Everyone’s heard the saying “where there’s smoke, there’s fire”. But those who have experienced a fire in their home know another saying:
Where there’s been fire, there is the smell of smoke.
Long after the flames of a fire have subsided, the smell of smoke lingers on. Left untreated, it may never fully go away. If you’ve ever owned a vehicle that belonged to a smoker, you know just how much staying power smoke can have.
The smell of smoke comes from the chemical reactions that take place in a fire. Cigarette smoke is particularly due to the presence of many terrible chemicals. But a house fire is plentily capable of generating its own noxious scents.
Why is smoke so good at making things smell bad? Let’s take a look.
Why Smoke Smell Doesn’t Go Away
Your home is filled with porous materials. Though wood, drywall, and cement are firm in structure, their surfaces are surprisingly absorbent. Since smoke is so light, and its particles so loose, it can easily penetrate the surfaces of many materials.
As it does, it leaves behind different chemicals and molecules, essentially staining an object with its scent. Depending on how porous the material is and how long the smoke lingers, these scents can go very deep into the material.
That’s why simply scrubbing and repainting walls often isn’t enough to remove the smell of smoke from them. So how do you get rid of the smoke smell after a fire?
Removing Smoke Smell from Your Home
Properly removing smoke damage and odor from your home is a multi-step process that will likely require some materials and surfaces to be replaced entirely. Attempting to cover the smell will only result in it resurfacing once the new paint and stain dries.
To get the job done right, you need to hire a professional that specializes in smoke damage. For smoke damage restoration in the Springfield, Ohio area, Reliant Restoration has what you need. With 24/7 emergency surface, we’ll work quickly to get your home looking and smelling the way it should.