Can Hardwood Survive Fire Damage Restoration in Cutler Ridge?

1/17/2022 (Permalink)

SERVPRO employs several methods to restore fire damaged hardwood.

SERVPRO’s Cutler Ridge Fire Damage Remediation Success Pairs Skill with Innovation 

Is fire damage restoration of Cutler Ridge homes hardwood trim, cabinets, and flooring attainable? Although you are hopeful for recovery, the dirty water, charring, and soot can seem impossible to remove. Trust in the training and professionalism of SERVPRO to assess the situation with integrity, and the confidence skill and experience from many house fire cleanups instill.

Why Is Water Damage Mitigation and Remediation the First Focus?

SERVPRO is uniquely qualified to assist Cutler Ridge homeowners in water and fire damage restoration as safe contaminated water removal is one of our most-performed services. Nearly every fire results in water incursion from firefighting efforts. Wet wood is not salvageable from fire and smoke damage. Moisture weakens the cellular structure. Water mitigation and remediation is essential:

• Water removal with pumps and extractors
• Negative air pressure moisture suction from one or more floor or woodwork layers and under and within cabinets 
• Applied structural drying with air movers, heaters, and dehumidifiers 

What Specific Strategies Does SERVPRO Use to Remove Soil and Fire Residues from Hardwood?

Cleaning methods used to restore hardwood fire damage must not ruin the surface or substrate. SERVPRO IICRC-certified technicians match the types of soot with appropriate cleaning techniques and products:

• Dry soot - dust cloths, brushes, chemical sponges, and vacuums remove the loose debris.
• Wet soot- after testing, technicians choose water or oil-based cleaning solutions to loosen and suspend or emulsify the soot before rinsing away.
• Protein-based soot - a film of dehydrated food and rancid cooking oils, this tough-to-remove soil requires solvents.

Note: Wet and protein-based soot on hardwood can require the addition of abrasives to the cleaning products or rough-textured tools to break the bond between fire damage residues and the surface. Fine sandpaper or other scaping-type tools can take the soot off with minimal damage when in the capable hands of a SERVPRO technician. Grit-based cream cleaners need a professional touch to avoid destroying the wood. 

Let the experts at SERVPRO of Cutler Bay show you how the proper training, products, and equipment can restore damaged interior building materials and fixtures. Call (305) 278-8484 promptly to get the recovery rolling.