Fire and Smoke Damage Restoration
As anyone who’s taken a basic safety course knows, the biggest killer in a fire is smoke. In addition to being a danger to life, smoke causes a huge amount of property damage that isn’t always apparent at first blush. Fire and smoke damage restoration has to take this into account. Given that many of the homes in northern Virginia, Maryland and DC happen to have a historic nature to them, it’s also important that the work done for the restoration is of the highest quality possible.
Unseen Damage
One of the most difficult things about dealing with smoke damage is that a lot of the damage may not be visible in the area around the fire. Smoke, of course, consists largely of particulate matters, which can float into nooks and crannies and be impossible to find. As it collects in those small spaces, the smoke can do real damage to the home. Part of fire and smoke damage restoration is having a qualified individual take a look at the extent of the damage and determine whether or not that damage actually carries over into areas that the homeowner may not even have noticed. It’s vital to have someone qualified look at the damage right away, as affecting repairs before the area is properly inspected may mean that, when problems manifest, those repairs need to be undone to get at an issue that was not addressed.
Many Types of Damage
Smoke damage actually comes in different types. Part of fire and smoke damage restoration involves figuring out exactly what type of soot was deposited on the surface, how it poses a threat to the home and how it can best be removed. For instance, if you have a smoldering fire that goes on for some time in your home, you may end up with what is called wet smoke damage. Wet smoke tends to leave a very smelly and oily sit behind, and it is extremely difficult to get it off of the surface.
Conversely, if you have a fire in your home and it takes off very quickly and burns very hot, you’ll generally end up with a sort of dry powder in the area affected. These smoke residues can be just as damaging to an interior as wet smoke residues, but they require a completely different method of cleaning to get rid of them.
Preserve Your Home
People who live in places like Fairfax County, VA likely paid quite a bit of money for their home. Fire and smoke damage restoration, when it’s done right and by a qualified professional, can help protect that investment, even if the home has been disastrously damaged. The most important thing to keep in mind is that it is imperative to act soon. Before somebody unqualified starts doing repairs that will need to be reversed so that damaged areas of the home can be accessed, have a professional at fire and smoke damage restoration take a look at the situation and determine what’s really going on with the damage.