Are Effects of Your Orlando House Fire Lingering?
5/28/2019 (Permalink)
Eliminating Fire Damage Effects In Orlando
Restoring Orlando homes after a fire is an intensive process. The effects can last for weeks and even months unless the cleanup service begins an immediate, and aggressive response once it is safe to enter the structure.
For fire damage to Orlando homes, odors are often the most challenging issue when it comes to restoration. SERVPRO restoration teams perform a series of deodorizing actions designed to preserve as much personal property as possible and clean the interior of the home while also disposing of anything too physically damaged for repair.
Removal is our first action. It immediately results in eliminating the source of many malodors, allowing team members to determine what remaining property is affected so they can better direct time and resources. Depending on the extent of the physical damage, removal may include demolition of interior walls, wall framing, ceilings, and wood floors.
Cleaning surfaces is the next step for SERVPRO technicians. Odors remaining in the home after removal are from particles left behind by the smoke. Even in a small fire, smoke can travel through an entire home, leaving residue everywhere. Cleaning them usually involves wiping down surfaces with a deodorizing cleaning agent and a sponge. For thick smoke residues left behind by kitchen fires, team members use a scrub brush or other agitation device to break them up for easier cleaning.
Where cleaning does not eliminate the odors, the next step is to recreate how they affected the property in the first place. If residues were able to penetrate the surfaces of walls, countertops, and other items, team members use a fogging device and a deodorizing agent to create a cloud of particles that can go as deep as the original odor. The agent reacts with the residue particles, neutralizing them, and eliminating the odor.
A final step, rarely used, is sealing exposed surfaces. An example includes the walls in areas like garages. If the odors are mild, and removal is not cost-effective, technicians cover the walls with a paint that contains an additional sealant chemical that forms a barrier against malodors.
The final goal at SERVPRO of West Orange is to return each home to its clean, odor-free condition before the fire. If you have had a recent fire, or still have lingering odors from a previous incident, call us today at (407) 352-1569 to set up an inspection or service call.
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