SMOKE DAMAGE
Smoke Damage Restoration in Yakima
Smoke and soot are acidic and keep working on your finishes the longer they sit. Baxter Construction contains the area, recovers your belongings and starts restoration. Call 24/7.
Chapter 01
Soot is acidic, and it travels
Smoke and soot are acidic substances, capable of eating away finishes, tarnishing metal and even etching glass over time. The longer they go unaddressed, the more they seep in and the harder they are to get rid of.
Because of how hot and cold air interact during a fire, smoke and soot also spread to places you would not expect: ductwork, closets and even drawers. Many cases we see are not large house fires. A minor kitchen or heater fire can cause plenty of problems.
Technician thermal fogging the inside of an office to remove smoke odor
The equipment that does the work
Most of our restoration process is smoke and soot removal and clean up. We start by asking about the incident and judging the extent of the damage so the right technicians and equipment arrive. Usually we can be there and have equipment going the first day, and we work on getting a bid to your insurance at the same time.
Then we scrub, sand, refinish, sanitize or replace affected surfaces, using special equipment and techniques. The full list is set out below. If the roof or windows were damaged, we tarp and board first, and if the fire department or sprinklers brought water, we work through water damage restoration as well.
Chapter 03
The odor that comes back in summer
We often get calls from people who tried to restore smoke damage themselves. Unfortunately, you may not get the best results cleaning up independently. Residual smoke and soot can leave you with odors coming out of the house during warmer weather, especially if the original damage happened in winter.
Handling odors is a big part of restoration, and it is why a lightly smoked house still deserves a proper look. Soot you cannot see can still be in the walls and the ducts.
Baxter Construction & Restoration, 2521 River Road, Yakima, with a Kennewick office. Our technicians are background checked, many are IICRC certified, and we work in branded vehicles. Call (509) 452-2464.
Special equipment for smoke and soot
Restoration after smoke is mostly cleaning, and this is what we clean with. It is also what separates a job that looks clean in January from one that does not smell in July.
- Air scrubbers
- Ozone generators
- Hydroxyl generators
- Thermal fogging
- HEPA filters
- Chemical sponges
What causes smoke damage, and how to prevent it
Kitchen
Cooking accidents are one of the leading causes of smoke damage. Grease fires, pans burning up and hot appliances left on are the most common culprits.
- Set timers and reminders.
- Give hot appliances plenty of space.
- Keep your counters clear.
- Turn off burners and ovens the moment you are done.
- Invest in a kitchen fire extinguisher.
Heat lamps and pads
We often see indoor and outdoor smoke damage from neglected heat lamps and heat pads. They can melt plastics and linoleum, and incidents often involve pets and livestock.
- Leave plenty of space around them.
- Mind the heat tolerance of the surrounding materials.
- Check heated areas regularly to confirm correct temperatures.
Small accidental fires
Smoke damage does not have to come from a big fire. Kicking over a space heater or lighting a candle too close to the curtains can do it.
- Keep flammable items away from children.
- Store flammable and combustible items properly.
- Give hot items adequate space.
- Use ventilation when you cook.
- Keep heaters, fireplaces and chimneys clean.
- Invest in a fire extinguisher.
If an accidental fire or melt does happen, call and have the area inspected for damage.
Belongings go to our own ozone room and dry-out room
We pack, clean and store your belongings. On site at our own facility we have an ozone room and a dry-out room to restore large personal and sentimental items, so they are not left sitting in a smoked house. Restoration can also include laundering or dry-cleaning clothes, cleaning upholstery and furniture, refinishing porous surfaces, document and picture restoration, replacing ductwork and odor mitigation.
From a minor smoke incident to major fire damage restoration, one company can be there from the day you call to the day the project is finished.