Smoke & Fire Damage



 In the aftermath of a house fire, it is critical to have disaster restoration services on the scene as quickly as possible.  Your first call should be to us. At Giordano Restoration, our team of professionals will walk you through filing your insurance claims and advocate for you throughout the entire process of getting your home and your life back to normal. Burned surfaces are not the only damages to be considered after the fire trucks leave.   In addition to mitigating any water left behind by firefighting efforts, we will work quickly to counteract damage by ash and soot. We will also rid your home of the smoke odor that is extremely pervasive after a structure fire. The first hours and days are critical in salvaging your precious belongings.

DAMAGE FROM SOOT
 Cleaning up soot residue must be done as quickly as possible. During combustion, soot residue and volatile vapors are carried by rising and expanding air to surfaces throughout a structure, and are deposited. This process occurs repeatedly until combustion ends, with soot residue building up on surfaces layer by layer. In time, this hardens to a lacquer-like consistency and may be impossible to dissolve and remove.

-Within Minutes: Acid soot residues cause plastics to yellow; small appliances located close to the source of combustion discolor; highly porous materials (marble, alabaster) discolor permanently.
-Within Hours: Acid residues stain grout in bathrooms; fiberglass bath fixtures may yellow; uncoated metals tarnish, counter tops may yellow; finishes on appliances, particularly refrigerators, may yellow; furniture finishes may discolor.
-Within Days: In time, acid residues cause painted walls to yellow permanently; metal corrodes, pits and rusts; wood furniture requires refinishing; vinyl flooring requires refinishing or replace­ment; clothing becomes soot stained; upholstery stains permanently.
-Within Weeks: Restoration costs escalate tremendously. Drywall may be stained under the paint and need to be replaced, silver plate is corroded permanently; glass, crystal, china may require replacement due to severe etching and pitting caused by prolonged exposure to acid soot residues.

At Giordano Restoration, our trained restoration experts may use any or all of the following methods to clean soot and ash from your home’s contents, depending on the material and the extent of the damage:

·         Dry Cleaning - Used for cleaning light residues or to pre-clean prior to wet cleaning
·         Wet Cleaning - An effective cleaning method for removing heavier residues
·         Spray and Wipe -Effective for items that can’t withstand wet cleaning
·         Abrasive Cleaning - Involves agitation of the surface being cleaned
·         Immersion Cleaning - Contents are dipped into a bath of the cleaning product

Special considerations need to be taken for items such as clothing, upholstered furniture, and draperies. If these items are considered salvageable, we use commercial laundry and dry cleaning professionals who specialize in ridding these items of both residue and smoke odor.
Electronic equipment must also be handled with special attention. The corrosive nature of soot will quickly and irrevocably damage sensitive metals within an electronic component. Do not attempt to turn on any of these devices after a fire. A specialist will assess the damage and professionally restore any salvageable electronics in your home.

SMOKE ODORS

The odor of smoke, after a fire in your home or business, can be extremely persistent. Even a very small fire, which causes little other damage, can leave behind a significant smell of smoke.  Simply masking odors with sprays or fogs is usually not enough to eradicate odors permanently. At Giordano Restoration, we have the experience and expertise to rid your space of the lingering odor of smoke. We employ specialized methods and equipment to eradicate smoke odors at a molecular level.

PACK OUTS
 If your home or business requires extensive restoration or cleaning due to fire damage, it may be necessary to remove all of the contents. Giordano Restoration professionals will clean, wrap, pack, and inventory every salvageable item in your space. If your disaster requires a pack out, your contents will be stored appropriately, taking into account humidity and temperature control. Your inventory list will be organized and detailed to help you quickly get back to your normal life after restoration is complete.



A fire in your home or business can be one of the most devastating events you ever have to endure. Let our team help you get back to your pre-loss condition as quickly and efficiently as possible. We will do so with sensitivity and professionalism.