Fire Damage & Smoke Mitigation
Fire Damage Restoration
Restoring your property after fire damage can seem like a daunting task. HRS is ready to guide you through the process and our professional disaster restoration specialists will return your home or business to a safe, functional, and enjoyable space.
Determining the extent of the structural damage is paramount to ensure everyone’s safety. Our professional construction team will ensure shoring measures are put in place when warranted to guarantee the structural integrity of the property while the fire damage clean-up takes place. If the fire has caused windows or doors to be compromised, openings in the roof, or other holes in the structure, HRS will board over these to prevent entry by possible vandals or wildlife. While the fire itself can cause these breaches in
the property, they can also be caused by emergency fire personnel in the course of fighting the fire.
Once the structure is secured, cleaning the damage caused by the fire can be tackled. Soot is an acidic substance and because of its small particulate size, can hide just about anywhere. From furniture to structural wood to the paint on the wall, soot and smoke infest all spaces in a building that have been subjected to fire—including many of the areas not touched by flames. To minimize irreparable damage, it’s important to remove the soot and smoke as soon as is feasible. Because of the toxicity of the substance, clean-up after a fire is best handled by professionals.
What is soot?
The powdery black or brown residue that is sometimes sticky results from incomplete combustion. It contains various chemicals depending on what was burned but is considered a pollutant both to the environment and people.
Smoke Mitigation
After the water is removed, mitigating the damage is the next step. This involves ensuring your property is properly dried and sanitized, minimizing the devastation caused by the water as much as possible. Removing any detritus, damaged belongings, and ruined building materials such as flooring and drywall is followed by disinfecting the property. Any personal items that are salvageable are cleaned through our content restoration services and returned. HRS’s IICRC certified technicians then use industrial high-powered air movers and dehumidifiers to dry the affected space. At this point the property is ready for the reconstruction phase.
Don’t forget about the air!
Smoke and soot from a fire can infiltrate your home’s or business’s ductwork. Be sure your ventilation system, filters, and air conditioners are thoroughly cleaned after any fire event.
Why Choose HRS Restoration Services?
HRS’s fire restoration crew is licensed, trained, experienced, and will work to get you back into your home or office ASAP.
HRS’s customer reviews highlight our professionalism and rapid 24/7 response time.
We’re the go-to company for fire smoke odor removal in Denver. We’re equipped for fire restoration tasks such as repairing structural damage and salvaging the contents of your home or office.
Call HRS today to schedule an appointment or for more information.
Fire Smoke & Soot Cleanup Process
HRS Restoration Services has a thorough fire damage smoke odor removal process. To remove smoke and soot from a fire damaged structure, our crew uses various EPA approved chemicals depending on the particular type of smoke in your business or home.
Cleaning and deodorizing will lessen the smell of smoke, but it may be that certain items in your home (such as furniture, or fixtures – like walls and flooring), are so damaged that they will need to be removed.
Fire soot removal is complicated. Soot is made up of microscopic particles that are not only difficult to remove but can also be dangerous to your health. We use commercial air scrubbers, HEPA vacuums, and ventilation systems to efficiently and professionally remove smoke and soot from your home or office.
HRS Restoration Services – Denver
When disaster strikes, HRS’s 24 hour restoration services are here for your emergency cleaning and professional restoration needs. In addition to water extraction and water damage restoration, HRS offers the following emergency restoration services:
Water Extraction & Water Damage Restoration
Discovering water damage in your home or business—whether from a flood, a dishwasher malfunction, or a sewer backup—can feel devastating. And it can be a serious problem if not dealt with properly. In addition to causing damage, water can also spread contaminants that may lead to disease. A quick response to water intrusion is imperative due to the invasive properties of moisture:
- Within minutes, moisture-sensitive surfaces swell and disfigure. Paper goods (books, documents, pictures) can be ruined and stains from furniture start to appear on carpeting, which can be permanent.
- Within hours, drywall softens and warps, and wooden furniture can be permanently damaged. If carpet becomes delaminated (the primary backing separates from the secondary backing), it can cause irreparable damage.
- Within days, fungi and bacteria begin to grow and spread. Foul odors start to permeate your property.
