SERVPRO’s Fast Fire Damage Restoration Service Saves Durham Homes

10/1/2021 (Permalink)

You need a team you can trust after a fire strikes in your home. Call SERVPRO right away.

How do SERVPRO Techs Clean Smoke and Soot Residue During Fire Damage Restoration of Your Durham Home? 

Smoke and soot residues can interact chemically over time with surfaces causing irreparable damage. SERVPRO techs use various methods and cleaning agents to minimize this damage during fire damage restoration of your Durham home.   

The type of cleaning agent that SERVPRO techs use during fire damage restoration of your Durham home depends on several factors. One of these factors is the pH of the residue. Restorers use pH paper to determine the acidity or basicity of the residue before any decision is made regarding a cleaning agent. Knowing the pH of the soil enables the SERVPRO techs to know how to attack it with the right cleaning agent. 

Why do SERVPRO Techs Determine the pH of Surface Residues During House Fire Cleanup in Durham? 

pH plays an important role in determining how a smoke residue can interact with a given surface in your Durham home. As a general rule, SERVPRO techs use acidic cleaning agents to neutralize basic soils and alkaline cleaning agents to neutralize acidic soils. 

Several by-products of combustion can produce acids. For instance, when plastics burn, they form chlorides that combine with moisture to create hydrochloric acid. Similarly, carbon dioxide, one of the most common constituents of smoke, combines with water to form carbonic acid. Acids can slowly erode and discolor the surfaces over time. 

It is equally important to restore the pH close to neutral after the restoration process is completed. Doing this helps to prevent the color bleeding and browning of surfaces, mainly textiles. 

If you wonder who to call to handle fire damage to your home, call SERVPRO of North Durham at (919) 467-0880.