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24/7 emergency restoration

Smoke damage and odour removal

Smoke travels much further than flames. It moves through ductwork, behind outlets and into closets on the other side of the house. Removing the smell means removing the residue.

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IICRC Certified Firm
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Leave a name and number and a person calls you back. For an active emergency, phone us instead.

Before we arrive

Do this now

1Ventilate if the outside air is clean and the building is safe to enter.
2Change the furnace filter and keep the fan off until ducts are assessed.
3Keep hands off walls and upholstery to avoid setting soot into the surface.
4Bag clothing you need right away for separate cleaning.

If anyone is in danger, or you smell gas or see sparking, leave the building and call 911 first.

Callback about smoke and odour

Leave a name and number and a person calls you back. For an active emergency, phone us instead.

Why smoke odour is so stubborn

Smoke is a mix of gases, vapours and very fine particles. The particles are small enough to pass through gaps around doors, outlets and light fittings, and they settle as a film on every surface. Heat makes it worse: warm materials expand and their pores open, smoke enters, and as they cool the pores close and trap it.

That is why the smell comes and goes. On a warm or humid day the materials release what they absorbed, and the odour returns even after weeks of airing out. Fragrance and air fresheners only compete with it for a few hours.

Permanent odour removal follows a fixed order. First remove the source: charred material and anything too contaminated to clean. Then clean the residue from every surface it reached. Then treat the air and the cavities that cleaning cannot reach. Finally seal surfaces that will be refinished. Skipping a step is the usual reason a smell comes back.

What to expect on the first visit

The first visit is an inspection, and much of it is done by eye, by touch with a clean white cloth, and by smell. Residue is checked on walls and ceilings, inside cupboards and closets, around vents and outlets and in rooms far from the source. The furnace filter and the return air are examined to see whether the duct system has been carrying smoke through the house.

The type of residue is identified, because dry smoke, wet smoke and protein residue each need a different cleaning method, and the wrong one can set a stain permanently. You should be given a plan that lists what will be cleaned, what will be sealed, what should be replaced and how the remaining odour in the air and in cavities will be treated.

What we do, in order

01
Identify the residue
Protein, wet smoke and dry smoke residues behave differently and need different cleaning methods.
02
Clean surfaces
Ceilings, walls, cabinets, fixtures and contents are cleaned to remove residue.
03
Clean the air path
Ductwork and the furnace are addressed where smoke entered the system.
04
Treat remaining odour
Air scrubbing and odour treatment deal with what cleaning alone cannot reach.
05
Seal where needed
Stained or odour-holding surfaces that will be repainted are sealed first.

Where smoke odour hides

Ductwork and the furnace: The system draws smoke in and coats the inside of the ducts, then reintroduces the smell each time the fan runs.
Attic and wall insulation: Fibrous insulation absorbs smoke readily and cannot be cleaned.
Unfinished wood: Framing, the back of cabinets and the underside of shelves have open pores that hold odour.
Soft furnishings: Carpets, curtains, mattresses and upholstery act like filters.
Behind and inside things: Inside closed cupboards, behind appliances, above ceiling tiles and inside light fittings.
Porous hard surfaces: Unsealed concrete, grout, brick and flat-finish paint.

What responds to cleaning

Painted walls and ceilings	Cleaned, then sealed and repainted where staining or odour remains.
Kitchen cabinets	Finished faces clean well. Unfinished interiors may need sealing.
Carpet	Light smoke can be cleaned and deodorised. Heavy smoke often means replacement, with the underpad.
Clothing and bedding	Most launders successfully with the right process.
Upholstered furniture	Varies. Lightly affected pieces can be treated. Heavily affected foam is hard to recover.
Ductwork	Cleaned, and the filter replaced. Internally lined duct that absorbed smoke may need replacing.

How long it takes

A few days for light smoke from a small incident. Longer where contents and ductwork across the whole house are affected.

