4 Steps To Fire Odor Removal

10/9/2018 (Permalink)

The smoke is gone, but the smell continues to linger. SERVPRO of NW Portland can help!

Have you recently had a small, non-emergency or life threatening fire in your Portland home? Maybe you had a minor kitchen fire mishap or perhaps a few of your decorative holiday lights sparked a little flame that you had to douse with water or maybe your clothes dryer malfunctioned. You managed to get the fire out with minimal damage, but now you are left with a persistent smoke smell throughout your home that just doesn’t want to go away. 

Every fire scenario has its own set of challenges contingent on the severity of the fire. The size and temperature of the fire will dictate how easily the smoke odor can be removed. Higher temperatures will cause the pores of the surrounding material to open up and absorb more odor. Proper post fire odor removal requires a battery of techniques that include cleaning, deodorizing and sealing the materials in question.  

Here are the 4 steps to removing odor after a fire:

Step 1- Removal and proper disposal of all burned and charred materials. If the materials remain, so will the smell. If some of the materials cannot be removed, such as structural members, a sealant will need to be applied to lock in the odors.

Step 2- Installation of air filtration device, equipped with a carbon activated system. HEPA filters are not adequate to remove smoke smell. Carbon filters are needed to absorb and trap the gasses and odors.

Step 3- Thoroughly clean all affected and surrounding areas. Wet cleaning or the use of water should be avoided at this stage. All soots and dust will need to be removed. A shop vac or comparable unit should be used in this stage. After the larger particles have been removed, a thorough dry- chem sponge (available at most hardware stores) cleaning should be done.

Step 4- Spray deodorizers throughout the affected area. The goal of this step is to penetrate the pores of the affected surfaces with a quality deodorizing agent. A product specifically designed for smoke damage should be employed during this step. Follow the instructions that come with the product. The product should be allowed to absorb into the affected area and do its job. When the chemical has had a chance to dry, you should be able to quickly assess the situation and see (smell?) if these steps were adequate to remove the unwelcome smell in your home. If the smell continues to linger, you may have a bigger problem than you anticipated. The fire may have burned hotter and more severely, causing the smell to get into harder to reach areas and structural members. A professional should be contacted. Your home may require a thermal fogging treatment.

For larger fires, or even a small fire that leaves a persistent and lingering smoke smell despite your best efforts to remove them, a reputable fire restoration contractor should be contacted. Here at SERVPRO of NW Portland, we see all sorts of fire disasters and our crew of experts are available 24/7 to address your particular fire related disaster. Call us today to schedule an appointment. We are always here to help. 503-283-3658