Puff Backs and Fire Damage in Jamestown

11/16/2022 (Permalink)

SERVPRO says to maintain your furnaces and fireplaces to prevent puff backs or fire damage. Keep your Jamestown home bright and clean.

SERVPRO Equipment Can Help Restore Fire Damage

Fireplaces and wood burners can be wonderful in the winter months. But without regular maintenance, open hearths can cause accidents. Blockages in the flue or chimney can result in a furnace puff back that spits ash and can fill a room with smoke. While puff backs pose a limited fire risk, they can lead to significant smoke and odor damage. The impact of damages is usually found close to the hearth but may affect the surrounding wall and parts of the ceiling directly above the furnace. If non-organic fuels were used, smoke residues could be greasy and difficult to remove.

SERVPRO technicians can help with the following:

• Fire damage restoration
• Smoke and odor removal
• Fire debris removal

We are a fire damage restoration service in Jamestown that can help with furnace puff backs and smoke & odor removal. One of the challenges we face in restoring puff backs is the different materials of a hearth. Some may be constructed from masonry, others from treated woods and iron. Each material can respond differently to smoke, odor, and temperature, which makes treatment of the damages unique in every case.

Many hearths and wood burner surrounds are constructed with masonry. Masonry can absorb water, suffer discoloration with chemical action and break apart under excessive brushing or scraping. Our solution is to use blasting equipment to remove stubborn smoke residues. Blasters are agitative equipment that fires thousands of tiny, granular materials directly onto a surface. The speed and volume help to dislodge any stubborn soot and remove the upper layers of the treated surface.

• Blasting equipment uses compressed air to generate the necessary pressure for restoring surfaces.
• Light blasting can incorporate air, ice, and salt to reduce surface damage, while sand or grit are used for heavy soil and charring.
• Pressurized water can remove dry soot or smoke residues from walls for external parts of the home.

To get expert restoration advice and guidance, contact SERVPRO of Jamestown / Olean for fire damage at (716) 338-4901.