Soot removal, smoke odor elimination, and contents restoration. IICRC Certified #70009595. 24/7 emergency response. Insurance claim assistance.
No obligation. We respond 24/7 with emergency dispatch.
Smoke damage is one of the most misunderstood and mishandled types of property damage. Many homeowners — and even some contractors — assume that if the visible soot is wiped away, the problem is solved. The reality is that smoke is microscopic. It penetrates walls, insulation, ductwork, contents, and structural framing within minutes, and without proper professional remediation it continues to release odor and cause material damage for months or years.
New Image Restoration's IICRC FSRT (Fire and Smoke Restoration Technician) certified team handles smoke damage cleanup as a specialty. We respond to smoke damage from house fires, kitchen grease fires, furnace and boiler puff-backs, electrical smoke events, neighboring property fires, and wildfire smoke infiltration throughout the Philadelphia region. Whether the source was a major structure fire or a small smoke event, the remediation principles are the same — and they require specific professional equipment and protocols to do correctly.
We start with a free on-site smoke damage inspection, identify every surface and material affected, document the damage for your insurance carrier, and develop a remediation plan tailored to the smoke type and the materials in your property. Different smoke types — protein smoke from kitchen fires, dry smoke from paper/wood fires, wet smoke from synthetic materials, and puff-back oil soot from furnace failures — each require different cleaning chemistry. Using the wrong approach permanently sets smoke residue and makes the damage harder to remediate later.
Our smoke cleanup includes surface cleaning of every affected wall, ceiling, and content; HVAC system cleaning to prevent re-contamination through the ductwork; contents pack-out and professional cleaning of belongings; and molecular-level odor treatment using thermal foggers, ozone generators, and hydroxyl generators. The result is a fully remediated property — not just one that looks clean today, but one that stays odor-free for the long term.
What We Handle
Even when the actual fire was contained to one room, smoke travels throughout the entire structure within minutes — through HVAC systems, under doors, and into wall cavities. Whole-home smoke remediation is almost always required after any significant residential fire, regardless of the fire's containment area.
Kitchen fires produce protein smoke — one of the most difficult smoke types to remediate. Protein residue is nearly invisible on surfaces but produces extremely strong, persistent odor. It bonds aggressively to surfaces and requires specific alkaline cleaning chemistry to remove properly. Standard cleaning makes it worse.
A puff-back is a small explosion inside an oil-burning furnace or boiler that distributes black, oily soot throughout the property via the HVAC ductwork. Puff-back soot is sticky and chemically aggressive — common in older Delaware Valley homes with oil heat, especially after long periods of equipment neglect. Requires specialized degreasing cleanup.
Failing electrical components, overheated wiring, and shorted appliances can produce significant smoke damage without a visible fire. Electrical smoke often contains plastic and metal particulates that produce a sharp chemical odor and stain surfaces yellow or brown. Source repair and full smoke remediation are required.
Fires at adjacent properties — rowhomes, townhouses, multi-unit buildings — spread smoke into neighboring units through shared walls, ductwork, and exterior openings. Wildfire smoke infiltration during regional wildfire events affects properties hundreds of miles from the actual fire. Both are typically covered by homeowner's insurance and require full remediation.
Burned food, malfunctioning ovens, and microwave fires can cause smoke damage that lingers long after the immediate event. These smaller smoke events are often dismissed but can leave persistent odor in cabinets, fabric, and porous materials throughout the home — particularly in open-concept floor plans where smoke travels freely.
Why Professional Matters
Smoke damage cleanup is the single most commonly mishandled type of property damage — and the consequences of mishandling it are severe. Wiping soot with household cleaners spreads the particles and bonds them permanently to surfaces. Using consumer air fresheners or ozone machines without proper containment can damage rubber, plastic, and synthetic materials throughout the property. Cleaning porous materials like drywall without first sealing them simply pushes smoke residue deeper into the substrate. And running the HVAC system before professional ductwork remediation distributes smoke particles throughout every room — recontaminating areas that had no original smoke exposure. Professional smoke damage cleanup requires IICRC FSRT certification (Fire and Smoke Restoration Technician), specific cleaning chemistry matched to the smoke type, industrial-grade odor elimination equipment (thermal foggers, ozone generators, hydroxyl generators), proper HVAC remediation, and established insurance documentation protocols. Our team brings all of these to every smoke damage project — turning what would otherwise be a recurring odor problem into a permanent remediation.
Step By Step
Our IICRC FSRT certified technicians inspect the entire property, identify smoke type (protein, dry, wet, or puff-back oil soot), document every affected surface and content item with photographs and detailed scope notes, and submit the damage assessment directly to your insurance adjuster. You receive a clear, no-obligation written estimate before any work begins.
We clean every affected wall, ceiling, hard surface, and content item using the appropriate cleaning chemistry for the smoke type — alkaline cleaners for protein smoke, chemical sponges for dry smoke, and specialized degreasers for puff-back soot. Stained surfaces that cannot be fully cleaned are sealed with encapsulant primer before repainting. HVAC systems and ductwork are professionally cleaned to prevent recontamination.
