Removing Smoke After a House Fire

4/9/2021 (Permalink)

Can damage happen to your apartment from a neighbor's house fire?

If you live in an apartment building, it’s likely you hear all of the commotion of your neighbors and their daily lives. Due to having to share the same floors and walls, you will get your fair share of noise, smells, and disasters. Apartments in close proximity of one another are more than likely in the direct path of every day disasters including flooding, mold, odors, and fire.

If the apartment upstairs were to have leaky pipes or an overflown tub, surely there would be damage to the ceiling of the apartment below. The extent of that damage may even go beyond just the ceiling, soaking the carpet and furniture below. Eventually, as is common with stagnant water and moisture, mold may develop affecting more than just one apartment. As with water damage, smoke and odors from fires are also able to permeate into the walls of multiple units. 

Depending on the size of the fire and materials burned, smoke and odor can easily travel through HVAC systems, while seeping into the walls of units. It is possible for a nearby unit to develop odors. While odors are a nuisance, they are often a symptom of lingering smoke. Smoke from a house fire can be especially dangerous and potentially harmful to a person’s health. Homes today are filled with many different materials, organic and inorganic. Each material burns differently, releasing different chemicals and matter. Thinking the smoke and odors “will just go away on their own”, is not realistic. 

In the event that a unit in your building catches fire, an professional restoration company should inspect your home for any damage relative to the neighboring fire. A thorough inspection will uncover what is not initially seen or smelled. If issues are suspected, a professional restoration company can address these areas, providing proper fire damage restoration.