4 min read
When it comes to property fires, dealing with the damage goes beyond putting out the flames. Smoke can have devastating effects on your property, especially long-term consequences on the health and safety of your home or business. This is what professionals would call secondary smoke damage to your property.
Property owners should understand what smoke damage is, how it affects their property, and how damage after a fire can be considered primary or secondary. This can help them find proper smoke damage cleaning solutions that protect their property structure. Here’s what you should know about the differences between primary and secondary damage and how smoke damage restoration works following a fire.
Primary Damage vs. Secondary Damage
When a fire happens in your home, primary damage occurs directly from the fire itself. As the flame breaks down materials in your property, it causes visible destruction. Affected items are charred, melted, or completely gone.
Secondary damage, however, includes other types of damage not directly caused by fire. Although this can vary depending on what happens during a fire, secondary damage generally occurs in two ways:
- Smoke Damage: When primary damage occurs, the toxins, gasses, and smoke particles from the fire become airborne. These then land on nearby surfaces, such as walls and ceilings. Over time, it can cause discoloration, deterioration, and lingering odors even after a fire is put out. Smoke damage like soot is visible, but the smaller particles can linger and affect those on the property.
- Water Damage: Water damage is a common type of secondary damage as firefighters soak the property to put out fires. This can leave your property’s structure soaked, compromising its integrity and leading to extensive damage later on.
Differences Between Primary and Secondary Damage After a Fire
While primary and secondary damage share some common characteristics when it comes to fire and smoke, there are some differences between the two:
| Primary Damage | Secondary Damage | |
| What Is It? | Damage is directly caused by fire reacting to the material. | Damage is indirectly caused by the smoke residue from the fire. |
| Source | Burning materials chemically reacting to combustion. | Chemical reaction from the smoke particles reacting with surfaces. |
| Visibility | Obvious signs of charring and items destroyed by fire. | Items destroyed by lingering chemical compounds, volatile organic compounds, and water damage. |
| Duration | Items are damaged during a fire. Its effects stop after a fire has been put out. | Smoke damage can have immediate effects, though it can also lead to long-term effects, such as staining and discoloration over time, as well as health hazards, such as respiratory irritation. |
How To Deal with Primary and Secondary Damage
Knowing what smoke damage is and how it affects your property, it’s best to leave tasks such as smoke damage cleaning to the professionals. After a fire is put out, one of the first calls you should make should be with a professional smoke damage restoration team. From there, they can handle the steps needed to restore your property. Some steps on how to clean smoke damage include:
- Ventilation: Specialists maximize air ventilation to remove moisture and lingering smoke particles in the air.
- Surface Cleaning: Special cleaning processes are used to remove soot and debris from the property’s surfaces. Loose soot and debris may be removed easily, but a comprehensive smoke damage cleaning removes deep-seated particles that can discolor the surface over time.
- Content Cleaning: During salvaging, restoration technicians separate clean and salvageable belongings from items beyond repair. Salvageable items are cleaned or repaired before being stored safely, while damaged items are documented for insurance claims.
- Property Restoration: Structural damage caused by fire and smoke is removed, repaired, or reinforced. This restores the property’s structural integrity by addressing damage that could lead to corrosion or deterioration.
- Odor Elimination: The final steps of smoke damage restoration are conducted using treatments and specialized odor eliminators. This process removes lingering particles that could lead to odors and respiratory irritation. Steps such as air filtration and HVAC cleaning may be necessary to remove all traces of soot.
Restoration 1 of North Atlanta Handles All Types of Property Damage
Both primary and secondary smoke damage pose challenges for property owners dealing with the aftermath of a fire. By understanding the differences between the two types of damage, you can understand what’s needed to restore your property to its pre-damaged state.
Restoration 1 of North Atlanta is your local full-service property restoration team. Trust our experienced property restoration technicians to handle all types of damage after a fire, flood, or any unexpected event. We offer emergency services and can send a technician to your location immediately. Call us at (678) 841-7318, we’re available 24/7!
