Smoke and soot damage from a fire is not always easy to identify. If you live in an apartment complex, you may suffer smoke damage to your belongings even if the fire was not in your unit. Fire can travel through walls, ceilings and floors from one apartment to another or from the building's attic or basement or into adjacent structures. The cause of this smoke and soot damage can become complicated if the source of the fire was not located near the damaged property but rather located several feet away or in another level of the building.

If there is smoke damage in your home, you don't have to handle the cleanup process on your own. A competent restoration company should be able to do everything from basic smoke clean-up to an extensive overhaul of a fire-damaged residence. The checklist above is a great way to get started, but in the end, you have to do your research. If you have more questions or concerns about your policy, it's important that you consult with a building adjuster for more specific information. For more detail, please refer to the info-graphic below. https://www.thedesirlawfirm.com/checklist-to-identify-smoke-damage-to-support-your-homeowners-insurance-claim-infographic/