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What is Smoke Damage Restoration?

As the name suggests, smoke damage restoration is the process of restoring property that has been affected by smoke or fire to its pre-loss condition.

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May 13, 2026
What is Smoke Damage Restoration?

What is Smoke Damage Restoration?

As the name suggests, smoke damage restoration is the process of restoring property that has been affected by smoke or fire to its pre-loss condition. This process involves a number of techniques, including cleaning, deodorizing the affected items, and refinishing hard furnishings.

Smoke Damage Restoration Process

Start the process by vacuuming surfaces using a HEPA filter vacuum to remove soot and then dry-sponge walls and ceilings. The next step is to use a mixture of warm water and degreaser to finish soot cleanup. When you’re done, address residual smoke odors by sprinkling baking soda on the affected surfaces and let it sit for several hours. However, this depends on the extent of smoke damage. If the damage is significant, you’ll need to call restoration pros to handle the job with advanced odor removal equipment.

5 Types of Smoke Damage

  • Complex fire smoke damage: This smoke damage is the result of burning natural and synthetic items. Complex fire smoke damage is characterized by black smoke residue and synthetic smoke odors that require immediate mitigation.
  • Dry smoke damage: This type of smoke damage occurs in fast-burning, high-temperature fires that often result from paper or wood. Dry smoke damage produces a fine, powder form residue that easily finds its way into tiny cracks, tiles, and porous materials. Due to its insidious nature, it's best to hire an experienced fire damage restoration company to help you clean up dry smoke damage.
  • Wet smoke damage: This type of damage occurs when there is a low-heat smoldering fire fueled by plastic and rubber materials. Wet smoke damage produces thick black smoke, a pungent odor, and an oily residue, which can make its way into surfaces and varnishes. This smoke damage can be difficult to clean, so it should be done using specialized equipment.
  • Fuel/ oil smoke damage: This type of smoke damage comes from petroleum products and oil furnaces. It is characterized by a sticky, dense residue and a strong odor. This type of damage is less common in homes. Fuel/oil smoke damage can easily ruin your possessions and surfaces when not cleaned quickly.

Smoke damage restoration is a job that should be left to a reputable and experienced fire damage restoration company.

You may be tempted to go the DIY route to save money, but the consequences that come with doing a shoddy job when it comes to smoke damage restoration can be disastrous.

Fire damage not only produces soot that can ruin everything from carpeting to furniture and clothing, but it also leaves behind a smell that can cause health problems. That’s why you need to call an experienced fire damage restoration company to handle the job.

Reviews

Alex Membrillo

Milton, GA

John came out within 2 hours of our call for help. Within 4 hours of him coming out his team was hear ripping up our basement and saving it from mold. I owe them 40k because that's what it would have cost if they didn't help as quick as they did. Will tell all 3 of my friends about them.  Rob also great and so was the team, so professional, so quick.

Tim Harwood

Buckhead, GA

I had some water damage above my garage after a plumbing incident and was very upset about it. Thankfully Justin and his team at tidal wave made the experience easy and much less of a headache. His team took out the damaged drywall did a full restoration and cleaned up after themselves. Made my damaged ceiling look brand new.

Elaine Tapp

Roswell, GA

We thought Tidal Wave did great work with our water damage remediation and repair. Everyone who showed up was professional and skillful. We had some challenges with scheduling communications and delays but everyone was generally responsive and helpful. We appreciated that they were a one stop shop that could handle everything for us. We would definitely recommend Tidal Wave to others.

DMP

Atlanta, GA

Tidal Wave is one of a kind! I had a pipe that burst and they responded the same day! The team lead, Chris, was extremely professional and courteous. He assured me that I would be taken care of and I was totally impressed with their swift response time. The owner, Johnny, called and told me he was sorry I had experienced water damage in my home and also assured me that everything would be fine. The project manager, Justin, was also extremely kind and provided me with beautiful replacement floor samples. Once my floors are finished, I’m going to submit…

Lisa S.

