How to Remove Smoke Damage from Your Walls

If your home was recently affected by fire, we offer our deepest sympathies. We understand how stressful a home fire can be, how frightening, and how much damage can be done in such a short amount of time.

Just as difficult as coping with the emotional stress of a fire is cleaning up the damage when the smoke has cleared. Depending on the size and duration of the blaze, you may have damage to furniture, clothing, and the structure of your home. However, one of the major issues that arises for families who have experienced home fires is smoke damage. The charring residue that sits on your walls can be difficult to remove, a painful memory of a stressful incident that will affect your property value and the ambiance of your home until removed.

ServiceMaster Restoration’s team is highly skilled at removing smoke damage from your walls. It’s one of the many services we are proud to provide. However, if you’re a strong-minded DIY-type, we respect that and want to advise you as best we can. Here are a few insider tips for removing smoke residue and charring from your walls, for good.

Fire Smoke Damage Removal

The first thing to understand about smoke damage is that there are differing levels of damage. Black marks and discoloration, soot residue, and charring (or areas where paint has burned) are all issues that will need to be treated specifically. If charring has gone deep on flat-painted walls, you may need to call a professional to help you complete the job. However, if the issue presents as mild charring and smoke discoloration on a satin or semi-gloss finish, your efforts have a better chance of success.

You will need:

• A large sponge
• 2 buckets
• Goggles
• Clean rags
• Warm water
• Trisodium Phosphate (TSP) cleaner
• Heavy duty rubber gloves

Be sure to protect your hands with gloves and eyes with goggles, as TSP can cause severe skin and eye irritation if contact is made.

Cleanup Time

First, fill your bucket with one gallon of warm water with a heaping tablespoon of TSP cleaner. Put on your gloves and goggles and wet a sponge in the TSP solution. Begin wiping your wall or ceiling vigorously, working on a single section at a time and applying enough pressure to scrub the area. 

Rinse the scrubbed area by dipping a rag in clean water and wiping the area down. Follow this process until the entire affected area has been cleaned.

Depending on the extent of the damage, you may need to wash and rinse a few more times. However, be sure to avoid over-saturating your walls, as doing so may cause water to leak between your walls and baseboard, or into the drywall, where mold and mildew can develop and undermine your home’s structural integrity.

Finally, once you have gone over the affected areas as many times as necessary, be sure to prime your walls and ceilings and repaint, for a completely refreshed look.

Removing smoke damage from your home is not for the faint of heart. However, with the right cleaners, tools, and a proactive attitude, you can remove all evidence of your recent home fire.

Questions? Need help? Don’t be afraid to reach out to a professional. We’re here to make your life easier. 

Call us on 316.413.5738 for Fire Smoke Damage Removal Services in Wichita or Visit us at ServiceMaster Restoration Wichita.