Restorations UK carried out specialist fire and smoke damage restoration after an electrical fault from a heated blanket caused a serious bedroom fire at a residential property.
The fire left extensive smoke and soot contamination throughout the property and affected a significant collection of paintings, books, furniture, rugs and other personal possessions. The homeowner had initially been advised that the contents were beyond restoration and should be disposed of, but Restorations UK identified that many of the items could be professionally restored.
Key Project Details
Client: Michael Broadbent
Property Type: Domestic residential property
Incident: Bedroom fire caused by an electrical fault from a heated blanket
Damage: Extensive fire, smoke and soot contamination affecting the building and contents
Contents: Fine art, books, furniture, rugs, carpets and personal possessions
Initial Assessment: Contents had been considered beyond restoration by another contractor
Services: Contents inventory, removal, specialist cleaning, decontamination and restoration
Outcome: Paintings, books, rugs, carpets and other contents successfully restored
Severe Fire and Smoke Damage Throughout the Property
The fire originated in the bedroom following an electrical fault from a heated blanket. Although the fire itself began in one room, smoke and soot spread through other areas of the property and contaminated walls, fixtures, furniture and personal possessions.
The homeowner was particularly concerned about a substantial collection of fine art, books and other possessions that had been exposed to smoke and soot.
The Contents Had Initially Been Considered Beyond Restoration
The homeowner did not have contents insurance in place and had therefore asked the building insurer’s approved restoration contractor to assess the possessions.
He was advised that the contents were beyond restoration and would need to be disposed of.
After contacting Restorations UK through a recommendation from a previous client, our team assessed the affected possessions and identified that a considerable amount could instead be cleaned, decontaminated and restored.
Restorations UK Indexed and Removed the Contents
The first stage of the contents restoration programme was to carefully index the affected possessions before removing them from the property.
This created a record of the items being handled and allowed the contents to be transported to Restorations UK’s specialist restoration facilities for individual cleaning and treatment.
Specialist Restoration of Paintings and Books
Each affected painting was removed from its frame before specialist restoration work was carried out.
The homeowner’s books were also individually cleaned. Once restoration was complete, the collection was returned and the books were placed back in their original positions.
Fine art and documents can be particularly vulnerable to soot, ash and chemical residues following a fire. Restorations UK’s fire restoration service includes specialist treatment of recoverable artwork, documents and other contents rather than automatically treating contaminated possessions as total losses.
Smoke and Soot Had Spread Beyond the Bedroom
The photographs from the property demonstrate how smoke contamination had travelled well beyond the room where the fire began.
Walls, corridors, bathroom surfaces, kitchen units and other fixtures had all been affected by smoke or soot deposits.
Test Cleaning Showed Which Surfaces Could Be Restored
Restorations UK carried out test cleaning on contaminated surfaces to establish whether they could be successfully cleaned and decontaminated.
The bathroom and kitchen photographs show clear differences between treated and untreated sections, demonstrating how heavily smoke-damaged surfaces could respond to specialist cleaning.
Why Smoke Damage Needs Specialist Cleaning
Smoke contamination can affect far more than the surfaces that appear visibly blackened. Residues can settle onto fixtures, fabrics, furniture and contents throughout the property.
Professional fire restoration therefore involves identifying what can be safely restored, removing contamination and dealing with associated smoke and fire odours rather than simply covering or redecorating contaminated surfaces.
Specialist Cleaning of Rugs and Carpets
Soft furnishings and floor coverings were also assessed for restoration.
A valuable patterned rug was professionally cleaned as part of the contents restoration programme, while affected communal carpets were also cleaned and salvaged.
The Result: Contents Previously Written Off Were Restored
Restorations UK restored a substantial collection of possessions that the homeowner had previously been advised should be disposed of.
Paintings were removed from their frames and restored, books were individually cleaned and returned to their original positions, and furniture, rugs, carpets and other recoverable contents were professionally treated.
The project demonstrates the value of assessing fire and smoke damaged contents individually before deciding that replacement or disposal is the only option.
Customer Feedback
“From start to finish your service has been impeccable.”
“Our contents could not have been better handled.”
Michael Broadbent
What This Fire and Smoke Damage Project Demonstrates
This project demonstrates why fire-damaged possessions should be properly assessed before they are automatically treated as beyond recovery.
Restorations UK’s approach combined detailed contents inventory, careful removal, specialist cleaning and individual restoration of paintings, books, rugs, carpets and personal possessions.
It also demonstrates how smoke contamination can spread far beyond the room where a fire starts, affecting surfaces, fixtures and contents throughout a property and requiring a coordinated cleaning and decontamination programme.
Fire and Smoke Damage Restoration by Restorations UK
Restorations UK provides fire and smoke damage restoration for domestic and commercial properties throughout the UK.
Our services include cleaning and decontamination of buildings and contents, removal and storage of recoverable possessions, specialist cleaning of fabrics and furnishings, fine art and document restoration, and professional smoke odour removal.