HRS’s IICRC certified clean-up crews are composed of expert technicians—including Master Water Restorers—who will ensure you receive the highest quality water removal and water clean-up services. Once the cause of the water emergency is mitigated and clean-up has been completed, our construction team can provide the building services you need—such as drywall, painting, flooring, electrical, and plumbing—to return your home or business to its original state.
Our local water restoration specialists are standing by 24/7/365 to help you through your water emergency!
Mold Inspection, Testing, & Remediation
No homeowner or business owner wants to hear that they have mold. Mold spreads quickly and can cause severe respiratory problems, especially in infants, children, the elderly, and those with health issues. Depending on the extent of the mold, a property can even be declared uninhabitable due to the threat it poses to the health of the occupants.
Mold occurs in damp areas and is often caused by water damage or flooding. Mold can also be the result of a current water leak or improper water leak clean-up from a previous issue. Mold can be present in carpet, wall interiors, floorboards, and ceilings, as well as easily spotted locations. HRS’s experts will determine the source of the mold, remove all traces of the mold, and repair or replace the damaged structures, ensuring the issue that caused the mold is remediated.
Due to the possible toxicity of the mold in your home or business, it’s important to have mold removal services handled by professionals. Our mold remediation specialists are IICRC certified in Applied Microbial Remediation, ensuring all aspects of the mold abatement are handled safely.
Trauma/Bio
Trauma clean-up and bio-cleaning is not a subject people give much thought to until they need the service. When dealing with a crime scene at your home or business, or with the aftermath of a fatality, the emotional toll can be overwhelming. HRS professionals can help ease the burden of the situation by eliminating all trace of the death or incident. This includes removing unsafe items and substances such as blood, other bodily fluids, and filth, all of which can contain biological hazards. Sanitizing a trauma situation involves eradicating microscopic particulates such as bacteria and viruses to ensure a clean and healthy space. HRS Disaster Restoration follows IIRC s540 standards, providing the highest industry standard of trauma and crime scene clean-up. Our highly trained technicians will decontaminate your property, working in coordination with fire departments and police to help you through this process as efficiently and quickly as possible.
Our bio-cleaning professionals also specialize in remediating hoarding situations. Hoarding can be dangerous because it can put those in the vicinity at risk of fire, poor sanitation, and even structural issues in their home or commercial property in extreme cases.
Asbestos Abatement
Asbestos is commonly found in older buildings, both residential and. It can be found in numerous construction materials, including concrete, asphalt, roof shingles, pipes, siding, wall board, floor tiles, joint compounds, adhesive, and insulation. The US banned the use of asbestos in the manufacturing of most materials in 1978, which is why we assume properties constructed before 1980 could have asbestos present. However, it’s important to note that in our increasingly global marketplace, many building materials are imported from abroad, and not all countries have the same stringent guidelines as the US. Because of this, it is possible to come across asbestos in newer structures, especially commercial buildings.
The hazardous nature of asbestos abatement calls for professional remediation to ensure safe removal and disposal. HRS will extract all asbestos from your property to bring it back to a safely inhabitable space. Once the asbestos remediation is complete, our restoration team can rebuild the affected areas.
Reconstruction & Restoration
Handling a home or commercial property’s disaster situation requires both mitigating the issue and rebuilding the affected areas of the property. Once the emergency has been taken care of—whether it’s water damage, fire damage, mold remediation, trauma clean-up/bio-cleaning, or asbestos abatement—the property will need to be restored. This could include structural repairs, drywall, plumbing, electrical, and/or landscape replacement … just to name a few. As a fully licensed general contractor, we can provide these services to homeowners as well as commercial properties. Our work ranges from basic repairs to complex, multi-faceted projects.
Our reconstruction efforts extend to your belongings affected by the disaster. Our content restoration program will repair any salvageable items including furniture, clothing, and electronics.
Commercial Restoration
Dealing with a disaster situation at a commercial property type requires an additional skill set. Unlike a residence, commercial buildings have employees and, often, patrons that are affected by an incident such as a water event or smoke damage. HRS will provide the necessary remediation services efficiently and discretely. Regardless of when the damage occurs—during business hours or in the middle of the night—HRS is available to remedy the situation. Water damage … storm damage … mold remediation … fire/smoke mitigation … HRS’s professional technicians are ready to bring your property back to its pre-disaster state.
