Restoration logo
search
cart
facebook twitter linkedin youtube
  • Sign In
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
Restoration logo
  • NEWS
  • PRODUCTS
    • New Products & Technologies
    • Submit Your Product
    • Interactive Product Spotlights
  • EDUCATION
    • KnowHow.
    • Podcasts
    • Trade Shows & Expos
    • Training & Certification
    • Webinars
    • Whitepapers
  • TOPICS
    • Water Damage
    • Fire & Smoke Damage
    • Mold
    • Contamination
    • Odor
    • Contents
    • Architecture
    • Catastrophe
    • Cleaning
  • BUSINESS
    • Managing Your Business
    • Insurance/Legal Matters
  • BUYER'S GUIDE
  • VIDEOS
    • Ask Annissa
    • Ask the Expert
    • Ironclad Marketing Minute
    • TradeTalks
    • Video Channel
  • INFOCENTER
    • Mold and Mycotoxins
  • THE EXPERIENCE
    • Conference & Exhibition
    • Convention & Trade Show
    • R&R Special Issue
  • EMAG
    • eMagazine
    • Archive Issues
    • Contact
    • Advertise
  • SIGN UP
Fire and Smoke Damage RestorationOdor RemovalRestoration Training/Education

Don't Skip Steps: Mastering Odor Removal during Smoke Damage Restoration

By Tim Bauer
Odor-Removal
low oxygen fire

Different types of fires produce different types of damage. This is the result of a low oxygen fire, which results in wet, smoky residue.

Photos Courtesy of Allied Restoration, Inc.

charred framing

“Sistering” alongside a charred beam can help with stability.

Removal-shadowing
Shadowing like this gives a glimpse at just how much cleaning there is to be done.
Removal-sealed framing

It’s important to make sure salvageable surfaces are property sealed.

Removal-sealed framing
Odor-Removal
low oxygen fire
charred framing
Removal-shadowing
Removal-sealed framing
Removal-sealed framing
February 1, 2016

Any fire restoration professional can tell you when it comes to fire damage, the fire is the easy part. There’s really only one way to get rid of most damage to building materials charred by fire: remove them.

Smoke, on the other hand, is a different story. How to deal with the odor and damage of smoke is something disagreed upon by every adjuster, contractor, contents specialist and homeowner.


Step 1: Know What You’re Dealing With

1.  Identify the type of fire: Every fire has a personality and damage type of its own. High oxygen fires tend to leave behind drier smoke residue that is easier to remove than the wet, smoky residue that a low oxygen fire gives off. Additionally, if water was applied to extinguish the fire, typically the humidity in a home can rise up to 100 percent, causing the wood in the home to open its pores, absorbing more smoke and residue.

2. Safety first: Smoke is highly corrosive and can ruin anything with enough time and strength. In most cases, smoke from a home or commercial fire is not coming just from burnt wood, but other items like plastics, leathers and other chemicals. All these things will impact the way you deal with it. Due to the toxicity of the air after burning these items, consider wearing dust masks and nitrite gloves (or heavier gloves as well if there is broken glass or other building debris present). Moreover, whatever you can do to ventilate the home is typically a positive thing for the people working inside.

3.Time is of the Essence: The sooner you start the restoration process, the lower the level of damage to the property will be. Here’s what the IICRC says for a timeline of a fire:

a.“Within Minutes: Acid soot residues cause plastics to yellow; small appliances located close to the source of combustion discolor; highly porous materials (marble, alabaster) discolor permanently.

b.Within Hours: Acid residues stain grout in bathrooms; fiberglass bath fixtures may yellow; uncoated metals tarnish; counter tops may yellow; finishes on appliances, particularly refrigerators, may yellow; furniture finishes may discolor.

c.Within Days: In time, acid residues cause painted walls to yellow permanently; metal corrodes, pits and rusts; wood furniture requires refinishing; vinyl flooring requires refinishing or replacement; clothing becomes soot-stained; upholstery stains permanently.

d.Within Weeks: Restoration costs escalate tremendously. Synthetic carpet fibers may yellow or discolor permanently; silver plate is corroded permanently; glass, crystal, china may require replacement due to severe etching and pitting caused by prolonged exposure to acid soot residues.”

