How Professionals Clean Hardwood Floors After Fire Damage in Jamestown

2/5/2020 (Permalink)

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Cleaning Wood Floors After Fire Damage in Jamestown Homes 

There is no mistaking the value that wood floors can add to your Jamestown home, but they can also be one of the first materials substantially damaged during a structure fire. Depending on the severity of the disaster, the impact on this flooring can vary significantly. In addition to smoke, soot, and structural degradation, wood flooring is also susceptible to water absorption when firefighting techniques get used to extinguish the blaze. 

Apart from acidic soot coming to rest on the surface of wood flooring, other fire damage in Jamestown homes can also pose immediate concerns. Smoke odors can penetrate even low porosity woods like maple and oak when higher temperatures expand the existing pores in the wood plank and trap the smoke inside when it cools. Addressing odors is one of the final steps in the recovery of this flooring; however, as soot residues and potential water saturation can physically harm the material and force tear-out and reconstruction. 

Water mitigation is often part of the initial tasks that fire restorers must perform when reaching the fire-damaged structure. Many of our technicians have water restoration (WRT) certifications as well as Fire & Smoke Restoration (FSRT) to address the full spectrum of restoration concerns in a fire loss incident. The cellulose in wood flooring can allow fast water absorption, meaning that our technicians must prioritize drying with air movers, dehumidifiers, and even drying mats if necessary. 

Residues can be a challenge for our SERVPRO team on finished wood floors, as many of our most potent cleaning agents can damage the look of the planks. Neutral PH cleaners can help to reduce these harmful effects while providing the same ultimate effect. In more extreme cases where damage has moved beyond the finished surface, sanding and stripping can resolve the immediate smoke and soot effects, and the floor can get refinished by our competent team of in-house general contractors. 

Wood flooring can get severely damaged during a fire loss incident, but our experienced SERVPRO of Jamestown / Olean professionals can help. Contact us 24/7 by calling (716) 338-4901. 

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