When You Need Smoke Damage Cleanup in Rochester Hills MI
In 2009, there were 131 fires in Rochester Hills, Michigan responded to by the city Fire Department. As this well-to-do city grows in size, more similar incidents can happen. Fire safety education and prevention needs to be stepped up to avoid incidents like the one that happened in September of 2010 when two Rochester Hills' homes went up in flames.
In both cases, the fire started outside of the home, in the back deck and in the garage. Fortunately, no members of the families were hurt but the homes, costing more than $200,000 each, were badly damaged. One of the houses was a total loss. In addition to the actual fire damage, the properties also suffered from smoke damage in Rochester Hills.
In cases where the property is partially fire-damaged, the property owner has to deal with not only the removal and replacement of burnt structures and items but also the cleanup and restoration of the rest of the house, including smoke damage cleanup. Houses near the property where the fire originated may also experience problems created by smoke. Fortunately, there are basic procedures for cleaning up smoke damage that homeowners can follow should they find themselves needing to do so.
First, all exterior surfaces (windows, walls, drives, walks, screens, patios, etc) should be pressure-washed, scrubbed and disinfected. Likewise, all indoor hard surfaces such as walls and floors should also be washed, disinfected with mild cleaning solutions, rinsed thoroughly. Don't forget to clean and disinfect the inside of closets, cabinets and drawers.
Before starting the cleanup of a fire-damaged property, however, ask the fire marshal if it is safe to re-enter the premises. It is also recommended to get emergency board-up services to protect the property from thieves, vandals and elements of nature. As for the contents of your home like clothing, wash or bring these items to the dry-cleaners. You also need to wash or dust all items in your household down to the smallest decor.
As for mattresses, upholstered furniture and carpets, the appropriate equipment is needed to properly disinfect and deodorize these items. While you have the option to have the items above professionally-cleaned or not, the cleanup of all of your HVAC (heating, ventilating and air-conditioning) units and household ducts must be handled by a professional. Just like boardup services, it best to hire an expert who can do the job properly and efficiently.
To remove any dried residue of fire retardant or fire-suppressing foam on your car or anywhere on the house, soften the residue first with a mild cleaner then use a brush to scrub it from the surface. Flush it with clean water and rinse. You can do some pressure-washing to help remove residue, although scrubbing is usually enough to do the job.
The ground as well as the vegetation right outside the fire-damaged home and in the vicinity will naturally have ash and soot that will release smoke odors when the particles are disturbed by wind or other elements. They need to be watered down and absorbed by the ground. Until then, using an indoor mechanical air filter may help reduce the health risks of these contaminants.
Taking the simple steps above will help restore the cleanliness and safety of a fire-damaged property. In most cases, however, restoration efforts are most effective when done by a professional specializing in fire and smoke damage Rochester Hills. The outcome is well worth the cost.
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