Fire and smoke damage repainting
Repainting after fire and smoke damage in Atlanta homes
After a fire is out, smoke keeps doing damage: soot on every surface, a smell that comes back on humid days and stains that bleed through ordinary paint. Painting over it without the right steps brings all three back.
Calls answered 24/7. We can look at the rooms as soon as the fire department and your insurer have cleared the house.
- Answered 24/7
- Soot removed, not covered
- Odor sealed in
Quick answer
Repainting after fire and smoke damage in Atlanta means removing soot first, replacing charred wood and drywall, sealing every smoke-affected surface with an odor-blocking primer such as Zinsser BIN or a Kilz smoke sealer, and only then painting. Paint applied over soot peels and the smell returns, so cleaning and sealing are what make the repaint last.
Updated September 2026
The job
Why smoke damage needs more than paint
Soot is oily and acidic, and paint will not bond to it. Smoke odor sits in drywall, wood and the backs of trim, and on a humid day it works back out through ordinary paint. Both have to be dealt with before the finish coats.
We dry-sponge and wash soot off, replace anything charred, seal the surfaces with a shellac-based or smoke-sealing primer, then repaint in Sherwin-Williams or Benjamin Moore finishes chosen for each room.
Warning signs
Signs smoke damage is still there
- Black film on a white cloth
Soot still on walls or trim.
- Smell on humid days
Odor trapped in drywall and wood.
- Yellow or brown staining
Smoke residue bleeding through paint.
- Dark lines on ceilings
Soot following drafts and framing.
- Discolored outlet covers
Smoke drawn through wall cavities.
- Peeling new paint
Paint applied over uncleaned soot.
- Blistered drywall
Heat damage that needs replacement.
Step by step
How a fire and smoke repaint runs
- 1
Walk-through
Every room checked for soot, odor, charring and water damage.
- 2
Clean
Dry-sponge and wash soot off, top down.
- 3
Repair
Charred drywall, trim and doors replaced.
- 4
Seal
Odor-blocking primer on every affected surface.
- 5
Paint
Two finish coats, then a final walk-through.
What we handle
Fire and smoke work we take on
Soot cleanup before paint
Soot spreads well beyond the room where the fire was, settling on ceilings, upper walls and inside closets. Loose soot is removed first with dry chemical sponges so it is not smeared into the surface, then walls and trim are washed with a degreasing cleaner and rinsed. We work top down so dirty water does not run over clean areas. HVAC registers and light fixtures are cleaned or removed. Only once a white cloth comes off a surface clean do we move to sealing, because paint over any soot left behind will peel.
Odor-sealing primers
Smoke odor lives in porous materials, and ordinary latex primer lets it pass straight back through. We seal every smoke-affected wall, ceiling and trim surface with a shellac-based primer or a dedicated smoke and odor sealer, including the backs of cabinets and the insides of closets where smell tends to linger. The primer also locks in yellow and brown staining that would otherwise bleed into the new paint. Odor treatment of the air and contents is a separate step, usually handled by a restoration company before we start.
Charred trim and drywall replacement
Wood that has charred and drywall that has blistered, softened or soaked up firefighting water cannot be cleaned back to sound condition. We cut out damaged drywall and replace it, then tape, finish and texture it to match the surrounding walls. Charred baseboards, casings and doors are replaced with matching profiles. Framing that is only lightly smoke-stained can be sealed, while anything structurally damaged needs a contractor and inspection first, and we will say so plainly if that is what we find.
Whole-room smoke repaint
Once surfaces are clean, repaired and sealed, rooms are repainted in two finish coats. Smoke-affected rooms are usually repainted wall to wall and ceiling to floor rather than patched, because sealed and unsealed areas look different under paint. Adjoining rooms that only took light smoke often need a full repaint too, which we check room by room. If you are working with an insurance claim, we provide a written scope of each room's cleaning, sealing, repairs and painting so it can be submitted to your adjuster.
Around Atlanta
Smoke odor and Atlanta's humid summers
Smoke odor that seems gone in a dry spring often returns once Atlanta's long humid summers arrive, because moisture in the air draws trapped odor back out of drywall and wood. That is why we seal every smoke-affected surface before painting rather than relying on cleaning alone, and why we include closets, cabinet interiors and attic hatches in the sealing scope even when they look clean.
What is included
What a fire and smoke repaint includes
- Room-by-room inspection
- Dry-sponge and wet soot removal
- Charred drywall and trim replacement
- Odor-sealing primer on affected surfaces
- Closets and cabinet interiors sealed
- Two finish coats
- Written scope for insurance
Coatings and materials we work with
What moves the price
What moves the price of fire and smoke repainting
- How far smoke spread
More rooms and more surfaces mean more cleaning, sealing and paint.
- Soot type
Oily soot from synthetic materials takes longer to remove.
- Charred material
Replaced drywall, trim and doors add carpentry time.
- Odor sealing scope
Closets, cabinets and attic areas add sealing work.
- Ceiling height
Tall ceilings need more setup to clean and seal.
- Insurance documentation
Room-by-room scopes take time to prepare.
Questions
Fire and smoke damage repainting questions
Not directly. Soot is cleaned off and surfaces sealed first, or the paint peels and the smell comes back.
Ordinary paint lets trapped odor through. A shellac-based or smoke-sealing primer blocks it.
Often. Smoke travels, so nearby rooms are checked and sealed where needed.
Yes. We write a room-by-room scope of cleaning, sealing, repairs and paint.
Once the house is released by the fire department and your insurer has inspected.
Also in Repair & Restoration
Related work from the same crews
- Drywall repair in Atlanta
- Plaster Repair
- Popcorn Ceiling Removal
- Wood Rot Repair
- Siding Repair and Replacement
Before you book, read repainting after a fire.
Get the rooms back after a fire
Call any hour; we will walk the house and write a room-by-room scope.
Call (470) 887-8741Answered 24/7 from 565 Tift St SW Ste b, Atlanta.
Where we start from