Should You Keep Furniture After A House Fire?

CONTENTS

• How is furniture impacted during a fire?
• What are the risks of keeping fire-damaged furniture?
• Is fire-damaged furniture salvageable?
• Will I need to buy new furniture?
• What to do if your home has been impacted by a fire
• Get in touch

Fires spread fast and destroy quickly, consuming your home, furniture, and valuables inside. Some furniture may seem unaffected by the flames, but invisible risks could be present.

Here at ICE Cleaning, we can restore your home with our fire damage cleaning services. Our expert technicians use odour neutralisation and specialist cleaning solutions that will thoroughly remove fire damage and lingering smoke particles.

Read on to learn more about fire damage and how it affects your furniture.

How is furniture impacted during a fire?

Furniture is legally required to have a fire safety label which confirms that the fillings are not flammable, and the surfaces are cigarette and match resistant. However, some furniture may be less resistant than others which leads to items being burnt, charred, or melted.

Depending on the furniture materials and their surfaces, they will react to fire very differently. There is also the invisible risk of smoke damage that can be difficult to eradicate. Smoke produces microscopic particles that contain toxic chemicals which could harm your health.

Timing is essential when it comes to salvaging the remains of your home and you may be unable to save everything. Metal, ceramics, glass, and some jewellery might be salvageable after a house fire. However, numerous items can become damaged in multiple ways.

Fabric furniture, curtains, and carpets

If the fire has not burned through the fabric, there may be smoke particles in its pores. When touched or moved, the particles will become airborne and you could inhale them.

Plastic containers

Unfortunately, plastic can absorb smoke damage and may harbour some harmful chemicals. It is best to dispose of these and any food stored in them.

Clothing, bedding, and towels

Like fabric furniture, these items are at risk of absorbing smoke particles due to their porous nature. Regardless of if they remained in wardrobes or cupboards, they could have absorbed the chemicals.

Hardwood floors and furniture

Although wood is less porous than fabric, it can still absorb some smoke damage. Applying finish or paint to the wood will not contain the smoke damage and may exacerbate the toxic chemicals.

What are the risks of keeping fire-damaged furniture?

Whatever the size of a fire, it will leave smoke particles behind that could spread throughout your home. These invisible particles are dangerous, not only staining your fabrics and furniture but containing harmful chemicals like:

• Asbestos
• Benzene
• Carbon monoxide
• Hydrogen cyanide
• Tar

These chemicals will burn and leave behind a layer of soot that triggers different reactions in materials. It may cause corrosion or rusting on certain metals, whereas wood might start to discolour.

When touched, the smoke particles could become airborne once again and pose an inhalation risk. Smoke damage might put you at risk of:

• Suffocation
• Skin and eye irritation
• Asthma
• Bronchitis
• Cancer
• Brain damage

Is fire-damaged furniture salvageable?

Depending on the fire damage your furniture has sustained, there may be some chance of saving them if you act quickly enough. Fire damage can be either dry or wet depending on how the flames were tackled.

Water damage

After a fire, your home will be susceptible to mould growth, especially if fire services used water, foam, water mist, and wet chemicals to extinguish the fire. This might lead to water damage which causes moisture and humidity, creating the perfect environment for mould to begin growing.

If your water-damaged furniture consists of wood or fabrics, it is at high risk of mould growing on it. It may be salvageable once dried, but it will require professional cleaning to assure complete safety.

Dry damage

Dry damage is the smoke, soot, and fire damage left behind after a fire. Furniture made of solid metals can be potentially cleaned and restored due to the non-porous surfaces. However, fire damage inflicted on fabric or wood furniture may be irreversible.

You might be able to save some fabrics, wood, and household appliances. These will need to be cleaned or repaired professionally by a third party as cleaning them yourself could put your health at risk.

Will I need to buy new furniture?

If your furniture is beyond repair or the smoke damage has eaten away at the materials, then it is likely that you will need to dispose of these items. However, if you have homeowners’ insurance, you should check your policy before throwing anything away.

Your policy may cover fire-damaged furniture, or the retailer you purchased the items from could have sold you protection cover. Ensure you have insurance coverage before disposing of anything because you must provide evidence of fire damage to make a claim.

What to do if your home has been impacted by a fire

When your home has sustained fire damage, you must not attempt to clean this by yourself. There may be some structural damage as well as smoke damage that might cause physical harm to you. You should follow these steps provided by the Kent Fire & Rescue Service in the meantime:

• If the property affected is rented, inform your landlord immediately
• Take photos of the damage and collect evidence
• Check your insurance policy to check if fire damage is covered
• Contact your insurance company and inform them of the damage and any lost items
• Ventilate the property and place a dehumidifier in affected rooms
• Ensure your gas, electricity, and water are switched off
• Dispose of food, water, and medicines exposed to heat or smoke
• Find temporary accommodation, or contact your local council for emergency housing
• Ensure your property is secure before you leave
• Contact fire restoration services

Depending on the severity of the fire damage, you may also require fire smoke odour removal. A strong odour indicates that smoke particles are still present, and this will require specialist cleaning to restore your home and remove any traces of chemicals in the air.

Get in touch

Our rapid-response team is available for thorough fire cleaning services 365 days a year, including bank holidays. Here at ICE Cleaning, our technicians work with industry-leading tools to make your home a safe place to live again.

To find out more about our fire and smoke odour removal services, get in touch with us at 0208 066 0360 or email us at enquiries@icecleaning.co.uk.