Dangers of DIY Smoke Restoration

3/28/2023 (Permalink)

This house received smoke damage from a recent fire.

A house fire causes damage to your home in many different ways. Smoke damage is particularly problematic as it will cause extensive damage. Even if the home has not sustained significant structural damage, smoke and soot left behind can corrode surfaces in your home and leave a lasting odor that’s difficult to remove. That’s why smoke damage restoration is extremely time sensitive. It's easy to search the internet and find articles on how to clean smoke damage on your own. But should you? We’re here to offer some reasons that DIY smoke damage cleanup is a really bad idea. 

• The structure of your home may not be sound. Even a small fire can cause structural damage, and you may not even be aware of the extent of the damage. It’s not just the fire that causes damage, but also the water that’s used to extinguish the fire. When a professional smoke restoration team cleans a house, they assess it first and determine how much damage has occurred. As a homeowner, you don’t have the experience to make a judgment call, or the resources to create a safe environment in which to work. Professionals will make sure the home is protected and safe, using tarps, boarding up the home, and doing whatever else they need to do to work safely. Once they’ve made their assessment and stabilized the house, they will do what’s necessary to clean up water damage as well as handling smoke damage repair. Trying to accomplish this yourself could cause you to miss a step and end up in a hazardous situation. 
• Smoke is very dangerous when inhaled. Even the residue left behind with smoke and soot damage can be a health hazard. What’s more, the process of extinguishing a fire, along with the residue from burned fabrics, carpeting, wood, and other materials leave behind chemicals and particles, which will settle into the home and create a dangerous situation. If proper procedures are not followed, all those contaminants and the smoke residue can cause respiratory illnesses like asthma, emphysema, and bronchitis. Professionals know how to keep themselves safe while removing smoke, soot, and other toxins from your ceilings, walls, and floors. 
• Damage from smoke must be cleaned quickly. Time is of the essence when it comes to smoke restoration. The area must be properly ventilated, debris must be removed, and the home must be cleaned with odors neutralized as quickly as possible to ensure successful restoration. If the restoration is not handled correctly, you could be stuck with lasting discoloration on porous materials in your home. Along with corrosion, pitting, and rust on metal surfaces. Hiring an expert team means you’re enlisting the help of people who know how to work quickly and efficiently, to minimize the damage. 
• Your insurance may not cover DIY restoration. The goal of restoration is to bring your home back to its pre-fire condition. While you may be personally invested in your home and want to put all of your efforts into restoring it on your own, the insurance company may not agree that this is a good plan. Talk to your insurer and your mortgage company before you make any move toward restoring it because there may be restrictions on how the repairs can be handled. In most cases, your best bet is to hire an approved restoration company to do the job correctly. 

If you’ve had a fire at your house, call SERVPRO of Jacksonville Beach/Ponte Vedra to assess and repair the smoke damage. Our highly-trained restoration technicians have the experience and equipment necessary to restore your Jacksonville, Atlantic Beach, Neptune Beach, Jacksonville Beach or Ponte Vedra area home and get everything back to normal. We’ve served our community for more than 40 years, and we’re experts in fire and smoke damage repair and restoration. Call (904) 246-6118 or contact us through our website.