Cumming, GA

Talk about a company that lives up to it`s name! Called them in the morning within an hour Rob a very professional representative showed up at the house and helped me file a claim. Twenty minutes later a crew showed up and began demo. A few hours later Tidal Wave Response had figured out the leak was gone. Everything happened so fast and efficiently. They helped us understand what our insurance covered and guaranteed the demo would be covered by insurance or them. We are so happy to be working with this company and highly recommend them.

Logan F.

Decatur, GA

What a great company! I called to ask questions and within minutes I was scheduling someone to come to my home and save me from my water damage. Very responsive and the demo crew was amazing and professional!! The repairs to my Kitchen are about to start and I cant wait to see the end result! Thank you Tidal Wave!!

Webb W.

Atlanta, GA

Very, very professional from start to finish. Crew came into my home removed all of the damage items that was damaged by a water leak from the upper level of the home. Worked very fast and cleaned up behind themselves as if they were never there. It was like watch a action movie. Setup the dryers and other equipment very fast also and organized our furniture so that we could get to things as needed. Tidal Wave made a very bad situation feel okay, I`m thankful that we chose you guys. Again thanks for being so professional and responsive

Jennifer G.

Marietta, GA

I could not have been more pleased with my experience with Tidal Wave! Their response time was impressive and Michael did an excellent job walking me through the process. The entire crew was hard working, fast and courteous. I would 100% recommend Tidal Wave.

Binh D.

Dunwoody, GA

We had a water damage in our home and we Googled water damage restoration. We had 2 companies come out for an inspection and... Honestly we were very pleased with the punctuality & knowledge of Rob at Tidal Wave Response. He was very soft and well spoken and listened to our concerns about our home. Rob showed a very compassionate side of how a service professional treats his customer. Our choice was Tidal Wave Response based on their outstanding reviews and knowledge of insurance claims. Tidal Wave also met with the claims adjuster for our property damage inspection. This was…

Billy H.

Sandy Springs, GA

We highly recommend Tidal Wave Response! Johnny came out late last night to assess a failed water heater that flooded our finished basement. He coordinated with Mr. Rooter Plumbing to have a plumber dispatched at 11:45PM who confirmed the water was shut off and put some emergency repairs in place to ensure no further damage would occur. This morning at 7:10 AM (20 minutes earlier than expected) the Tidal Wave Response team was on site at our house. They assessed the damage, and assisted us in contacting our home owners insurance company to create our insurance claim. They preformed the…

Ty M.

Chamblee, GA

My upstairs bathroom overflowed. The water ran into two of my bedrooms and the hallway. My wife called Tidal Wave and they were at our home in less than an hour. Johnny`s team came out and were very quick and professional. They sucked up the water set equipment and the supervisor explained the process. They even offered to do our repairs and said they would handle it all. My wife and I are very pleased so far. I will make it my business to recommend this company to family and friends. This company is honest, and gets the job done.

Mary L.

Brookhaven, GA

So far GREAT!!! They came right out, took out wet walls, cleaned up perfectly (no dust) set up fans. I’m going to use them to put the walls back up and paint too! They are going to meet with my field insurance agent, too, to make sure everything is covered. Fingers crossed they continue to be great!

Reasons to Choose Tidal Wave

We Bill Your Insurance Directly

We Bill Your Insurance Directly

We Accept All Insurance Claims

We Accept All Insurance Claims

Licensed & Certified Technicians

Licensed & Certified Technicians

30 Minutes Response Time

30 Minutes Response Time

Locally & Family Owned

Locally & Family Owned

24/7 Emergency Service

24/7 Emergency Service

Never an Overtime Charge

Never an Overtime Charge

Need Smoke Damage Restoration? Call Tidal Wave Response for Help

If you’re searching for a reputable and experienced fire damage restoration company to help you restore your property to its pre-loss state after fire damage, look no further than Tidal Wave Response.

Our smoke damage restoration team has seen it all and can handle it all. No matter the type of smoke damage you're dealing with, our team is capable of restoring your property to its pre-loss state.

We also provide water damage restoration, flood damage restoration, sewage backup services, and more.

Our Services

We understand that the aftermath of a flood or fire can be very stressful for you and your family, so we strive to provide our customers with the best service possible.

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