Thorough Cleanup Helps Prepare Fire-Damaged Homes for Restoration

A fire incident can leave a once lovely home looking unsightly, with patches of darkened areas from smoke deposits, and charred materials. Structural weakening is also possible since it takes just a few seconds for a small fire to turn to a fierce blaze. Luckily, in this Santa Ana home, structural damages were minimal compared to smoke deposits, which spread throughout the entire structure. They also called SERVPRO immediately to help with the restoration process.

We quickly realized the need for a content pack out to create room for cleanup and other restoration processes. Controlled demolition helped us remove all non-salvageable materials like carpets, sheetrock, and electrical wiring, among others. With the move-out, we could also focus on one type of restoration work at a time. During such move-outs, our SERVPRO crews used electronic CCIS, Content Claim Inventory Service, to help keep better track of all items. Other measures, such as plastic wrapping, also help prevent residue transfer among the items.

Removing the drywall and other surface coverings revealed some charring on the underlying structural supports. When restoring fire damage, we try to help reduce the costs involved by avoiding replacement of materials whenever possible. In this case, our evaluation revealed that we could save the framing by using specialized cleaning procedures like dry ice blasting or soda blasting. The two methods are mildly abrasive, thus help remove charred materials from surfaces without causing further damages.

Further cleaning was necessary to remove soot and other smoke residues from the walls and fixtures such as doors. Relying on advanced FSRT, Fire, and Smoke Restoration Technician training, our SERVPRO team, could address the different challenges of removing smoke residues efficiently. For instance, we understand that vacuuming affected areas before applying wet cleaning products helps prevent dry residues from dissolving into the material, which can lengthen the process further.

The cleanup phase after fire damage incidents is a labor-intensive process, but when done correctly, it helps pave the way for a smoother rebuild process. Our SERVPRO team's goal is to remove all residues and eliminate odors. In this Santa Ana home, we applied a primer agent after finishing cleanup to trap or neutralize odors as well as providing a cleaner base for painting. Other steps such as drying excess moisture and   deodorization helped ensure that we dealt with all aspects of the damage "Like it never even happened."

In case of fire incidents, call SERVPRO of Santa Ana South to Help. You can reach us any time at (714) 558-7772.