Can Property Be Deodorized with Other Fire Restoration Activities in Progress?

12/10/2021 (Permalink)

Hydroxyl generators and ozone machines are in SERVPRO's inventory to combat fire odors in Seattle homes and businesses

SERVPRO Uses Several Approaches to Manage Fire Odors While Running Other Restoration Processes

One of the difficult issues to manage after a fire incident is the strong odor leftover from the combustion of materials. Odors can linger even after removing residues and cleaning all surfaces. Finding a way to simultaneously deodorize and perform other forms of fire damage restoration at your home can lead to better outcomes.

Removing all residues when handling fire damage restoration at a Foster Island property is crucial in managing odors. However, odors originate from other sources, including particulate matter suspended in the air and invisible residues. Such issues require specialized management, such as the advanced deodorization procedures SERVPRO uses.

Some viable deodorization procedures to try while still restoring the house include:

• Ventilation
• Running photo-catalytic oxidizers
• Air filtration

These methods help remove particulate matter or smoke remnants by forcing air out of the house, thus replacing it with cleaner outdoor air or running the indoor air through a filtration system to remove particulate matter and aerosols. Oxidizers, on the other hand, use unstable oxygen molecules which combine with volatile odor compounds, neutralizing them. Air scrubbers can be rigged with HEPA filters to capture these airborne particulates.

Fine residues like soot and ash characterize fire disaster sites. Therefore, some deodorization methods such as ventilation can create other problems such as spreading residues to unintended areas. Air filtration devices might also clog when there is a constant supply of particulate materials. Our SERVPRO crews prefer alternatives that do not spread residues.

Some of these helpful deodorization methods include:

• Dry thermal fogging
• Wet misting
• Hydroxyl generation
• Ozone generation

These approaches make it possible to deliver deodorizers without causing additional problems that might hamper restoration efforts. The methods also match the penetrative capacity of odors, thus removing all odor reservoirs hidden deep within materials.

SERVPRO of Central Seattle works hard to expedite and improve convenience during fire damage restoration. Call us at (206) 282-9500 after an incident. We can help make it “Like it never even happened.”