You Recover from Fire Damage

At SERVPRO, we don't just handle fire damage restoration as a sideline – it's what we do. Since water damage and fire damage frequently go hand-in-hand, we specialize in both. If you have fire damage – or water damage from any type of natural disaster, plumbing problem, sewage backup, and more – we are here for you with emergency service, 24/7. We understand that when you need fire and water restoration, you can't wait.

Feel free to contact us if you have any enquiries!