My Augusta Business Suffered Fire Damage – What Cleanup Process Do You Use?

7/22/2020 (Permalink)

SERVPRO professionals are trained to handle every level of fire damage. Call us today, we are always available.

SERVPRO’s Technicians Follow Basic Principles and Elements of Cleaning to Ensure Your Business is Up and Running as Quickly as Possible.

A fire can shut down your Augusta business in a heartbeat. When looking at the ruins the thought - “Can this even be saved?” – might be running through your head. It can seem overwhelming and filled with uncertainty. But you may find yourself pleasantly surprised at just what our crews can repair and restore.

 What are the principles of cleanup after a fire?

 When a fire blazes through your Augusta business leaving fire damage and smoke problems, it leaves a huge mess of charred, smoky remains. While structural material and some of the contents may need replacing cleaning and restoration, we strive for. Restoration will save on your insurance costs and allow you to keep irreplaceable items. The cleanup principles employed by our Institute of Inspection, Cleaning, and Restoration Certification (IICRC) certified and fire and smoke restoration technicians (FSRT) are such things as finding residues, identifying surface material, and resolving the mess left behind.

  Residues Can Differ

 Before deciding what type of cleaning services are needed, the estimator will ascertain what type of smoke residue exists and the extent of the damage. The technicians will do the pretesting of surface material. When these two groups combine their results, they will have a thorough knowledge of what type of residue they are dealing with, the locations to get cleaned, and the type of surfaces that needs cleaning.

 Residue Removal 

Fire damage and smoke damage leave behind debris that contains solid particles. The good news is a lot of this debris can be removed by dry vacuuming. If the particles get wet, they can get absorbed by the surface. This makes it harder to remove. Capturing and removal of smoke and soot residue include:

• Vacuuming - always the first step to getting rid of soot. Large amounts of soot can often get removed via dry brushing and vacuuming.
• Dissolving – dissolving allows the residues to loosen and rinse away or extracted in a cleaning solution.
• Disposal – the team will determine the type of disposal that is required. Some residues will need special handling and disposal.

Elements of Cleaning

Once the vacuuming occurs, the next step is cleaning the tougher areas which are absorbed or bonded with the soot. Choosing the right method of dissolving and removing the residue is critical to returning the material to the preloss condition. Four elements affect how soot and dirt become suspended in a cleaning product:

• Temperature
• Agitation
• Chemical action
• Time    

These four actions, known as TACT, must be used in the correct ratio for your unique situation. Our SERVPRO crews have the experience and training to plan a cleaning course of action to remove soils and soot in the timeliest manner possible. They use advanced technology and heavy-duty equipment and industry grade chemicals to achieve the goal of leaving it, ”Like it never even happened.” 

 What Content Can be Restored?

Many companies assume that everything is lost that has come in contact with the fire. SERVPRO can clean, repair, and restore more than the typical business owner would imagine. Office furniture, draperies, and items such as file cabinets are restored to their preloss condition, depending on how severe the damage. Restoration and repair are always the goals.

 What If the Odor Has Spread?

The stench left by fire damage and smoke is overwhelming. Even in areas where the fire did no visible damage, the smoke can travel via airflow and HVAC ducts. Our technicians use deodorizing methods to remove the smell from ductwork and contents that are affected. A variety of purifying methods get used, including filtration agents, disinfectants, and air scrubbers. Everyone smells things differently, and we strive to make sure you are satisfied.

Trust the Experts Who Understand Fire Clean Up

With trained technicians who can handle everything from elemental fire damage and smoke cleanup to reupholstering furniture, there is no need for numerous contractors to get the job done. We move your business content offsite if necessary while cleaning and repairing. We work closely with your insurance company and keep you informed every step of the way. Customer satisfaction is always our highest priority. 

Our Green Team is available 24/7 to help your business recover from fire damage and smoke. Contact SERVPRO of Augusta at (706) 750-0200 for more information. We’re Faster To Any Size Disaster.