(NOT IF YOU ARE USING ONE OF MY WICKLESS WARMERS! NO FLAME MEANS NO SOOT!)
By Insure.com
The use of candles dates back to prehistoric times. They've been used for lighting, heating, and decoration. Candles might also be causing irreparable damage to your home — and your insurance might not cover it.
Candle soot
Many of the popular scented candles today are made by mixing oils into the candle wax. The more oil in a candle, the stronger the scent. More oil also means a higher potential for soot, which can eventually coat your carpets, drapes, and furniture.
After the soot settles, cleaning it off your walls, carpet, couch, and appliances can become impossible. The electrically charged bond is too strong for household cleaners to break. You have little choice but to replace the soiled surfaces or buy new items.
Ron Bailey, engineer and owner of Bailey Engineering in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, has tested candles. One of Bailey's tests involved using a model home as the proving ground. He burned four candles for 15 hours. Soot deposited on the walls, appliances, and drapes.
Bailey says he’s seen homes, where candle soot has caused tens of thousands of dollars worth of damage. "It's eye-opening. They had to replace the carpets and clean up and repaint the walls," he says.
One homeowner in Texas faced nearly $200,000 in damages and replacement costs because of candle soot. The soot particles infested her heating and cooling ductwork, which had to be replaced. Much of her furniture was covered by candle soot.
Frank Vigil, a building specialist with the Applied Building Science Team at North Carolina State University, says the problems from candle soot are becoming more and more evident. Vigil has investigated several cases, including one in which he was hired by State Farm. "There was quite substantial property damage [in that case], over $10,000," he says.
Vigil says he knows of many claims made against insurance companies as a result of soot from candles. "This is becoming a big issue, near epidemic in proportions," he says.
Time to say "Good-Bye" to your jarred candles and "Hello" to FLAMELESS, SOOTLESS, and SMOKELESS WARMERS!
