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Why You Should Not Clean Puffback Soot Yourself

8/12/2021 (Permalink)

Background of puffback, with the phrase Avoid Puff back Cleaning puffback damage yourself can lead to further problems.
If you walk into your business and find soot from your furnace all over the walls, you may be dealing with puffback damage. When a furnace does not ignite properly, oil can build up in the chamber. When the furnace finally ignites, a small explosion occurs, leaving the black substance you see around your building. By understanding what this soot is and the right actions to take, you can help avoid further damage to your property in Sumner, WA.

Why You Should Not Clean the Soot Yourself

Although the soot may look like a fine, powdery substance that can be easily wiped away, it is not. Instead, your oil furnace has left a greasy, sticky film that is hard to remove. If the wrong methods are used to try to remove the soot, it could cause further damage and make the restoration process more difficult. After a furnace puffback, most damage will be obvious, but some soot may lurk in places that are hard to see:

  • Inside closets
  • In drawers and on paperwork
  • Inside ductwork
  • Behind furniture

Since the soot is airborne before it settles, it can potentially reach anywhere within your building. Luckily, there are people who are experts at cleaning the sticky material off a variety of surfaces.

What To Do Instead
After assessing the extent of the puff back damage, call your insurance company and professional restoration service. The experts will take a look around your building and offer a plan of action. The cleanup crew may find that you need disinfection or odor removal services in addition to cleaning. Trained professionals have access to special tools and cleaning agents to get the job done properly.
Cleaning puffback damage yourself can lead to further problems since the wrong techniques can simply grind it into the surface more. By choosing to use a professional service instead, your building will soon look "Like it never even happened."

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