Understanding this, we are always prepared to begin cleanup immediately upon being called out to a new smoke damaged property.


Step 2: The Removal Process

How you clean is as important as how fast you clean. There is a wrong way and a right way to clean smoke damage and, if done incorrectly, a house can be tainted with unpleasant odors forever. In fact, there are documents recovered from the 1906 San Francisco fire that still to this day smell of smoke residue. If your insureds are anything like mine, they won’t go for that campfire smell forever in their homes.

How you clean is as important as how fast you clean.

1.Get rid of the source of the odor: Items deemed to be total loss or cleaned and deodorized offsite should be removed from the home as soon as possible. This step alone will mitigate a significant amount of the smoke odor.

How can you tell if something is damaged beyond repair? Here is what we look for:

  • Framing is generally considered total loss if it is charred 1/4 of an inch or more. However, this will require a structural engineer to assess. Occasionally, the engineer will call for running an additional beam alongside the damaged one (sistering).
  • Drywall will come clean at least 80 percent of the time. However, cleaning it isn’t normally the concern as much as if smoke residue got behind the drywall. If smoke is in the wall cavity, the only choice is to remove and replace it.
  • Tile counters can be cleaned, so try. If the grout doesn’t come clean, replace it.  Some restorers will try to chip out the top layer of grout and re-grout, but this can result in tile chipping and not worth the effort in our experience.
  • Solid counters (granite, formica) will clean without problem, but if smoke is inside will require sealing the under-layer (step 4). Sometimes you’ll see the silhouette of where an item sat on the surface, and darker residue around it from the smoke. The longer the smoke sits, the more likely the discoloration will be permanent.
  • Carpet can be cleaned from very light smoke (like in the case of first floor carpets in a second floor fire), but moderate to heavy damage will call for replacement.
  • Laminate floors are floated floors with a layer of highly absorbent foam underneath. In other words, if smoke managed to get underneath the floor, your only option will be to remove the floor to remove the foam, and then replace.
  • Real wood/engineered floors can almost always be sanded and refinished to clean smoke damage.
  • Insulation is one item that must always be removed if there is any smoke inside, triggering other items for access.

2.Clean everything left behind: Once all non-salvageable building materials are removed, clean! While every contractor has a preference on materials and chemicals, generally speaking you will want a wet sponge for hard, porous materials and a dry sponge for hard, less porous materials.

3.Use an odor counteractant. We always guarantee our homeowners that they won’t be able to detect any form of smoke odor following the work we do in their homes. In order to prevent this, we always use both a thermal fogger and an ozone treatment, even if insurance doesn’t cover it. We had a job a few years ago where the adjuster refused to pay for ozone so we just did a thermal fogging, only to be called back a year later for smoke odor. We had to tear open and ozone (and restore out of pocket) a closet just to finish the job we’d already done. We learned the hard (i.e. expensive) way not to cut corners when it comes to smoke cleanup.

4.Seal salvageable surfaces that are scorched but not being removed, like framing. Between thermal fogging and ozone treatment, we seal all smoke damaged framing that is not being removed. This is even more important in areas with warm summers because the wood will actually expand in the heat causing the pores to open and smoke odor to enter back in the home. We see failure to seal remaining framing in a lot of homes repaired by non-restoration contractors.

At Allied Restoration, we have trained our staff to provide a raving fan experience to every customer, and this impacts everything we do from customer service to smoke damage. By dealing with the damage with precision, we make sure our customer understands their value to us. That’s really at the core of our industry, right?

Getting rid of the sight of smoke damage is a fairly easy thing to do. You can clean it, paint over it or remove the items. Odor on the other hand is invisible and even more bothersome and must be dealt with scientifically. How you do this will make all the difference of whether or not you get called back the next time they have a challenge.  

KEYWORDS: deodorization smoke cleanup smoke odor removal

Share This Story

Looking for a reprint of this article?
From high-res PDFs to custom plaques, order your copy today!