Insurance

Smoke damage from a fire in your home is normally part of a fire claim. Smoke from a neighbouring property or a wildfire may also be covered. Confirm with your insurer.

This is general information, not advice on your policy. How restoration claims work.

Mistakes to avoid

Masking instead of removing. Scented products add another smell on top and do nothing to the residue.
Painting without sealing. Standard primers and paints let smoke stains and odour bleed through within weeks.
Relying on an ozone machine alone. Ozone can reduce odour but does not remove residue, and nobody, including pets and plants, should be in the space while it runs.
Forgetting the ducts. A clean house with dirty ductwork will smell of smoke every time the heat comes on.

Questions worth asking any contractor

Whoever you hire, including us, should be able to answer these plainly.

What type of smoke residue is this, and how does that change the cleaning method?
Will the ductwork and furnace be cleaned?
Which surfaces will be sealed before repainting?
What happens to soft furnishings and clothing?
If the smell returns in humid weather, will you come back?

Keeping smoke damage from spreading or returning

Turn off the furnace or air conditioning fan as soon as there is smoke in the house.
Change the furnace filter after any smoke event, and again after cleaning.
Close doors to unaffected rooms to limit how far smoke travels.
Have cleaning started early. Residue becomes harder to remove the longer it sits.
Use a stain- and odour-blocking sealer on any surface that was stained before it is repainted.

IICRC Certified FirmRegistered with the restoration industry's standards body
IICRC-certified techniciansTrained to the published standards for water, fire and mold work
Ontario asbestos abatement worker training for Type 3 operationsThe approved training for the highest-risk class of asbestos work
Liability insurance$5 million coverage with Intact Insurance
WSIB coverageClearance certificate on request
24/7 responseEvery day of the year

Smoke and Odour Removal: common questions

Why does the smoke smell keep coming back?

Because residue is still present. It sits in porous materials, inside wall cavities and in the ducts, and releases odour when temperature and humidity rise. Air fresheners and ozone alone do not remove it.

Can I just repaint over smoke stains?

Not directly. Ordinary paint lets stains and odour bleed through. Surfaces need cleaning and a stain-blocking sealer first.

A pot burned on the stove. Is that worth a call?

It can be. Protein fires from burnt food leave a nearly invisible residue with a very strong smell that coats the whole house. If airing out has not worked after a few days, it needs proper cleaning.

How long does smoke smell last if left alone?

It can last for years. Light odour from a minor event fades as residue slowly breaks down, but significant smoke residue keeps releasing odour whenever conditions are warm and humid.

Is lingering smoke residue a health concern?

Soot contains fine particles and combustion by-products that can irritate the eyes, throat and lungs. People with asthma or other respiratory conditions, young children and older adults are more sensitive. Cleaning it up is a health measure as well as a comfort one.

Can you remove cigarette smoke odour?

Yes, by the same principle. Nicotine residue coats surfaces and soaks into paint, carpet and ducts. It takes thorough cleaning, sealing and repainting, and often carpet replacement.

A neighbour had a fire and our unit smells. Is that covered?

Often it is, either under your own policy or the building's. Report it to your insurer and, in a condo or apartment, to the property manager.

Do air purifiers help?

A HEPA unit with an activated carbon filter helps with particles and odour in the air. It does not clean surfaces or cavities, so it supports proper cleaning but does not replace it.

Do candles, fireplaces and wood stoves cause smoke damage?

They can over time. Scented candles and poorly drawing fireplaces leave fine soot that shows as dark lines on ceilings, around vents and along the edges of carpet. It is cleaned the same way as other dry smoke residue, and the source should be corrected.

Is wildfire smoke that got into the house a problem?

After a prolonged smoke event, fine particles settle indoors and can leave an odour. Replacing the furnace filter, cleaning hard surfaces and laundering fabrics deals with most of it. Persistent odour may need duct cleaning and air filtration.

Smoke and Odour Removal by city

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