Restoration Problems
October 1st 2007

Flooding has been on most agendas in the restoration industry this Summer, but as we get into Autumn/Winter our attention is always drawn back to fires again and one of the main problems areas for any professional fire restorer has to be trying to deodorise and clean smoke damaged porous stone and timbers. If they are hidden away in roof voids then the problem is relatively simple as effective deodorisation followed by a good restoration seal such as Fix Soot or Smoke Odour Sealer with Deodoriser will form a permanent bond and seal in the odours.The appearance however is still of a fire damaged timber but without any of the smell.

If the damage is in a listed or old building with exposed timbers or one of the newer mill developments which often have lots of exposed timbers, then the problem cannot be resolved like this. Complete timber removal and replacement or finding a new solution is the only answer. Latex products have come along but vary massively in the results they can offer.Most are very alkaline and unsafe for use on marble and not effective on severe smoke damage. In fact they were designed purely for environmental soil situations only. There is now a new product called Grip Soot which has a neutral pH, low odour and also has the advantage of a booster designed for severe smoke situations. It is effective on stone and wood surfaces (see pictures for effects on timbers). Constant innovation is the key to staying ahead in the restoration industry.

This latest development is certainly a problem solving product and should save the insurance industry a fortune over the coming months.