DIY advice
Stopping secondary damage
What is secondary damage?
Secondary damage is the avoidable damage that occurs after a fire or water damage incident. It can significantly increase the cost of any incident and unnecessary loss of personal items.
After a fire - Damage such as rust and staining can be caused by acid fire residues. This damage continues over hours and days, and can even damage steel building structures.
After a flood - When moisture levels go up, mould growth starts. Wood continues to swell and warp the longer it is left damp.
Secondary damage can continue for a long time and destroy things that could otherwise have been restored to their original condition. This damage can be prevented if action is taken promptly.
Reducing secondary damage
Start by identifying the items at risk and deal with them first. This may involve urgent decontamination, air scrubbing, lowering the humidity or applying special surface treatments to prevent further damage.
DIY tips
Damaged photographs and documents can be rescued by placing them in sealed plastic bags in a freezer; this prevents mould growth until a specialist can work on them.
Water soaking into wooden furniture legs causes swelling and must be stopped. Strong plates can be used to stop water soaking into furniture legs from wet carpeting.
Emergency tips - fire damage
It’s natural to want to clean a building and its contents afer a fire andsmoke damage but taking the wrong actions may cause more problems. Don’t delay otherwise satisfactory restoration will be harder or impossible with some items.
You can do this:
Open doors and windows for ventilation (but don’t leave the building insecure).
Lightly remove soot from fabrics and other surfaces using a vacuum cleaner with a high quality filter – use the open vacuum pipe rather than a brush.
Smoke odour and soot can sometimes be washed from clothing. The following formula will often work for clothing that can be bleached:
- 4 – 6 tbsp. of Tri-Sodium phosphate
- 1 cup of household chlorine bleach (e.g. Domestos or similar)
- 1 gallon warm water
Mix well, add clothes, rinse with water and dry well. Be aware that Tri-Sodium Phosphate is a caustic substance used as a cleaning agent. It should be used with care and stored out of reach of children and pets. Wear rubber gloves when using it. Read the label carefully. This solution can also be used to remove soot from walls, furniture and floors. After washing, rinse and dry well.
Wallpaper can also be repaired. Use a commercial paste to repaste loose edges or sections. Contact your wallpaper dealer or installer for information on wallpaper cleaners. Washable wallpaper can be washed like an ordinary wall, but care must be taken not to soak the paper. Work from bottom to top to prevent streaking.
Your pots, pans etc should be washed with soapy water, rinsed and then polished with a fine powdered cleaner. You can polish copper and brass with a special polish, salt sprinkled on a piece of lemon or salt sprinkled on a cloth saturated with vinegar.
To remove odour from your fridge or freezer, wash the inside with a solution of baking soda and water, or use one cup of vinegar or household ammonia to one gallon of water. Some baking soda in an open container, or a piece of charcoal can be placed in the refrigerator or freezer to absorb odour.
Carefully clean and protect smoked bathroom fixtures, fittings, towel rails and chrome trim with a light coating of petroleum jelly (e.g. Vaseline) or other oil. Keep freezer closed if electricity is likely to be restored in under 24 hours and equipment is not affected by water, heat or smoke.
Wash undamaged canned goods in detergent and water. Do the same for food in jars. If labels come off, mark the contents on the container with a permanent marker.
Pour diluted antifreeze into toilet bowls, sinks and baths to prevent freezing if the heating is off in winter.
Spray house plants with water on both sides of leaves (water softener helps).
If there is a risk of frost and the heating system is not working, consider calling a plumber to drain the pipe work.
Remove pets, including fish, to clean environments.
Cash that has been partially burned can be taken to a bank to be replaced.
But don’t do:
Do not wipe or attempt to wash absorbent surfaces on walls or ceilings.
Do not use contaminated upholstered furniture.
Do not use canned goods when cans have bulged or are dented or rusted.
Do not refreeze thawed food, or use food exposed to heat. If in doubt, throw the affected food out.
Do not use affected televisions, stereos, or electrical appliances until cleaned and checked by a qualified person.
If the Fire and Rescue Service turned off your gas or power during the fire, call the utility companies to restore the services – do not attempt to do this yourself!
