Fire damage restoration
January 1st 2006

Effective fire damage restoration is a difficult thing to achieve. Munters stresses the need to get a specialist on the case and explains how effective treatment can restore a building to its original condition saving both time and money

Every year thousands of domestic and commercial properties around the UK are affected by fire. In many cases it is possible to return the building and most of its contents to their pre-incident condition. Specialist fire damage restoration companies employ a number of advanced cleaning and restoration techniques to ensure that a property is fully decontaminated before any renovation work is carried out.

Building contractors are often required to refurbish a fire affected property once the decontamination process is complete. Some contractors also offer varying capabilities in decontamination as part of the refurbishment package, often at a lower price than a specialist restoration firm. The concept of a one stop shop for fire damage restoration may appear and efficient method, but the reality is that dealing with the effects of fire damage requires the expertise to properly decontaminate a building.

It is important that the restoration of fire and smoke damaged properties is carried out in a methodical and structured way, working outwards from the most badly damaged areas to ensure that cleaned areas are not re-contaminated by the movement of smoke and odours.

Items that have been removed for cleaning should not be returned to the property until restoration has been completed, otherwise there is a risk of them becoming re-contaminated.

To the naked eye, the damage caused by a fire is obvious - charred or burned materials and smoke and soot deposits, with the addition of water and possibly other fire treatment materials used to douse the flames. A building contractor may be able to clean up these visible symptoms but the damage caused by a fire runs far deeper than the cosmetic effects, so having a good understanding of combustion and smoke behaviour is very important in fire damage restoration.

Understanding the damaged materials

Smoke particles are tiny - between 0.1 and 0.4 microns in diameter (a micron is 1/1000 of a millimetre). The small particle size enables smoke, which can be driven by heat and pressure to all parts of a building, to penetrate into the smallest cavities and cracks. A little smoke can go a long way so even a small fire can affect an entire property and its contents. While a specialist restoration company recognises this, building contractors are likely to concentrate their cleaning efforts on the visible effects alone.

An important factor in decontaminating a property is understanding the materials that were involved in the fire. When burned, different substances have various chemical reactions, producing different kinds of smoke which can have a variety of affects on a building and its contents. Smoke contamination requires investigation and different cleaning methods.

For example, the burning of natural materials such as wood or paper results in a large volume of dry and powdery smoke deposits and an acrid odour. Natural smoke contamination is easy to remove using dry methods. The burning of synthetic materials like plastics results in greasy black smoke deposits, which smear easily when touched and require extensive decontamination.

Although less common than natural and synthetic contamination, the burning of protein rich materials such as meat produces wet, greasy, brown and yellow deposits along with strong residual odours.

This requires extensive decontamination and deodorising.

Trained restoration technicians employ a variety of methods using specialist cleaning agents to treat different types of smoke contamination. Untrained contractors are more likely to use a single cleaning technique for all types of fire, which can prove ineffective and may even cause more damage to the materials.

Time is of the essence

After a fire it is very important to begin the cleaning up process immediately. The burning of plastics such as PVC releases chlorides which turn into hydrogen chloride. When mixed with water this becomes hydrochloric acid, which can cause corrosion to metal surfaces within hours and can also affect glass and other surfaces if left untreated.

A professionally trained disaster recovery team that is able to get on site within a few hours can halt the deterioration process. Vulnerable objects and surfaces are oiled down using protective chemicals then shrouded in special sheeting while dry air is injected inside, creating a microclimate which prevents further deterioration.

Dehumidifiers can also be installed to remove moisture from the air and prevent the hydrochloric acid from forming. While a specialist restoration company is able to react within hours of a fire, a building contractor could take weeks, resulting in further damage to surfaces and contents.

85% of smoke contamination affects horizontal surfaces. It is generally possible to clean and deodorise carpets using professional chemicals and equipment but wooden surfaces can be more problematic. High temperatures and acids from a fire can remove the natural oils from wood. Specialist wood restorer should be used to remove and neutralise smoke deposits, so the wood can then be restored by replacing the natural oils.

As well as visible damage, smoke odour is one of the most notable after-effects of a fire. High temperatures cause the pores of a building's materials to expand, allowing smoke to penetrate deep into them. As the structure cools the pores contract locking the smoke in.

Smoke molecules can remain active in materials for up to 30 years causing odour problems as the structure heats up and cools down. For this reason it is extremely important that smoke contamination is professionally removed or neutralised preventing residual odour problems or acidic attack. If a property is not properly decontaminated and smoke odour persists after the building is re-inhabited, it may be necessary to strip out the new fixtures and fittings and start the cleaning process again. This is both costly and distressing for the occupant.

Building contractors are able to clean up the visual effects of a fire but they do not have the specialist equipment or expertise to thoroughly decontaminate a building to the level required for refurbishment. This can result in added cost and distress to the property owner or occupier.

Specialist fire damage restoration companies can return many buildings damaged by fire to their original condition. They can also salvage and restore items such as documents and appliances that appear to be ruined. By using their expert knowledge to restore a buildings interior as opposed to stripping it out and starting from scratch, a restoration specialist can save both time and money.