Some Mistakes When Dealing With Fire Damage in Shreveport That You Should Avoid
12/8/2019 (Permalink)
Why SERVPRO Uses Dry Sponges During Smoke and Fire Damage Cleanup of Shreveport Properties
SERVPRO's Green Fleet transports not only our crew members to each job site throughout Shreveport but also all of the equipment we need to get most jobs done fast and efficiently. Our tools, equipment, and materials include both large, powerful pieces of equipment designed to make our labor extremely productive, as well as smaller items that provide just as much of a boost to our efforts.
The effectiveness of these items is why SERVPRO uses things like our dry sponges to clean homes in Shreveport of smoke from fire damage. These sponges can reveal how damaged certain surfaces became during a fire. They often clean flat-painted surfaces well enough that staining does not happen, saving homeowners, our customers, from the added expense of repainting those areas. Our goal is always to reduce the costs a family experiences when recovering after a disaster.
Pre-cleaning the ceiling eliminates strands of soot chains and web-like deposits. These might make it seem as if your home was squalid and in need of cleaning before the fire, but we know this is not the case. These spider tags, as they are also called, only look like spiderwebs.
Besides cleaning ceilings with an adaptive device called the Fixi-Clamp, which allows us to stand on the floor instead of climbing a ladder, these sponges can clean cabinetry doors, walls, doors and their frames, and window frames. These sponges work best on cleaning away dry soot. Greasy soot requires another approach, which we are also prepared to provide when needed. When stripping overhead surfaces of soot with these sponges, our technicians wear personal protective equipment (PPE), including a mask, to eliminate the risk of inhaling any soot particles that fall to the floor. We protect the floor underneath with a drop cloth for the same reason.
Draperies tend to deteriorate quickly, especially if they receive significant exposure to the sun. This can make them fragile. We use the vacuum after pre-cleaning with the sponge to remove as much as possible. The sponge also wipes away any remaining pet hair that may have adhered to the surface of the draperies. Window blinds also attract smoke residue, and again, the dry sponge technique helps clean them up beautifully.
Another reason SERVPRO technicians grab a dry sponge to clean the inside of a home of smoke and soot is that cleaning with water-based or other wet cleaning solutions can cause additional damage to some materials. Others might not respond well to such cleaning methods. Wet cleaning methods can also leave streaks. Our technicians receive intensive training on which methods provide the desired results according to material and soot type. Removing soot can also help us detect materials that require removal and replacement by our building and reconstruction team.
SERVPRO of South Shreveport's technicians are always near your home in Forbing and ready to clean your home of soot deposits. Making everything look “Like it never even happened” happens fast when you call (318) 865-4655 to reach our 24-hour service.
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