We deploy thermal foggers (which produce a fine chemical mist that penetrates the same paths smoke traveled), ozone generators (which neutralize organic odor compounds through oxidation), and hydroxyl generators (safe for occupied spaces) to eliminate odor inside porous materials — not just mask it. This is the step most non-specialists skip, and it's the single most important factor in permanent odor elimination.
Salvageable contents are professionally cleaned, deodorized, and returned to the property. Non-salvageable items are documented for insurance replacement. We perform a final walkthrough with you to confirm complete remediation — every surface clean, every odor neutralized, every detail addressed. Our work is not complete until you confirm it.
Why New Image Restoration
Thermal fogging, ozone, and hydroxyl treatment neutralize smoke odor inside materials — not just on the surface. Permanent elimination, not temporary masking.
Walls, ceilings, contents, fixtures — we clean every affected surface using the correct cleaning chemistry for your specific smoke type. Protein, dry, wet, or puff-back soot.
Smoke particles travel through ductwork during any smoke event. Without HVAC remediation, the system redistributes odor every time it runs. We clean the entire system.
Smoke-damaged belongings are carefully cataloged, packed out to our climate-controlled facility, professionally cleaned and deodorized, then returned to your property.
Our Fire and Smoke Restoration Technicians hold IICRC #70009595 certification — the industry credential ensuring correct identification of smoke type and proper remediation method.
We document smoke damage with photographic evidence, surface testing, and detailed material inventories — submitted directly to your adjuster for maximum coverage.
Real Projects
Kitchen fire — ceiling collapse, smoke damage, and full restoration
Smoke damage is covered by virtually all standard homeowner's and commercial property insurance policies — even when the smoke originated from a fire at a neighboring property or from a wildfire event miles away. Coverage typically includes structural cleaning, contents restoration, HVAC remediation, and additional living expenses if odor makes your home temporarily unlivable. We work directly with every major carrier — State Farm, Allstate, USAA, Liberty Mutual, GEICO, Progressive, Erie, Farmers, Nationwide, Travelers, and all others — and have submitted hundreds of smoke damage claims throughout the Philadelphia region. We document damage before any work begins, communicate directly with your adjuster, and advocate for the maximum coverage your policy allows. Most homeowners pay only their deductible — we bill the carrier directly.
Learn About Our Insurance ProcessCustomer Reviews
“I called this company a few days ago with a water problem. They came right out to assess the damage. They were so kind and understanding, and went a long way to help me understand the problem. I couldn't ask for better people. Even helped me with my insurance claim. Spot on time every time they had to come to my home. Extremely pleased.”
“Following the remediation of water damage, New Image Restoration worked to help us replace our basement flooring that was damaged beyond repair. Mike and Jayson were very helpful in keeping our insurance company informed. They clearly had the experience to help all of the parties process insurance matters quickly. Our experiences with New Image Restoration were excellent.”
“I can't say enough great things about New Image. From the moment we called, their team was responsive, professional, and incredibly knowledgeable. They arrived quickly, assessed the situation thoroughly, and explained every step in a way that was easy to understand. Their work was meticulous — every area affected by water was cleaned, dried, and treated with care.”
“Everyone we worked with from Anthony to Chris and Devon were extremely professional, understanding and very willing to work with our schedule. They explained everything and were able to answer any questions or concerns I had. We will definitely use them again if needed in the future.”
“My experience with New Image was great. I called for an estimate and they came right away. Nick and Chris were very informative and honest. Anthony and Chris came to complete the job and they were very fast and efficient. Would highly recommend!”
“Anthony and Jason have been extremely communicative and helpful throughout the process of fixing the water damage in my home. There have been no unexpected or unexplained delays. They are straightforward and honest, and work carefully and efficiently. We are glad to be working with New Image Restoration!”
Common Questions
If your property has smoke damage — whether from a fire, a furnace puff-back, a neighboring property event, or smoke that has somehow infiltrated your home — call New Image Restoration at (215) 240-2281, 24 hours a day. Our IICRC FSRT certified team will respond, inspect, document, and remediate completely. Smoke damage done right is smoke damage that stays gone. We've remediated hundreds of smoke-damaged properties throughout the Delaware Valley — we know how to make this stop, permanently.
Other Services
After a fire, smoke and soot damage spread beyond the visible. We handle structural repairs, smoke odor removal, content cleaning, and full restoration — from emergency board-up to final walkthrough.
Learn MoreAfter a disaster, thorough cleaning is essential for safety and recovery. We handle biohazard cleanup, debris removal, odor elimination, and complete sanitization of affected areas.
Learn MoreFull-service contents restoration for items affected by water, fire, smoke, or mold damage. We carefully inventory, pack, clean, store, and return your belongings.
Learn More