Soot is much more than unsightly stains on your walls or chimney. What is soot, and why is it so dangerous? Learn more about soot and smoke damage
While a house fire is a devastating disaster, capable of uprooting lives and destroying keepsakes, it also leaves danger in its wake. Fire restoration services in Murrieta help families clear the first hurdles to a normal life. However, the soot and smoke damage left behind can prove troublesome, creating health problems if left untreated. But what is soot, and why are it and smoke damage so dangerous?
Let's break down soot, why it's a problem, and how to get rid of it.
You know soot when you see it. Characterized by its black, powder-like appearance, soot (known as black carbon) results from incomplete combustion or partial burning. This incomplete combustion occurs due to a lack of oxygen or low temperature.
When a fuel source burns low with little oxygen, you'll see the iconic black, powdery appearance of soot. It could be wood, oil, or coal; soot appears under the right circumstances and creates extensive, ugly damage in your home.
For example, fireplaces and chimneys tend to have soot. Furnace fires also create soot buildup.
And, of course, house fires produce soot and other contaminants.
While soot and smoke stains on the wall are ugly and unpleasant, that's not the worst aspect. Soot contains many chemicals, acids, materials, and even dust.
So, what is soot? It's a dangerous mix of chemicals and particles after a fire that causes extreme hazards to your family and home.
Yes, soot is extremely dangerous if inhaled. It can cause massive health issues, ranging from coughing to cancer. The air quality suffers as long as soot and smoke damage is in your home.
While exposure to soot is bad enough, smoke damage presents a laundry list of problems. Here are some smoke damage facts to help illustrate how serious smoke damage can be.
Although a house fire wreaks havoc on a property, the smoke it leaves behind is just as bad for the materials in your home. Along with smoke smells, all of those acids and chemicals in soot cling to walls, floors, and objects in your home, corroding walls, paint, and materials.
Along with presenting fire hazards, fireplaces have higher levels of soot and creosote buildup.
Creosote is the accumulation of chemicals, smoke, and more from burning wood in your fireplace. Like soot, creosote is the result of incomplete combustion. It creates further problems when creosote buildup prevents further wood burning from having adequate oxygen to burn, leading to more creosote and soot buildup.
Creosote, on its own, is a notoriously dangerous mixture of harmful substances. Added with soot in the fireplace, it's a pressing health hazard that needs immediate addressing.
That's why it's so important to schedule regular chimney cleanings. Soot and creosote are always leading causes of chimney fires.
It's no surprise that smoke damage causes serious health risks. After all, smoke inhalation is the leading cause of death in house fires.
Regardless of age, brief exposure to smoke can cause harmful side effects. Soot is especially dangerous, as it's invisible to the naked eye when airborne. Seeing it stained on a wall or fireplace is one thing, but soot is a genuine, potentially fatal health risk.
Here are some common health risks associated with smoke buildup and soot particles in particular.
That's why it's crucial to be proactive, seeking professionals to help you clean soot from your home as soon as possible.
What's the best way to prevent soot? By establishing a water-tight fire safety plan in your home.
This means equipping each floor with smoke alarms, practicing safe cooking tips, and obtaining (and knowing how to operate) a fire extinguisher. You must discuss house evacuation plans with your family.
Scheduling regular chimney cleaning can help prevent excess soot buildup and ill health effects.
Although taking the initiative and cleaning up soot yourself may seem like a good idea, you can't take the risk. You must call on fire and smoke damage restoration professionals to help you get rid of soot. Expert cleaners have the proper industrial-grade equipment to tackle any problem safely and know how to clean smoke and soot damage.
Getting the jump on repairing smoke and fire damage is crucial to getting your lives back on track. The longer you wait to clean soot and debris, the worse further damage to your property.
That's why with Murrieta home reconstruction and restoration experts, soot and any lingering odors are history.
Since 2016, Five Star Restoration has been helping property owners in the Inland Empire and Northern San Diego repair, restore, and reconstruct their living spaces.
Whether you require board-up services in Murrieta or comprehensive home safety tips, the team at Five Star Restoration has your back.
Give us a call today at 951-368-2227 and achieve a cleaner, safer home for you and your family.
If you are not sure your location is in the areas we cover, or if you'd just like to chat or ask a question, give us a call.
We are committed to an excellent finished product and even better customer service. Rest assured that when we show up for your restoration needs, you'll be informed, confident and stress-free.
