Why Air Quality Testing After a Fire Is So Important

12/5/2024 (Permalink)

When a fire happens in your home, the damage can go beyond what you see. While it's easy to focus on burned walls, soot-covered floors, and other visible damage, the air inside your home may be full of hidden dangers. After the flames are out, smoke, soot, and harmful chemicals can stay in the air. Here are some details on why you need air quality testing and how it works. 

Why You Need Air Quality Testing After a Fire

Even after a fire is put out, tiny particles of smoke and soot stay in the air. These can settle into carpets, walls, and furniture, and even enter your lungs. If not properly removed, they can continue to linger in your home, making the air unsafe.

1. Smoke and Soot Stick Around

Smoke and soot are major concerns after a fire. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, soot particles are often less than 2.5 micrometers in diameter. That means they can float around in the air and cling to surfaces without you even realizing it. This makes air quality testing an important step in ensuring your home is safe to live in again.

2. Chemical Contaminants from Burning Materials

During a fire, things in your home like plastic, paint, and insulation can release harmful chemicals when they burn. These chemicals, such as carbon monoxide or formaldehyde, can hang around in the air long after the fire is out. Air quality testing helps find these invisible chemicals so professionals can remove them and restore the air in your home.

How Air Quality Testing Works

When professionals test the air after a fire, they’re looking for harmful particles like smoke, soot, and toxic chemicals. Here’s how the process works:

1. Assessing the Damage

First, a technician will inspect your home to find areas where air quality testing is most needed. This usually includes rooms close to the fire or places where smoke has traveled through air vents.

2. Air Sampling

Next, air samples are taken with special equipment that checks for pollutants and particles in the air. This helps experts figure out exactly what contaminants are present and what needs to be done to clean them up.

3. Cleaning the Air

Once the air has been tested and the results are analyzed, professionals will create a plan to clean the air. This can include using air scrubbers, cleaning air ducts, or adding air purifiers to remove harmful particles and improve air quality.

A fire can leave behind more than just visible damage. Smoke, soot, and harmful chemicals can hang in the air and affect the safety of your home. Air quality testing is a key step in finding and removing these dangerous particles. At SERVPRO of Carthage/Joplin, we have the tools and expertise to make sure your home’s air is safe to breathe.