Smoke damage can be caused by the gases from the smoke or the soot it leaves behind. Depending on the extent of the damage and the type, different cleaning and restoration techniques must be implemented to properly clean up the mess. When important books, photos, or paper documents are damaged by smoke, the process of restoring them can be especially difficult due to the fragility of these items.
types of smoke
Smoke damage can be classified into three general types: wet, dry, and fuel oil soot.
wet smoke
Wet smoke is a type of smoke that burns at a low temperature and produces a sticky residue. This smoke damage has the potential to distort books and documents.
dry smoke
Dry smoke is created by high-temperature, fast-burning fires. It is especially detrimental to the oldest and most fragile books.
fuel oil soot
Fuel oil soot is produced when furnaces and other heat sources emit puffs of gritty soot. This type of smoke acts as an abrasive on paper items such as books and filing documents.
The smoke follows a general pattern of movement and destruction. It moves to the upper floors of the buildings. It is attracted to cool areas and moves easily through plumbing and ventilation systems.
How the damage occurs
Smoke damages books and documents by staining exposed surfaces, primarily the covers and edges of the paper. Damage to these items will depend on the quality, age, and condition of the affected documents. It will also depend on how well the items were stored before encountering the smoke. Most home and business owners keep books on shelves. Therefore, the damage occurs mainly on the outer fasteners and the upper edges. Properly stacked books and documents will protect each other from heavy smoke and soot damage. Keeping bookcases and desks away from vents or pipes will also reduce the chance of smoke damage.
Restoration and Cleaning
Regardless of the damage your books or documents have received, it is important to be very careful when handling them. The books may not appear to have sustained much damage, but smoke, especially dry smoke, can ruin book bindings and make pages very brittle. Never handle books that are damaged by their pages; otherwise, further “fingerprint” damage may result.
You can clean most lightly damaged books by wiping the covers and edges of the paper with a dry sponge. This removes residue and prevents soot and ash from continuing to stain your books over time. However, you should make sure to clean these items in a low-humidity environment; Otherwise, moisture in the air can collect on the paper and cause further damage.
If your books, photos or documents have sustained moderate to severe smoke damage, you should seek out a professional book and document restoration specialist. Restoration companies have a number of state-of-the-art cleaning techniques that they can employ to recover your damaged books. Many companies have sanding techniques to remove stubborn soot stains at the edges of pages and employ a deodorization technique to remove smoky odors. Other professionals will use ozone gas chambers to safely remove stains and deodorize documents.
Smoke is a lesser-known harm to household and commercial materials. However, it can be the most damaging because it’s harder to assess the extent of the damage until it’s often too late. By properly employing strategic storage techniques and proper material handling practices, you can greatly reduce the potential for smoke damage in the event of a disaster or emergency.
