Odor Control

A lingering smell almost always has a source. We track it down, get it out, and treat what's left, so the odor is gone for good instead of just covered up.

Pet stains and waste soaked into the floor, a common source of lingering odor

We take odor calls from all over metro Atlanta, and most of them start the same way: someone has cleaned everything twice and the smell is still there.

How we get rid of an odor

Remove what's holding the smell. Whether it's smoke residue, pet urine in the padding or a spoiled freezer, the material holding the odor usually has to come out.
Clean and scrub the air. We clean the surfaces that soaked up the odor and run air scrubbers with carbon and HEPA filtration to pull the smell and particles out of the air.
Deodorize the space. A deodorizing vapor settles into the same porous surfaces the smell did and neutralizes what's left, rather than masking it.
Seal what can't come out. For heavy smoke, the cleaned framing gets an odor-locking sealer, so what's left stays put instead of creeping back over the following months.

When should you call us?

Fire or smoke damage

Smoke works into fabrics, walls and the HVAC, and the smell often outlasts the visible cleanup.

Pet odors

Years of pet accidents soak into carpet padding, subfloor and concrete. Surface cleaning never reaches the padding.

Cigarette or tobacco smoke

Smoke residue coats every surface and works into walls and ductwork.

Sewage smell

A smell that comes and goes can be a dried-out drain trap. One that stays often means a hidden backup that needs real cleanup.

Musty rooms that won't air out

A musty smell that returns no matter how much you ventilate usually means moisture, and often mold, somewhere out of sight.

Something died in a wall

An animal in a wall cavity, attic or crawl space. We find it, remove it, and clean and treat the cavity.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why do odors keep coming back after I clean?

Because the smell isn't on the surface, it's soaked into it. Smoke, pet urine and other odors penetrate carpet padding, subfloor, drywall and ductwork, and surface cleaning never reaches that far. Masking sprays sit on top and wear off in a day or two. To get rid of an odor for good you have to treat the material it's living in, not the air around it.

How do you find where a smell is coming from?

We work the house room by room and check the usual suspects for that type of smell: carpet padding and subfloor for pets, drain traps and vents for sewage smells, ductwork and wall cavities for smoke. Where dampness might be feeding it we take moisture readings, the same way we do on a water job.

Can you get cigarette smoke smell out of a house?

Usually yes, though heavy long-term smoke is one of the tougher jobs. The residue coats every surface and works into walls, ceilings and ductwork, so it's never a one-spray fix. Depending on how bad it is we combine deep cleaning, sealing, air scrubbing and a deodorizing vapor treatment. It's a common one when someone buys a former smoker's home and wants it to stop smelling like one.

Can you get the smoke smell out after a fire?

Yes, though it's some of the most involved odor work we do, and it only holds once the burned material has been dealt with, so fresh fire damage starts as a fire damage restoration job. For what it looks like start to finish, see the Marietta home where a hidden basement fire had pushed smoke through all three floors.

My house smells musty but I don't see mold anywhere. Should I worry?

A musty smell with no visible growth usually means moisture behind something: a wall, the flooring, the crawl space. We check with moisture meters, and if we find growth it becomes a mold job, where the moisture problem gets fixed along with the mold. Either way you'll know what's causing it, which beats burning candles over it.

Do ozone machines and air purifiers work?

Air purifiers take the edge off, and they're fine for that, but that's all they do. Ozone can work as a finishing step, though a space can't be occupied while it's being treated. On most jobs we don't end up needing it: removal, cleaning, vapor deodorizing and sealing usually get the smell to zero on their own.

How long does odor removal take?

A contained job, like one room of pet odor, is often a day or two including treatment time. Whole-house smoke, heavy pet saturation or anything involving demolition runs longer, up to a week or more. We can give you a real estimate after we've smelled the place ourselves.

Does insurance cover odor removal?

When the odor comes from a covered loss, like a fire or a sewage backup, the deodorizing is normally part of that claim and we document it that way. Standalone odor problems, like pet damage or a previous owner's cigarette smoke, usually aren't covered. We quote those directly, so you know the cost before we start.

Will the smell come back if the source is still there?

Yes, and we're upfront about that. If there's an active leak, ongoing pet access, or a source we can't get to, no treatment holds. We only take on odor jobs where the source is or will be handled. Otherwise we'd just be charging you to put it off.

Testimonials

What customers say about Flood & Flame

“They were extremely communicative throughout the process and we were checked on daily until the effected areas were fully dry and ready for use again. … Truly appreciate this companies honesty and communication!”

Laura S.

“This company shows care, honesty, and integrity in an industry that lacks that these days, and you can feel it. 100/10 would recommend!”

Brandi A.

“As a State Farm agent I always send my customers dealing with crises to Andrew and the team at Flood & Flame because they have consistently taken care of our customers quickly and professionally.”

Hector G.

Get help now

Persistent odors rarely fix themselves, and masking sprays just delay the problem. Call Flood & Flame and get it handled for good.