The Best Way to Clean Nashua Walls with Fire Damage

4/3/2023 (Permalink)

SERVPRO is Here to Help with the tools and equipment for your fire damaged property in Nashua.

SERVPRO Brings Professional Fire Cleanup to Nashua Homeowners

After a fire is limited to a single area with a Nashua home, more considerable damage can occur by well-meaning homeowners trying to clean up fire and smoke damage from their walls. Applying wet cleaners on specific residues can grind the soot and leave permanent stains and fire odors.

It is not unusual for SERVPRO to arrive at a Nashua property with fire damage and find that early self-cleaning efforts have already occurred. During the initial scoping, the technicians talk to the property owner to find out crucial knowledge for the restoration, such as: 

• Articles within the fire damage area that are important to the homeowner
• If DIY cleaning occurred before SERVPRO arrival
• Greenlight for entry from first responders

What are the Outcomes of Under-Cleaned Smoke and Fire Damage? 

When smoke residues do not get adequately removed, the smell of the fire damage remains within the home. The scent cannot be simply painted over. The odorous soot particles in the walls will continue to exude odor. SERVPRO team members have extensive training in removing all types of smoke damage as Fire and Smoke Restoration Technicians (FSRT). The tactics used to remove evidence of a house fire include: 

• Use of specific tools and applications for dry and wet smoke residues
• Sealant as needed on walls
• Controlled demo on walls and assemblies too damaged for restorative cleaning

What Methods Does SERVPRO Use to Clean Smoke Damaged Walls?

SERVPRO team members visually inspect and test residues on walls before applying cleaning methods. Dry smoke reacts badly to liquids, so methods that utilize lifting away the soot get used. The use of trisodium phosphate (TSP) to remove tough stains on walls. In cases where light discoloration or slight fire odors remain, the technicians use sealants to create a new surface on an otherwise undamaged wall that is ready for priming and painting.

There are almost always multiple types of smoke damage in a room after a fire. Consider a room in a home; there will be various objects such as wood furnishings, paper products such as books, and natural fibers such as cotton, wool, or silk upholstery and window treatments. These items create differing kinds of smoke residues as they burn, and the soot deposits on walls and other surfaces. The same cleaning method for removing plastic residues will differ from a book that burns. It is vital to understand the differences in how these fire soils adhere to surfaces and what it takes to remove them without further damage.

What is Controlled Demo and How Does It Benefit Fire Damage?

When SERVPRO technicians cut away the charred or deteriorated walls and building materials for removal, this is known as controlled demolition. This action lowers the fire odors in the structure and readies the property for deep cleaning and the necessary repairs to make it a home again.

Nashua property owners rely on SERVPRO of Nashua for fire damage restoration. The IICRC-certified technicians are specialists in house fire cleanup and are available 24/7 days per year, including holidays, by calling (603) 889-2311. SERVPRO can handle the restoration service from start to finish, from the initial cleanup to build back services.