Smoke Damage – Fires and Holiday Cooking Hazards – Kansas City
Smoke damage to your home as a result of out-of-control holiday fires can cause a lot of damage and unnecessary expense. Kansas City home fires almost double during the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays compared to the rest of the year. As the family gathers around the fireplace and the kitchen this season keep in mind fires and smoke damage can be avoided by staying alert and safety-minded.
Keep the fire in the fireplace manageable, and make sure a screen or doors protects against escaping embers. Never leave young children alone in a room with an open fire. Burn only appropriate materials – wood pieces or manufactured logs, and no paper or trash, in the fireplace.
As the leading cause of kitchen fires is unattended cooking, a responsible adult should be in attendance during cooking. Keep flammable items away from the cooking surface – towels, oven mitts, wooden utensils – all of which could potentially catch fire when placed too close to open flames and hot burners. Keep young kids out of the kitchen, or at least several feet away from the stove, and keep an eye on them. Pay attention to what you’re cooking. Getting distracted can lead to too-high temps, oil catching on fire, spills and other accidents. If a stove-top fire happens, keep a lid at hand to place over the pan and quickly turn off the burner. Never throw water on a kitchen fire – this can cause it to spread and contribute to further fire and smoke damage.
In the event that you do have a fire, quick action is the best way to minimize the smoke damage. Soot residue gets on everything, and although some surfaces can be cleaned rather easily, porous materials and other surfaces will require more attention and treatment. The acidic nature of soot discolors and permeates some surfaces and needs to be attended to as quickly as possible. Prolonged exposure to the soot from a fire can permanently harm some surfaces. Wood cabinets and furniture may need to be refinished. Walls may require repainting and flooring may have to be refinished or replaced. If left untreated the restoration can take longer and cost a lot more after smoke damage.
If you choose to clean up the smoke damage yourself, remember, safety first. Wear work gloves and respiratory masks. Place box fans around the space and open up windows for proper ventilation to prevent further smoke damage and potential injury to people. Clean every surface with soap and hot water, beginning at the top and working down to the floor; don’t forget the insides of cabinets. A dry-cleaning soot sponge will remove loose soot. A high-efficiency vacuum cleaner with a HEPA filter works well for carpets and upholstery, and prevents the soot from being blown back into the room. Make sure you have extra filters on hand and change them frequently throughout the smoke damage cleanup. Bedding and clothing and other washable items can be laundered using an alkaline cleaner that neutralizes the acid from the soot. Other fine materials will require dry-cleaning by a special process for smoke-damaged articles.
For smoke damage on the exterior of your home you can use a garden hose and special cleaning materials. If not removed from the outside of your house, the smoke damage will worsen and cause further damage. Heavier smoke damage may require the help of professional restoration technicians.
AAS Restoration can repair any amount of smoke damage. They have the training and experience necessary to restore your Kansas City home after a holiday fire. Most insurance companies will pay for the professional restoration so you should not hesitate to have the job started as soon as possible after the fire. Call us today at (816) 861-1550 or visit us online at: https://www.aasrestoration.com/
