PROJECT DETAILS
Project Name: Waves and Wheels
Project Industry: Disaster Recovery
Client: Belfor
Application: Baking Soda
Size: 15,000 Sq Ft
Location: Osage Beach, Missouri
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
In any fire restoration project, the focus is on eliminating odors from the smoke along with the soot and remaining water. This is because the actual fire destroys but the smoke it generates is what causes the physical damage left behind.
The smoke dissipates quickly but the fast cooling leaves a greasy layer in addition to the soot and odor which makes it hard to get rid of. Further compounding the clean-up is the reality that smoke wants to travel to cooler areas away from the heat of the fire. As a result, it has probably snuck into places you can’t see including ducts, pipes, and any other crack or crevice in the structure of a building.
Waves and Wheels were lucky to have minimal damage when a fire was ignited by a computer power source and fueled by nearby boxes. It was quickly discovered and attended to. This property on the Lake of the Ozarks also had the added benefit of a surplus water source nearby making quick work out of extinguishing the flames. Still, the damage was done with extensive smoke.
This business owner knew to call in the professionals to take care of eliminating the enduring smell and unsightly soot. Belfor Property Restoration is a recognized name to get the process started, but when they needed professional industrial cleaning on a job like this, Blast It Clean was trusted to complete the job quickly and efficiently.
The damage was contained to a showroom and the office above totaling about 15,000 square feet of area that we need to clean and deodorize. Additionally, we needed to remove the escaped soot on all the joints of the metal building. This is prime evidence of the smoke traveling to the cooler air and thereby leaving slag marking its path.
THE REMOVAL PROCESS
On the interior of the building, Blast It Clean completed the demolition of insulation, drywall, and metal siding to provide a more efficient turnkey process for the customer. This building material was unsalvageable waste from the fire that needed to be removed to access the surfaces being restored.
The next step was setting up containment and getting to work on blasting. Due to the amount of surface area being cleaned and the adjacent office area being used, we used a combination of soda blasting and dry ice blasting. This allowed us the limit the amount of residue being released during the blasting process thus reducing the necessary containment. It also meant improved efficiency for our operations and quicker turn-around for the client.
Soda blasting does a superior job of deodorizing but creates quite the dust storm. Using a significant amount of sodium bicarbonate in this environment increased the risk of contamination to other parts of the building and the outdoors. Therefore, we wanted to be selective about the areas we soda blasted.
Dry ice has become a preferred method for many fire restoration projects because dries fast with little to no residue all while removing the smoke damage and odor. It enables us to be very precise with cleaning without concern for damage to the surface or surrounding area.
Furthermore, dry ice is safe for electrical components. Since we were cleaning the ceilings as well as the walls and exterior, it was important to be conscious of the wiring and other electrical fixtures present.
With the combination of sandblasting methods successfully removing all soot, char, and smell, we finished off with a chemical power wash. This helps ensure the greasy layer is completely expunged and removes all final residue left behind from the blasting process.
Waves and Wheels are now ready to finish off their peak season with a fully functional facility.
For an expert solution on your restoration project, call (877) 379-4233 or email marketing@blastitclean.com.