The oldest and most complex of the restoration disciplines, fire remediation work requires an understanding of how fire and combustion residues behave to effectively neutralize and return a structure to a livable state. Cole Stanton explores four fundamental chemistry subsets of fire damage and how each can impact restoration work.

Specialized teams of artists, electronic technicians or textile restoration personnel are trained to analyze items based on many types of damage: heat, soot, smoke, humidity, breakage and water. The most elusive damage is from soot. Short term, lingering soot in items will cause a smoke smell to persist in the room. Medium to longer term, up to six months or a year, these soot particles can cause corrosion in electronics and the item can stop working.

When you think of the damage a wildfire causes, most people imagine the destruction and scorching of homes. While these are devastating results of a wildfire, a home does not need to be engulfed in flames to suffer damage. 

Electronics and electric appliances are part of daily life. Desktop computers, laptops, game consoles, televisions, phones, printers, tools, toys, and much more are found in nearly every home and business. When it comes to fire, water, and mold damage, these items cannot be ignored.

What do you do if a homeowner wants items after they've been thrown away? Don't let it be your word against theirs. Document everything! Annissa will tell you how to protect your business in situations like this in this week's Ask Annissa!

 Contrary to what many may believe, there is more than one type of fire — and the type of fire that occurred will dictate the appropriate cleaning method.  

The early morning hours of April 24, 2013 started as they normally do at the Cabela’s store in Dundee, MI, as night employees restocked shelves and carried out other duties in the closed 225,000 square foot facility.