There are few things more offensive than a foul smell that remains after a fire, water damage, or other catastrophe in the home. And there may be nothing worse than to have your home look beautiful after repairs have been completed, but still have the lingering odor of smoke, mildew, or worse.
PuroClean has the expertise to greatly reduce the possibility of lingering odors. With the proper equipment, products, and procedures, a PuroClean professional evaluates every situation and proposes – then implements – a “plan of attack” to eliminate such problems. The professional knows when and how to use masking agents, pairing agents, electronic deodorizers, cleaners, disinfectants, and sealants. He or she will also know when demolition and removal is the best option. Most deodorization jobs will require a combination of procedures to be completely effective.
Water damage frequently causes a musty odor to remain in the home. Improper or incomplete drying of structural or content items is usually the cause. Appropriate drying of the damaged area by a qualified Technician is of utmost importance. Water detection tools available to the professional help eliminate problems that might occur later on. In addition, daily monitoring and charting of the results during the restoration process further ensures that the structure and contents are completely dried.
Odors from fire damage tend to be more complicated. A PuroClean professional will determine a number of factors such as: the source of the contamination, the degree of heat involved, the time the materials were in the structure, the extent of the contamination, and the type of materials directly contaminated. The professional will form an action plan and then implement that plan to eliminate lingering odor problems.
ODOR CONTROL PROCEDURES
Masking agents or fragrances are usually part of every deodorization process. However, care must be taken when using masking agents because they are sometimes offensive to individuals.
Pairing agents, on the other hand, tend to be odor modifiers. One such deodorizing method is to emit a dry vapor into the atmosphere that absorbs the odor molecule and neutralizes the offensive odor.
Ozone is also an odor modifier. It is often called the only true deodorizer because it physically changes the chemical composition of the odor molecule. Ozone works well on a broad range of offensive odors, but its effectiveness depends on the length of time used. It sometimes takes days for it to work well. Whenever ozone is used, caution is warranted. People, pets, and plants should be evacuated during its use. Natural rubber components should be removed or protected. A PuroClean professional knows when to use these procedures and how to use them safely.
Cleaning agents are always an important aspect of deodorization. The first and most essential step in any deodorizing situation is to remove the source, which usually involves cleaning. Unfortunately, this is often ignored or minimized by non-professionals. Cleaning sometimes requires aggressive steps to remove the source of the odors. For example, the heat from a fire causes pores in certain materials to enlarge, allowing contaminants to enter the microscopic openings. Then, once cooled, the pores close trapping the contaminant. This holds in the odor and causes problems if not treated properly. The PuroClean professional, with appropriate training, can detect such problems and perform the correct cleaning procedures.
Where there is fire and heat, there is also pressurization. Increased pressure can force odor molecules into hidden or inaccessible areas, such as behind cabinets, behind baseboards, into walls through switch and socket covers, etc. Sometimes conditions need to be re-created for complete deodorization to take place. By increasing the vapor pressure of the deodorant, it will penetrate into hidden and inaccessible areas the same way the odor molecule traveled.
Completely eliminating odors may require the application of a heavily pigmented sealer to semi-porous building materials (such as wallboard, framing, sub-floor, etc.).
This will permanently seal the remaining odor in the material. In other cases, removing the affected material through demolition is the best option.
Deodorization can be a complex issue. A PuroClean restoration expert knows the basics of odor removal. Odor can and should be attacked very simply. First, eliminate the source. Second, clean the contaminated area. And third, if necessary, seal or remove the source that was exposed to the contamination. Nature eventually deodorizes virtually all odors. Unfortunately, it can take a long time on its own. A PuroClean restoration professional, however, can greatly speed up the process with the proper equipment, training, and expertise.
Regardless of the circumstances – dealing with odors or other aspects of water damage, fire/smoke damage, or mold remediation – call your local PuroClean office, The Paramedics of Property Damage™. For all property damage situations, these professionals are standing by. They will mitigate the loss to prevent further damage and will then provide restoration services to return the property to a pre-loss condition as quickly as possible. All PuroClean offices have well-trained professional Technicians who provide the latest state-of-the-science services to all property damaged from water, fire, smoke, mold, and other disasters.
written by
Will Southcombe
Director of Technical Services, PuroClean Headquarters
Master of Arts,
Master of Business Management,
Water Restoration Technician,
Applied Structural Drying,
Certified Microbial Remediator
Copyright © 2003-2009. All rights reserved in all countries.
Reproduction of the material is prohibited without prior permission.