Even well-maintained properties can experience the need for emergency restoration services. Whether you manage or own a hospital, school, apartment complex, office building, hotel, church, or retail establishment, HRS can handle your situation and our IICRC technicians can give you the peace of mind that your property will be professionally repaired.
Over 45 Years of Commercial Construction Experience
Our team is backed by the building professionals at Haselden Construction, bringing over 45 years of commercial construction experience to your job. This depth of knowledge ensures your restoration project is held to the highest quality standards and supported by the expertise of a regionally acclaimed general contractor.
Our general contracting services include preconstruction services, value engineering, subcontractor solicitation and management, quality and cost control, change order management, safety plan and inspection, documentation management, status reports and record keeping, and project close out.
Fire Smoke FAQs
When it comes to fire smoke removal, it’s natural to be skeptical.
After all, can a restoration company like HRS truly remove ALL of the smell?
Furthermore, you may have other concerns or questions regarding the health risks associated with smoke damage and whether or not it’s safe to sleep in your home after a fire.
Rest assured, we want to get you back into your home or office as soon as possible with our Denver smoke damage mitigation process. Accountability involves transparency, so below we discuss these FAQs in more detail.
Can Smoke Damage Be Removed?
Yes, smoke damage can be removed. But smoke damage is not easily fixed with a little elbow grease and your standard, run-of-the-mill cleaning supplies. Our trained and licensed professionals are certified by the Institute of Inspection Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC), and they use state-of-the-art technology and equipment to completely eliminate smoke damage from your home or office.
Is The Smell Of Smoke After A Fire Harmful?
Yes. Smoke is full of harmful chemicals that, when inhaled, can harm your respiratory system. The health effects of smoke inhalation may be more severe if you have a pre-existing condition.
Even after a fire is extinguished, smoke and soot will settle onto the surfaces of your home, and you will continue to ingest them through your eyes, mouth, and nose.
The kind of chemicals you inhale will depend on the composition of items burned in the fire. In addition to respiratory symptoms like difficulty breathing, lingering smoke may also irritate your eyes and skin.
Is It Safe To Sleep In A House With Smoke Damage?
No. We do not recommend sleeping in a house with smoke damage.
Although you may have slept next to an extinguished fire before, there is a major difference between the smoke and soot produced from a household fire and the smoke and soot produced by, say, a campfire.
Even if the fire was not in your bedroom, HVAC systems will distribute the smoke and soot throughout every room in the house.
How Long Does It Take For Fire Smoke Smell To Go Away?
Unfortunately, using fans or opening windows will not do much to remove the smell of smoke and soot from your home.
And although the smell of smoke can subside after a few days or weeks, the soot left behind will continue to cling to surfaces such as your walls, floors, and especially carpets.
How Much Does Fire Smoke Odor Removal Cost?
Denver smoke odor mitigation costs will depend on whether the smoke damage is extensive, what chemicals or items were burned, and the type of smoke involved in the fire. Costs will go up when the time required to remediate the damage increases.
However, when you factor in the potential healthcare costs and time away from work if you experience smoke inhalation symptoms, it makes even more sense to hire a professional smoke damage mitigation company like HRS Restoration Services.
How Long Does Smoke Odor Removal Take?
Smoke odor removal efforts can take anywhere between a day and a few weeks depending on the amount of soot, the difficulty in removing it from flooring and fabrics, and whether ventilation systems, fans, and air purifiers are used.
What Is Soot?
Soot refers to the microscopic particles left behind after something burns. Soot is made up of chemicals, acids, and metals. It not only smells, but it is dangerous to inhale. ‘
Soot will irritate the respiratory system and can aggravate or cause breathing issues such as asthma, bronchitis, coronary heart disease, and even cancer.
Infants, the elderly, and people with existing breathing problems are affected the most. If fire damage restoration efforts are not carried out, these health effects will become more severe and dangerous.
Call Us Today To Get Started!
HRS Restoration Services is proud of our positive customer reviews on Google. We’ve been serving home and business owners for nearly 25 years, and we’re looking forward to many more decades of customer satisfaction. Our highly experienced team members can respond day or night to remove the smell of smoke and soot from your home or business.
Call us today to get more information about our smoke damage mitigation services.