How smoke and soot damage material surfaces

11/25/2020 (Permalink)

Even if a fire appears to have occurred in a fairly contained area of a building, smoke and soot damage may be found in other parts of the home or building. This is because fires can create a variety of conditions that increase the spread of smoke contaminants. 

One way damage can spread is by the suspended smoke and soot particles in the air - they are attracted to cold surfaces and will often travel away from the fire source and settle on colder surfaces, such as walls that border the exterior of a building or the top corners of a room. This is always why you see the black ‘soot webs’ after fires, which is not spider webs covered in soot but is in fact only soot particles that have ionized together into a web-like form in a colder area of the structure. 

As soot particles combine with atmospheric water vapor, it becomes acidic, which can be very corrosive to material surfaces. Neutralization of acid residues is a fundamental procedure to early forms of corrosion prevention. 

Acidic residues from smoke and soot can corrode metal surfaces, which is a particular concern for electronics. If residues are not removed, corrosion can eat away at the metal casing and can ultimately cause electronic failure in the device.

Because smoke and soot is very invasive and can penetrate various cavities in a structure, HVAC systems and their ductwork can be a concern after a fire. Often, ductwork already contains dust and debris collection, which soot can attach to and contaminate. This causes odor as well as corrosive damage to the material surface. 

If you experience smoke or soot damage in your home or business, call SERVPRO of Northwest Portland at 503-283-3658.