Cleaning and Eliminating Fire Damage To Daytona Beach Homes

5/9/2022 (Permalink)

Smoke Cleanup from Ceilings in Daytona Beach Requires Professional Help--Call SERVPRO

SERVPRO Advises that an Assessment of Damage After a Fire Is Crucial to a Professional Cleanup and Restoration

Brush fire season for Daytona Beach, and the rest of Florida started in December. Now, we are at the peak time for what can be the source of a very bad day for homeowners.

Much of the fire damage to Daytona Beach homes comes from those materials consumed by the flames either completely or partially. Further damage is the result of the smoke generated by the heat of the burning structural and personal property. Still, more damage results from first responders trying to put out the fire. SERVPRO response teams are trained and have extensive experience in dealing with all of it.

Most of the fire damage comes from smoke, however. Specifically, the smoke residues left on surfaces after extinguishing the fire. We inspect every home to determine the level of residue damage, so we know which methods, tools, and cleaning agents to use in each home.

Minor Damage - Smoke residues do not affect the entire home at this level, just a couple of rooms and any connecting hallways. We consider this amount of damage to be light-to-moderate. Our primary method of cleaning is Dry, which means that we can remove most residues from ceilings, floors, and personal property with dry sponges or cloths.

Our SERVPRO IICRC certified techs prefer the Dry method whenever possible, to prevent applying more liquid to surfaces that may already have some moisture-related damage. If we need to use Wet methods, we apply cleaning agents sparingly with cloths and sponges, wiping down surfaces carefully. We can eliminate most minor smoke odors with these basic cleaning methods, and while a minor amount of repainting may be necessary, little property other than papers and books needs replacing.

Medium Damage - Here, the residue levels begin at moderate and cover a larger number of rooms, but not the whole house. Most surfaces require Wet cleaning, and a significant amount of property may require disposal and replacement. Odors are stronger at this level, but SERVPRO technicians can remove them with specialized deodorization chemicals. More structural property needs repainting, and wooden surfaces such as cabinets and floors may need to be stripped and refinished.

Major Damage - The heat is so intense at this level, any residues left are on damage framing and other structural property that has to be removed and replaced, so attempting to clean them is a waste of time and effort. Smoke odors here are so strong that we need to use ozone generators to help eliminate them from home. Also, hydroxyl generators and thermal fogging mitigate and reduce to near zero any odorous remnants within the structure. We can restore personal property not damaged by heat or flames, but it may be necessary to clean it at our offices and not at home.

Cleaning and restoring your home after any disaster is not a fast procedure, but it needs to begin as quickly as possible. If you have any smoke or another type of fire damage, call SERVPRO of South Daytona Beach / Port Orange at (386) 788-0358 today. We are here for you.