Cleaning Fire Damage In Metairie Homes

8/27/2018 (Permalink)

The majority of Metairie home fires are usually restricted to one or two rooms and extinguished quickly.

Cleaning Fire Damage

The majority of Metairie home fires are usually restricted to one or two rooms and extinguished quickly. Physical damage usually happens to building material like ceiling tiles, drywall, and other property that our technicians can quickly remove and replace.

The majority of Metairie fire damage usually comes from residues left behind after the fire department or a sprinkler system extinguishes the flames and stops smoke movement. SERVPRO restoration teams deal primarily with dry and wet smoke residues, but also have the expertise to clean and remove protein and fuel oil smoke residues as well.

Dry and wet residues generate from the same fire, just at different stages. When the fire is oxygen-rich and burning fast, smoke residues left are powdery and dry. In the beginning, or once fire suppression efforts begin, the fire has an oxygen-poor environment. It burns more slowly at these times and leaves a wet, sticky residue.

Cleaning dry residues is a simpler process, and often allows our technicians to restore more items to their original condition, preventing loss of property. That is because dry residues have less aerosol moisture and do not penetrate surfaces as deeply as wet residues. The odor from dry residues is not as strong as wet residue odors. In most cases, SERVPRO technicians can remove these residues with a dry sponge or cloth, wiping them off surfaces. For upholstered items like sofas, technicians can clean them with a stiff brush.

Wet residues contain higher levels of aerosols and are more difficult to clean. The aerosols are usually furniture varnishes, solvents and other liquids burned off from damaged property. Smoke moves slower in an oxygen-poor fire, so the residues penetrate surfaces deeper, and leave stronger odors. Cleaning and removing wet residues requires a cleaning agent along with sponges and brushes to break up them up for removal. If the residues penetrate plastic surfaces, they stain almost immediately and usually require disposal and replacement.

Protein residues result from kitchen fires when one of the sources is either, fish, beef, or chicken. They leave yellowish stains, which we can clean like a wet residue, but the odors are more pungent and difficult to remove. If the fire burned long enough, odors penetrate the entire home and technicians need stronger cleaners to eliminate them, and often require multiple methods to eliminate them completely.

Fuel oil is not a common residue problem in Louisiana, but when an oil burner in a furnace malfunction, it can be a large problem. The residue particles are dry, but they form crusty layers on affected surfaces. That makes them more difficult to remove without damaging walls and ceilings. Technicians use strong cleaners with a brush or stiff sponge and repeat cleaning until the surface is clean or they determine that it is cheaper to replace the item.

The goal of SERVPRO of Metairie is to restore each home to its pre-fire condition. If you need our services, call (504) 496-0193 today for a visit.

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