How Smoke Damage Can Affect Your Health and Home

Dry Smoke Damage

This is the opposite of wet smoke, burning fast with high temperatures. This typically starts through the burning of wood and paper and is very common amongst most fires. The texture of this smoke is powdery, so it doesn’t smear when cleaned like wet smoke does.

Subtle and gradual, it can very easily get through the cracks and porous materials within your property’s structure. Therefore, it can create lingering smells throughout the property. Although not strong, this usually needs professional help, to get rid of any present odour.

Protein Residue Smoke Damage

This is where organic materials can evaporate through low-heat fires. This is most likely to happen in commercial properties, such as kitchens and restaurants. These organic materials can includes meats, oils and fats, which produce a lot of smoke when cooked. This means that there doesn’t need to be a fire for this smoke damage.

Although not very visible to the eye, apart from the odd ceiling and wall discolouration, the smell can be strong and can last and spread if not treated.

Fuel & Oil Residue Smoke Damage

This type of damage is from a fire started from fuels or other extremely flammable liquids. These are unlikely to be kept within the home, but rather in a home’s garage, shed, or at industrial properties.

The residue from this type of fire is caused from ‘puffbacks’, where the smoke damage will be dark in colour and released in large quantities, meaning the damage can be worse than others and is very hard to clean due to the stickiness of fuel.

How it affects your health

Staying in a property with smoke damage can affect your health, even if the fire was contained to one room in the property.

Death from fires are more often than not as a result of smoke inhalation, so it would be naive to think that the after effects of smoke won’t effect your health. It is in fact very hazardous to inhale.

It may not show any effects at first but inhaling smoke particles in a property with carbon monoxide still present, can negatively affect your health over a period of time. This includes your breathing, lungs, sinuses, skin, heart and brain.

It is especially dangerous for the elderly, children and those with weak immune systems.

It is best to avoid a property until the smoke damage has been cleared by professionals to avoid any further risks. They can ensure it is cleaned and smoke removed efficiently and quickly to keep you living and working in a safe environment without the potential of any further effects.

CPL t/a Rainbow International provide an emergency call-out service for emergencies, available 24,7 and 365 days a year.

Our fire restoration service deep-cleans the buildings and contents affected by smoke and fire, as well as removing soot from the premises, PAT testing electrical appliances and ensuring all unseen areas are fully decontaminated.

Following a fire, it is most important that the clean-up begins as soon as possible to minimise the lasting damage. Our fire and smoke damage cleaning team are available to contact on a 24/7 call out, and work quickly and effectively to restore your home or business

For further information about our range of smoke damage removal services, please contact us on 0800 030 4360.