Fire Restoration Seattle
Smoke Damage Seattle Cleaning Team
Recovering from Smoke Damage Seattle WA
Fires are one of the most devasting and costly types of property damage.
Not only is the structure of the building affected, but also the contents and personal belongings within it.
It is one of the few disasters that can include the need for water damage restoration, mold remediation, contents restoration, smoke, and soot cleaning, odor removal, encapsulation, and rebuild services all on the same project.
This type of property claim requires a substantial amount of project management and documentation.
​
Our smoke damage crew at DK Environmental can facilitate this process for you. They specialize in restoring your property after a house fire. They know what to look for and how to present the loss to the insurance company. Give our team a call at (425) 903-4356.
DK Environmental Fire Restoration Seattle Specialists
What You Should Know About Fire Damage and Thermodynamics
When a house fire occurs, the damaged area is typically very noticeable. Smoke and soot damage occurs when the smoke produced by the fire, affects other parts of the home.
​
You may not realize how far the smoke has traveled to other areas of the home. Hot smoke is attracted to cold surfaces. This is why you may have noticed the corners of rooms are darker after a fire. You may even see that the exterior wall studs are now visibly outlined on the wall.
​
This is due to the law of thermodynamics. Basically, hot likes to go to cold as soon as possible.
​
When you see the stud outlines or dark corners in a smoke-damaged room, this is due to hot smoke settling on the colder surfaces. Exterior walls and windows are the coldest parts of your home. Smoke will be attracted to these areas first.
Due to the law of thermodynamics, hot smoke will be attracted to cold surfaces such as exterior walls and windows. Smoke can travel to areas of the home you may not think are possible. It is essential to understand how fire/smoke can affect your home so that potentially damaged areas are not missed.
Mitigating untreated or missed fire/smoke damage is very difficult after the structure has been rebuilt.
Trapped odors can be especially problematic if not dealt with before the rebuild. Call us for a free site evaluation! Our Seattle area technician can provide you with a scope of work free of charge. There is no obligation to hire us. (425) 903-4356
The Fire Damage Mitigation Process
A Comprehensive Guide to the Mitigation Process
1. Site Evaluation and Corrosion Mitigiaton
-
The first step is to conduct a damage assessment. The structure and contents, or personal belongings are evaluated.
-
Corrosion mitigation begins. This is an emergency service that involves cleaning metal items before they begin to corrode due to the smoke.
2. Preliminary Cleanup and Contents Removal
-
Debris in the affected areas is cleared or cleaned up enough to allow our contents pack-out team to work efficiently.
-
Contents (your personal belongings) are evaluated and categorized as "restorable" or "non-restorable."
-
The contents team will send the non-restorable items list to your insurance carrier for review.
-
Once approved for disposal by your insurance carrier, the items will be disposed of. You will be compensated by your insurance company for these items based on the agreed value between you and the carrier.
-
The restorable contents will be packed and transported to our cleaning facility. The contents will be cleaned, repacked, and stored until the completion of your rebuild.
3. Demolition, Structure Cleaning, Encapsulation
-
Once the contents have been removed from the home the demolition can begin.
-
Affected areas with heavy damage will be demolished down to the framing of your home.
-
Affected areas with lighter or smoke damage only will be cleaned with a degreaser or a dry sponge.
-
The exposed areas after demolition will be encapsulated.
4. Rebuild and Return of Contents
-
The home is rebuilt to pre-loss conditions.
-
Once the rebuild is complete, you contents are returned to be unpacked at your home.
