Acting Faster After A Fire Is Of Key Importance!

4/20/2022 (Permalink)

With one of the Great Lakes and a couple of major cities close by, Valparaiso is a centrally located community great for raising families, enjoying water recreation, and more. Like any town its size, there are still issues to deal with like the house fires that plague residences everywhere.

Most Valparaiso fire damage is considered minor to medium thanks to good fire department response times, residential sprinklers, and having a fire extinguisher nearby. Because of this, much of what SERVPRO technicians do after a fire is cleaning off residues left by the smoke as it moved through the home. Unless the property is physically damaged, our teams can restore affected items using one of these methods.

Dry wiping takes care of most surfaces. Technicians use sponges, cloths, and even feather dusters to remove powdery residues left by a hot, quick-burning fire. It is very effective on light-to-moderate, non-greasy residues like from burned paper or wood.

Wet wiping then usually removes the thicker layers dry wiping cannot. SERVPRO technicians apply water or a mild cleaner to sponges and cloths to remove these moderate-to-heavy residues.

Spray and Wipe is needed to prevent color bleeding or fading fade in drapes and covered furniture after fire damage. Team members utilize spray bottles to use as little cleaning agent as possible.

Foam Cleaning uses even less detergent and water. Technicians use a pump-up or powered sprayer to create a foam and then work it into the affected item with a sponge or brush. The method is very effective on sofas and other upholstered items to prevent shrinking the fabric.

Abrasive Cleaning is our method for rough surfaces. Since surfaces such as rock and marble are not affected by most cleaners, technicians can use stronger chemicals with a thick-bristle or wire brush to remove every bit of the residues left by the fire.

Immersion Cleaning is the last effort possible for many items and is only appropriate for those not affected by soaking them completely. Technicians remove the item to our offices and place it in a holding tank filled with a cleaning agent. They next generate sound waves that force bubbles through or across the surface. The method is effective but costly and time-consuming.

Remediating fire damage and returning every home to its owners in its original or better condition is our goal here at SERVPRO of Porter County. To learn more about what our response teams can do for your home here or in Portage, Chesterton, and Kouts, call us today at (219) 476-1883. We are here for you.