The story behind Sean Scott’s decision to author the book The Red Guide to Recovery, and five tips on how restorers can give back or help their community, even if there isn’t a job in it for them.

Not having textiles tested after a cleaning could expose people to a wide range of chemicals and health risks. This could, in turn, expose restoration contractors and insurance companies to considerable liability.

Prior to 1980, many building materials manufactured in the U.S. contained asbestos. 

Most property damage claims result from floods, fires, or storm-related occurrences. However, restorers also encounter unusual claims, such as automobiles that collide into buildings.

To better understand how toxic TCDD is, one needs to understand how it and other toxins are measured. In toxicology, the median lethal dose is identified as LD₅₀ (abbreviation for “lethal dose, 50%”).

In the fire restoration industry today, very little attention is given to the toxicity of volatile organic compounds (VOC’s), heavy metals, or the composition of particulate matter and smoke residues.

On April 15, 2019, fire broke out beneath the roof of the Notre-Dame de Paris Cathedral. Over 400 firefighters fought the blaze, which consumed approximately two thirds of the roof structure, including the 300-foot wooden spire. 

During a structure fire, toxic smoke, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and particulate matter are generated from the vast array of building materials, contents, and household products that combust. These chemicals mix and interact with each other to create a vast array of carcinogens, poisonous gasses, acids, and other toxins that can cause acute and chronic illnesses, cancer, and even death.