How Can Smoke Affect Your Home or Structure
a fire loss can result in a combination of damages because of the unique behavior of smoke. A trained HYDRADRY professional should inspect the loss site to help determine the extent to which fire, smoke, heat, and moisture impacted all the building materials and contents.

Experienced fire restoration professionals know that smoke can penetrate within cavities of the structure, causing hidden damage and odor. Their knowledge of building systems helps them investigate how far smoke damage may have spread.

Some things you may not know about smoke:

·  Hot smoke migrates to cooler areas and upper levels of a structure.

·  Smoke flows around plumbing systems, using holes around pipes to go from floor to floor.

·   The type of smoke will greatly affect and determine the restoration process and the systems we use to bring the home or structure to “Pre Loss Condition”.

There are many types of Smoke
when we arrive at a fire scene, Our HYDRADRY technicians will test the soot to determine which type of smoke damage occurred. Our methods and cleaning procedures will be based on the information identified during pretesting.

Types of soot include:

• Wet Smoke Residues - Result from smoldering fires with low heat. Residues are sticky, smeary and with pungent odors.  Smoke webs can be difficult to clean.

• Dry Smoke Residues - Result from fast burning fires at high temperatures. Residues are often dry, powdery, small, non smeary smoke particles.

• Protein Residues - Virtually invisible residues that discolor paints and varnishes.  Extreme pungent odor.

• Fuel Oil Soot - Furnace puff backs distribute fuel oil soot.

• Other Types of Residues - Tear gas, fingerprint powder, and fire extinguisher residues also need cleanup.
   

Structural Inspection and Pretesting
the HYDRADRY Smoke Damage Technicians will pretest while inspecting the property to determine the damages and the scope of the project and what cleaning, restoration, and repairs are needed.

• The full extent of the damage. How many materials are affected by smoke or fire? What is the proper method for cleaning? Will your personal belongings need to be relocated while your house is restored? These are just a few of the important decisions that must be made.

• Unaffected areas - It can be vital to protect areas that have not been affected by soot and odor before the smoke damage spreads to these areas. It will save your valuables and money!

• What materials can be restored and what materials must be replaced. Are the smoke residues cleanable? Who is completing the inventory of items that are damaged beyond repair? Pretesting is vital. A complete inventory is invaluable! How long will the cleanup take? We'll let you know what to expect.

• What are the most effective cleaning procedures and methods? What are the protocol and work procedures that will restore the damaged items?
   

Pretesting also allows the HYDRADRY Professional to focus on saving precious items or keepsakes for you.

Once the mitigation begins, the HYDRADRY project manager will keep you informed and answer your questions, all while continuing to work to return the fire damage “to a Pre Loss Condition.”