Tim Bauer is the VP of Allied Restoration Services Inc. Tim wears many hats in the organization and takes on the role of a professional marketer and storyteller who has developed and presented for companies ranging from small insurance agencies to Fortune 100 corporations. He has worked in the insurance restoration industry for almost 15 years. Tim honed his skills for branding through thousands of hours creating marketing plans, pieces and literature for over 15 years. His greatest achievement includes losing over 225 pounds and having two daughters without losing any of his hair.

Recommended Content

JOIN TODAY
To unlock your recommendations.

Already have an account? Sign In

  • mold remediation

    Fighting Mold and Bacteria Damage

    Successful mold remediation can be multidisciplinary,...
    Cleaning and Sanitation
    By: Josh Woolen
  • certifications and licenses for restoration professionals

    Certifications and Licenses Every Restoration Company Needs

    Restoration companies need to make sure they have the...
    Restoration Training/Education
    By: Sharon Elzarat
  • a wall covered in moss and fungus

    Zero Tolerance for Toxic Molds: Essential Steps for Successful Remediation

    Understanding the importance of zero tolerance for toxic...
    Mold Remediation
    By: Michael A. Pinto CSP, SMS, CMP, RTPE, FLS, ERS and Kendra Seymour
You must login or register in order to post a comment.

Report Abusive Comment

Manage My Account
  • eNewsletter
  • Online Registration
  • Subscription Customer Service
  • Manage My Preferences

More Videos

Popular Stories

Pop Art Female Superhero Punches a Masked Villain

TPAs vs. Independence: The Restoration Industry’s Own Version of the Cola Wars

RIA Carrier Advocate Mark Springer

Turning the Page: A New Era of Trust and Collaboration in Restoration

Paul Davis Restoration Leadership Team

Justin Graham Expands Paul Davis Restoration’s Reach with Acquisition of Greater Seattle Franchise

Submit Your New Product/Technology to R&R!

Would you like to promote a new restoration, remediation or cleaning product/technology with Restoration & Remediation? Fill out the question below to start your submission:

Events

September 3, 2025

The Experience Convention and Trade Show

The Experience Convention & Trade Show logoJoin us in Las Vegas for The Experience Convention & Trade Show, the leading event for cleaning, restoration, and remediation pros, packed with hands-on demos, expert speakers, and high-impact networking. Happening September 3–5, 2025 at Caesars Forum—this is where the industry comes to learn, connect, and grow!

View All Submit An Event

Poll

Doffing PPE

When you are doffing your PPE, do you sanitize between every step?
View Results Poll Archive

Products

The Cleaning, Restoration, Inspection, and Safety Glossary

The Cleaning, Restoration, Inspection, and Safety Glossary

The Cleaning, Restoration, Inspection, and Safety Glossary.

See More Products
Prepare for CATASTROPHE with R&R!

Related Articles

  • marketing min 5

    Marketing Minute: Be a Problem Solver | Episode 5

    See More
  • marketing min 3

    Marketing Minute: The Reluctant Sales Rep | Episode 3

    See More
  • marketing min

    Marketing Minute: The 4 Ways to Increase Your Business (Part 4)

    See More

Related Products

See More Products
  • deoderantization.jpg

    Comprehensive Deodorization

  • Upholstery-&-Fabric-cleanin.gif

    Upholstery & Fabric Cleaning

  • fires out.jpg

    Fire’s Out, Now What? Vol. I & II

See More Products
×

Stay ahead of the curve with our eNewsletters.

Get the latest industry updates tailored your way.

JOIN TODAY!
  • RESOURCES
    • Advertise
    • Contact Us
    • Directories
    • Store
    • Want More
    • Submit a Press Release
  • SIGN UP TODAY
    • Create Account
    • eNewsletters
    • Customer Service
    • Manage Preferences
  • SERVICES
    • Reprints
    • Marketing Services
    • Market Research
    • List Rental
    • Survey/Respondent Access
  • STAY CONNECTED
    • LinkedIn
    • Facebook
    • YouTube
    • X (Twitter)
  • PRIVACY
    • PRIVACY POLICY
    • TERMS & CONDITIONS
    • DO NOT SELL MY PERSONAL INFORMATION
    • PRIVACY REQUEST
    • ACCESSIBILITY

Copyright ©2025. All Rights Reserved BNP Media.

Design, CMS, Hosting & Web Development :: ePublishing