Do not send smoke damaged garments to an ordinary dry cleaner. Improper cleaning may make smoke and odour impossible to remove. It is almost impossible to get smoke odour out of pillows, as the feathers and foam retain the smell.
Emergency tips - water damage
The harmful effect of water is significantly reduced by prompt action.
You can do this:
Keep the freezer closed if electricity is likely to be restored in under 24 hours and equipment is not affected by water. If your freezer has stopped running, you can still save the frozen food.
Keep the freezer closed. Your freezer has enough insulation to keep food frozen for at least one day – or perhaps up to three days. Move your food to a neighbour’s freezer or a rented locker.
Wrap the frozen food in newspapers and blankets or use insulated boxes.
Remove as much water as possible by mopping or wet vacuum (only if fitted with safety cut-out). Blot small areas of wet carpeting with clean white towels.
When water gets under linoleum, it can cause odours and warp the wood floor. If this happens, remove the entire sheet. If the linoleum is brittle, a heat lamp will soften it so it can be rolled up without breaking. If carefully removed, it can be re-cemented after the floor has completely dried. Small blisters in linoleum can be punctured with a nail and re-cemented if you are careful.
Dilute regular linoleum paste thin enough to go through a hand syringe and shoot adhesive through the nail hole. Weigh down the linoleum with bricks or boards. It usually is possible to cement loose tiles of any type. Wait until the floor is completely dry before beginning.
Rugs and carpets also should be allowed to dry thoroughly. Throw rugs can be cleaned by beating, sweeping or vacuuming, then shampooing. Rugs should be dried as quickly as possible. Lay them flat, and expose them to a circulation of warm, dry air.
A fan turned on the rugs will speed drying. Make sure that the rugs are thoroughly dry. Even though the surface seems dry, moisture remaining at the base of the tufts can quickly rot a rug. For information on cleaning and preserving carpets, call your carpet dealer or installer or qualified cleaning professional.
To remove mildew, wash the fresh stain with soap and warm water. Then rinse and dry in the sun. If the stain has not disappeared use lemon juice and salt, or a diluted solution of household chlorine bleach.
Wipe water from wood after removal of lamps and tabletop items.
Remove and prop up wet upholstery cushions for even drying.
Check for possible colour bleeding onto other surfaces.
Place aluminium foil, china saucers or wood blocks between furniture legs and wet carpeting to prevent absorption of water and swelling.
Open drawers and cabinet doors to air dry but do not force them open.
Remove valuable oil paintings and art objects to a safe, dry place.
Locks (especially iron locks) should be taken apart, wiped with kerosene and oiled. If locks cannot be removed, squirt machine oil through a bolt opening or keyhole, and work the knob to distribute the oil. Hinges should be thoroughly cleaned and oiled.
Punch small holes in sagging plasterboard ceilings to release trapped water – place pans or buckets beneath. Note: Artex used into 1990s may contain asbestos.
Keep out of rooms where ceilings are weakened or wet. Caution: Older ceilings may be lath and plaster, which does not sag, but is very heavy and may suddenly fall.
If evidence of condensation is present, open windows to assist drying. But don’t leave buildings insecure.
Walls may be washed down while wet. Use a mild soap or detergent. Wash a small area at one time, working from the floor up. Then rinse the wall with clear water immediately. Ceilings should be washed last. Do not repaint until the walls and ceilings are completely dry.
Place damaged photographs, books and documents in plastic bags and freeze as soon as possible for later inspection – wrap books in cling film to maintain the binding before freezing. A special vacuum freezer will remove the moisture without damaging the pages.
But don’t do:
Do not walk mud upstairs – change footwear to keep carpets clean.
Do not leave books, magazines or other coloured items on wet carpets.
Don’t try to recondition an innerspring mattress at home. Your mattress may be able to be renovated by a company that builds or repairs mattresses. If you must use a mattress temporarily, put it in the sun to dry, then cover it with rubber or plastic sheeting.
Do not use your normal ‘dry’ household vacuum to remove water.
Do not use televisions or other appliances while standing on wet carpet or floors. A qualified electrician must check them first if fire or water damaged.
Do not turn on switches, ceiling fixtures or other electrical items if wet.