Category: soot and fires

You know what soot damage looks like. We have all seen nightly news reports of buildings that caught fire, with towers of smoke and wet interiors. Soot leaves dark physical markings, but it also works as an airborne pollutant due to microscopic particles floating around. In the wake of a fire, soot claims its territory, which means it takes an expert service to remove it.

Debris and soot go hand-in-hand in a figurative sense. You cannot have a clean and safe environment with either around, and leaving both unattended only leads to more damage. Delay just makes the problems worse. Contact Soil-Away when you have difficult-to-remove soot damage. Our leading-edge technology, proven restoration techniques, and industrial-grade cleaning products will guarantee quality results in less time than you might expect.

Soot Versus HEPA Vacuums

Generally speaking, property post-fire needs a lot of attention because the removal takes several layers of work. After all, it’s likely that debris and soot have contaminated both the interior and exterior of the property, which complicates matters. 

In the event of a fire, it is commonplace for the HVAC duct system to be contaminated by airborne pollutants like residual soot, dust, and the beginnings of mold. When the goal is to restore a clean and healthy environment, Soil-Away’s technicians use HEPA vacuums and filtration systems to clean every affected area. For the air duct system, we thoroughly remove those airborne pollutants from the property.

In addition, we clean any salvageable items. This includes regular appliances, fixtures, carpets, flooring, and other surviving contents. During this cleaning process, we can restore each item to pre-loss conditions. We make sure your belongings are up to code and thoroughly sanitized and deodorized.

Smoke and Odors

After the fire is out, the smoke residue and other odors cling to every surface. Soot is difficult to remove because it’s only the beginning of the clean-up. That’s why we thoroughly follow the appropriate cleaning steps to remove all traces. You don’t want lingering odors to irritate you.

Over the years, we developed and perfected our techniques. This is because every scenario is a bit different in scope. For example, a small, confined fire will have a concentrated dose of soot, which makes it more difficult to remove. A large structural blaze will leave behind a pervasive smoky odor that tends to spread into unseen nooks, which means the approach needs to be more investigative. Regardless of the details, Soil-Away is certified and equipped to remediate the noxious odors from materials and contents, large or small.

Our employees are certified by the IICRC. We are NH’s first operator of the Esporta Wash System. Several team members work efficiently and safely to restore your contents. Our goal is to return your belongings and structures back to a quality at least equal to or better than pre-loss conditions.

Side Effects of Soot Damage

Damaged structural and flooring components often must be replaced with fresh materials because soot often comes packaged with side effects, such as moisture pockets that work as a breeding ground for mold and toxic particles. Historically, mold can settle in places where there is plenty of oxygen, excess moisture, and an untreated organic surface. In the wake of a fire, pipes are covered in soot and leak in hidden places. Removal only comes with a thorough sweep of the property. Soot is difficult to remove because contaminants can hide inside walls and go undetected for some time.

Pre-Loss Conditions Despite Soot Damage 

Soil-Away works with insurance carriers, property management companies, major corporations, and homeowners to restore everything to pre-loss conditions. While fires can cause costly losses for commercial property owners, our team can mitigate damages, clean up the disaster, and restore your facility despite soot contamination. We use state-of-the-art technology and methods to help you overcome soot damage.

Defeating Soot Damage with Soil-Away

Any unsalvageable soot-contaminated items will be removed and immediately, inventoried, and properly disposed of. We’ll use a HEPA vacuum to remove unwanted contaminants from the area. We also use HEPA sanding and dry-ice blasting to help remove any signs of mold or soot damage. Once we complete removal and sanitation, we dry the area with large fans and dehumidifiers. Soil-Away Cleaning and Restoration Services is one of the largest independent cleaning and restoration companies in New England. We have experts ready to respond to your needs at any time, day or night. Call us now at (603) 641-6555.

If you need soot damage cleanup, you have likely experienced a fire. If you have experienced a fire, no matter how small or large, you have come to the right place. Soil-Away Disaster Restoration Services has been professionally cleaning, sanitizing, deodorizing, and restoring homes due to fire and soot damage for decades. 

The Basics

Soot is the black, oily residue left behind when materials like plastics, wood, synthetics, and foam burn. Sometimes you’ll even notice a small amount of soot if a candle has burned too close to a wall. 

While small messes like candle soot can be cleaned easily, if you’ve experienced a larger fire and have lots of soot left behind, you should call professionals like Soil-Away Disaster Restoration Services. We know how to clean, sanitize, deodorize, and get your home looking like new in no time with our professional cleaners and equipment.

