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Minutes After - Immediately after a fire takes place in your home, acidic soot starts to discolor affected surfaces. Fabric materials will absorb the residue and begin to stain. Hours After - At this point, walls in your home can begin to turn yellow, your clothing can permanently stain, and metal begins to rust and deteriorate. Weeks After - If the smoke damage has still been neglected, any surfaces that were exposed to soot will be permanently damaged and the structure of your home will continue to weaken.
Smoke damage will differ depending on the fuel that burned during the fire. For example, a kitchen fire with protein fires (burning meat, flesh or poultry), leaves smoke with a heavy, oily texture. Smoke from natural substances (such as wood and paper) leaves a dry, powdery residue, and synthetic fires (plastic and synthetic objects) leave a black residue that is easily smudged. In many cases a fire contains a variety of fuel sources.
If the fire occurred somewhere with electrical equipment or wires, it is safe to assume the electrical system is no longer functional. Any experience with malfunctions or short circuits, or visible corrosion of wires, outlets, switches, or cords can be signs of electrical damage.
Common store-bought odor eliminators are only temporary when it comes to the seriousness of fire smoke damage. Chances are, the smoke smell will return. Professional fire restoration companies have professional-grade smoke odor deodorizers that target soot and smoke, even in the most unlikely and deeply hidden places, and remove them from your property.