Saving Carpets After A Fire

The huge secondary task of deciding to salvage or replace damaged property will be stressful after a house fire. Remaining possessions may have been affected not only by smoke and soot but also by water and chemicals used by firefighters. While every area of your home will need to be sanitized, the carpets require special attention.

Caring for Carpets

The prospect of replacing all the flooring at about $1000 per room is a huge motivator for trying to save them. Quickly allow fresh air to circulate. As soon as possible, open windows in each room for increased ventilation and bring in a small fan to increase the amount of airflow into the room. This will help clear the building of any residual smoke, minimize the smoke odor, and provide fresh and soot-free air for you to breathe.

As soon as your floors are completely dry, an initial professional cleaning is needed to remove the soot and smoke. Ash is very corrosive and will quickly degrade carpet fibers under your feet so place a drop-cloth on the floor. This will also help to avoid transferring soot stains to another flooring.

Factors affecting your chances include age, condition, amount water, length of time, and weather. A reputable carpet company will help you assess the damage; some cases the carpet can be temporarily lifted up for airflow to reduce the chance of mildew or mold on the floorboards underneath.

It is highly recommended that you leave it to the professionals to fully deodorize and rid your rugs of smoke damage. At the discretion of the restoration professionals, have the home wall-to-wall treated one more time to remove any signs of fire and construction.

Other Home Surfaces

Even if the fire was localized, debris can travel throughout the house, affecting walls, upholstery, drapes, clothing, furniture, and other items. In order to repair and recover your property, each type of smoke and soot damage will need to be treated individually. Steps are needed to remove the smoky odor as well.

For especially stubborn odors on textiles, consider an ozone treatment by a professional fire restorer with an ozone generator. This deodorizing treatment actually breaks up the smoke molecules to eliminate the order. No amount of air freshener will cover up the residual smoke smell due to its chemical makeup.

Continue to keep the fresh air moving. Or run a dehumidifier with the windows closed if you live in a climate with warm, humid weather. In this situation, multiple powerful fans will be key. Change either the air conditioner or furnace filter daily, depending on which is running. Buy multiple, inexpensive ones and replace until it the filter shows no soot.

A popular cleaner for smoke-damaged walls is Trisodium Phosphate (TSP). While this is a more powerful solution than others, it still requires a great deal of time and effort to address your walls and ceilings. There are many good commercial products designed to remove soot from walls as well as other surfaces. Have the professionals help you choose solutions that are heavy-duty for severe smoke damage, or that are gentle enough to be used around children and pets.

Yellow Van Cleaning & Restoration

Fire damage is one of the most traumatic disaster occurrences that property owners face. If fire and smoke have damaged your property, Yellow Van Cleaning & Restoration can handle your property and contents restoration. We bring most fire-damaged structures to their original pre-loss condition.

Yellow Van team members have developed effective techniques to remove smoke stains and flood debris caused by fire and water on many different types of surfaces. With offices in Kearney, Grand Island, and Hastings, we are able to offer prompt, emergency service throughout South Central Nebraska. Call 24/7 at 1-844-755-7416 and tell your insurance provider that you prefer Yellow Van Cleaning & Restoration.

Yellow Van Cleaning & Restoration has provided expert cleaning carpeting in the area since 1981. Water damage, fire damage, and sewage backup happen to your home or business in the blink of an eye! When it does, reach out to Yellow Van Cleaning & Restoration for disaster restoration services.