The Different Types of Smoke Damage and How to Identify Them

After a fire, many people believe the main amount of damage caused is from the flames. But, it actually comes from the smoke.

Something that has been burnt is usually replaced, yet smoke damage is often looked over. Not only does smoke damage cause damage to the property itself, it also poses serious threats to an individuals health.

In this article we will look into what different types of smoke damage there are and how this affects the cleaning process

Wet Smoke:

Wet smoke is produced when plastics or rubber is burnt. It also comes from slow burning fires that are at a low heat.

The way you can identify wet smoke, is due to the pungent aroma it will leave, along with a sticky like residue that will stick to surfaces.

It is very hard to remove this kind of smoke damage and will need professional smoke damage cleaning. Along with this it will also need professional equipment to tackle it as well.

Dry Smoke:

Dry smoke's created when a fire has intense heat along with a fast burn. Paper and wood when burnt create this type of smoke.

It is easy to clean, as when you run a cloth over it, it does not smear and has a powdery like consistency.

Yet, the problem with this kind of smoke is that it can fall into cracks and crevices. This will then lead to a continued odour. When the smoke smell still lingers even though the property looks clean, it could mean that the property has dry smoke.

Protein Residue:

Protein residue will occur when organic material has evaporated.

This can happen when a house fire starts due to a cooking accident.

It is very hard to spot, as it will only discolour surfaces and walls. But the one thing that will be noticeable is the foul odour that will create a smell throughout your home.

This kind of residue needs specific chemicals to clean, as well as trained eye to spot.

Fuel / Oil Residue:

This residue is also known as petroleum residue. It is very hard to clean and will leave a thick black oily substance behind. Luckily this is very rare to find in businesses or homes, but if petroleum products have been stored and have ignited, then it can be hard to clean.

If any upholstered items have been covered in this residue, it is impossible to clean them.

The other way we identify this residue, is from the pungent odour that it will leave.

How Should I Clean Smoke Damage?

Here at Emergency Clean UK, we always recommend that you let a professional tackle this kind of cleaning. Not only can it be dangerous if the proper measures are not put into place beforehand but it can also be very time consuming as well. A small smoke damage job you would think would take a day. But no, it can take many days cleaning and treating these damaged areas to get them back to looking clean again.

So to answer that question, we always recommend calling a professional. If you currently have smoke damage in your home that needs cleaning, why don't you click the button below and have a look at our service.