It’s essential that you not try to clean large soot stains on your own. Soot is notorious for spreading and contaminating other areas – even your clothes. So until we can arrive, don’t touch or try to clean on your own, since it can unintentionally make matters worse. 

Our Process 

Call Us To Start The Soot Damage Cleanup Process

Contact Soil-Away Disaster Restoration Services 24/7 for fire damage emergencies. If you’ve experienced a fire, don’t wait to call. We arrive on the scene ready to help salvage, save, and begin work on getting you back to pre-loss conditions as soon as possible.

Evaluate and Assess

We will thoroughly evaluate the damage, making thorough notes and assessments on what will be necessary to restore your home. We listen to your priorities. Together, we will come up with a plan to get you back on track. 

Secure Property

We offer immediate board-up and tarp services to secure your property, if necessary. 

Document and Communicate

We understand the importance of appropriate and thorough documentation to present to your insurance company. We provide copies of our photos, extensive daily progress journaling notes, and lists of our inventory, pack-out, and storage provisions. In addition, we complete our invoicing with integrity and transparency, so your claims process is a smooth one. 

Contents Restoration

We use various effective cleaning techniques to salvage and restore your property, including our Esporta Wash System for soft goods cleaning. Our Esporta system restores over 90% of the soft contents of a house claim, versus 50% recovery using traditional cleaning methods. 

Water Evacuation and Drying

We begin ridding your home of excess water immediately. When appropriate, we bring in dehumidifiers, moisture detectors, and air movers to complete the drying process. 

Smoke Damage and Soot Removal

We use only the best and most effective cleansers, sanitizers, and deodorizers to remove smoke damage and soot. As a result, we don’t hide smoke and soot issues – we eliminate them. 

Rebuilding

Soil-Away Disaster Restoration Services is a one-stop shop when you’ve experienced a disaster. Not only do we mitigate and remediate damage, but we can fully restore your home through our licensed and trained technicians who provide extensive repair needs, including framing, plumbing, and carpentry. 

Communication

We know the best way to build your confidence after a disaster is to keep in direct contact with you during your home’s restoration. We will stay in touch through every step of the process and are available to you for questions or concerns at any time. In addition, we will also keep in touch with insurance adjusters, ensuring they have all the documentation they need to process your claim smoothly. 

About Our Soot Damage Cleanup Process 

Soil-Away Disaster Restoration Services cares about our friends and neighbors in Manchester and the surrounding communities. We are here for you 24/7. We’re backed by decades of experience, IICRC certification, licensed, insured, and professionally trained technicians. Call us TODAY for an estimate. 

Has your home suffered smoke damage? Are your stuck with a nasty smell? Whether smoke or other odors are smelling up your home, there is no need to live with the stench. Smoke and odor removal services ensure that your home’s air smells fresh. Living in a stinky home not only deters guests but can be harmful to your health. Here is some reason why you should choose smoke and odor removal.

Smoke Damage

When things like wood and fabric catch on fire, they release gases. These volatile gases are released in the form of smoke and become embedded in the walls, ceilings, and almost every other surface within your home. Even if some components of your household survives the fire, they may still contain soot residue. This residue is not only smelly but also have corrosive elements. Smoke damage can escalate quickly if left untreated and can lead to eroded surfaced, electronics, fabrics, and building materials. It’s bad enough to have to suffer a fire, don’t let the smoke damage linger until it becomes a serious removal process.

Smell Location

In order to remove the stench, it must first be located. Homeowners that try to remove smoke and odor themselves often only mask the issue temporarily. This is because odors are composed of microscopic particles that are capable of infiltrating even the tiniest crack in your home. This will leave you with a clean home that still doesn’t smell right. Calling the professionals when it comes to smoke and odor removal will leave you with a house that both smells and looks clean.

Think About Your Health

Not only do smoke and other odors smell bad, but they are also not good for your health. Soot and dirty water, which is usually what’s left over after a fire, smells bad and contains harmful bacteria. This means that not only are you and your family left in a smelly house, but you are also at risk of getting sick. Removing the source of foul odors quickly helps to protect your health.

No one wants to live in a stinky home. Whether the source of the stench is smoke, soot, pet urine, or any other foul smell, it’s time for smoke and odor removal. At Soil-Away, we know that smoke and odor removal is important. Having a foul-smelling home is not only unpleasant, but can do some harm to your health. Next time you need smoke, soot, or other odors removed from your home, call the professionals at 603-641-6555.