Is There a Science Behind Everett Fire Damage Odors and Their Elimination?

4/23/2020 (Permalink)

Homeowners have to deal with many things which may include fire damage and pesky odors left behind. Contact SERVPRO right away.

SERVPRO Teams Understand The Many Ways Fire Can Cause Damages, Helping You Mount an Appropriate Response

Superficially, odor elimination following fire damage appears to be a simple process without much science behind it. In actuality, removing unwanted fire-related smells from your home is a more complicated process.   

There is a science behind Everett fire damage smells. The strength and persistence of an odor depend on various factors. The temperature of the fire, its duration, the concentration of the residues it produces, and the porousness of materials in your home all contribute to how strong and persistent an associated smell is. 

The hotter a blaze burns, the more the space between materials’ particles expands. A longer, hotter fire allows more odor particles into materials, especially those that are more porous, and enables them to penetrate these objects more deeply. Once the flames die out, and the air cools, these odor atoms become trapped in household items and structural elements. Later, weeks or even months after a fire, high temperatures and humidity can vaporize these bits and make unwanted smells reappear.

Effectively dealing with these bad smells in your Everett home requires a scientific plan of action. Such a plan often involves both odor removal and odor control. First, when following such a plan, SERVPRO removes malodorous structural elements and debris. Their technicians then work to clean away odor-producing residues from ceilings, walls, and household objects. After workers have removed smell-causing items and fire remnants, they move on to controlling odors emanating from things they cannot easily remove.

SERVPRO professionals in Everett use many different methods to control odors. One is they try to counteract smelly particles on surfaces. They do this by trying to recreate the technique of odor penetration and eliminating, or masking smells via the same medium particles were initially deposited. So, if these atoms were originally deposited by way of smoke, SERVPRO technicians use foggers to “smoke” them out. Another way workers try to control bad smells is by sealing them into affected materials. This is done either by painting the objects in question or via another means.

Whenever fire damage and related odor issues affect your home, you need professional assistance. Doing the job right takes the right expertise and tools. If ever faced with such a situation, contact SERVPRO of North Everett / Lake Stevens / Monroe at (360) 243-8313.            

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