Behavior of Smoke

12/6/2017 (Permalink)

The damage to your property following a fire can often be complicated due to the unique behavior of SMOKE.

There are two different types of smoke:
  Wet
  Dry
As a result, there are different types of soot residue after a fire.

Wet Smoke (Plastic and Rubber)

• Low heat
• Smoldering
• Pungent odor
• Sticky
• Smeary

NOTE:   Smoke webs are more difficult to clean.

Dry Smoke (Paper and Wood)

• Fast-burning
• High temperatures
• Heat rises, therefore smoke rises.

Protein Fire Residue (Produced by evaporation of material rather than from a fire)

• Virtually invisible
• Discolors paints and varnishes
• Extreme pungent odor.

Fuel Oil Soot (Furnace Puff Backs)

• While “puff backs” can create havoc for homeowners, SERVPRO® Franchise Professionals can, in most cases, restore the contents and structure quickly.

Other Types (Tear gas, fingerprint powder, and fire extinguisher residue)

• These special loss situations require special care.

Additional facts you may not know about smoke:

• Hot smoke migrates to cooler areas and upper levels of a structure; and
• Smoke flows around plumbing systems, seeping through the holes used by pipes to go from floor to floor

The type of smoke may greatly affect the restoration process.

SERVPRO® Franchise Professionals are trained to handle even the toughest losses. If your home or business suffers fire or smoke damage, contact SERVPRO® of Greeley/Windsor to make it “Like it never even happened.”