Author : Barney Ruch

Where there is a fire, smoke is sure to follow These two things go together like milk and cookies But, once the fire is gone smoke damage can stay behind Whether it’s from a house fire or a grill near a window on a windy day, smoke can latch on to paint and wallpaper with almost no sign of letting go

There are some cleaning techniques that can be done to fix smoke damage left behind If the walls are painted, try cleaning and repainting The first step is to try to scrape off any soot if there is some This makes repainting a lot easier if all the little bits and pieces are gone first The next is to clean the walls with a mild soap and water in a bucket Get a washcloth just moist enough to take off the smoke residue This will get a little bit of the smell out but this may not be noticeable right away Chances are if there is smoke damage on the walls, it is also everywhere else as well which makes the smell elimination part of the work hard to do After the walls have been cleaned let them dry for at least 24 hours

When the time comes for painting the walls, make sure that the walls are completely dry and a primer is used before the paint goes down Smoke damage can seep though the paint if it is right next to it Primer is a neutral color that is usually thicker than the paint and allows for only a single coat of paint afterwards This will be good as a cover for the residue that may still be around from the smoke damage The new paint will make your walls look like new and one might think that the smell of smoke is gone although in fact, it has just been covered up

Walls that are covered in wallpaper can also be remedied of smoke damage The wallpaper should be taken off first A lot of the smoke will be in the wall paper itself and not into the walls This is a good thing because the smoke damage can be fixed After the walls have been stripped, replace with new paper in your favorite color and design A smoke free home will be evident in a short period of time

Tiled walls, like those in the bathroom, don’t really have to worry about smoke damage These are unique walls as they are covered with a hard surface that can be easily cleaned of black soot and residue Also if a tile is damaged beyond mere cleaning, it can be replaced quickly, easily and without disturbing the surrounding tiles It’s good to buy some extra tiles to keep on hand when renovating just for this reason Grout can be scrubbed clean with a heavy toothbrush and some bleach water

Smoke damage on the walls should not be a burden on a homeowner There are ways of making walls beautiful again With some time and minor work, damage from smoke will disappear just as it got there in the first place

Barney Ruch is a homeowner advocate on water damage for Westchester, NY smoke damage cleaning and New Rochelle smoke damage cleaning

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Filed under: Bathroom • Healthy Home

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