Challenges of Tile Cleaning After Fire Damage in Smithtown Homes

4/13/2022 (Permalink)

SERVPRO of Greater Smithtown will take on the full job after a fire damage.

SERVPRO Resources Simplify Fire Cleanup in Smithtown

Cleaning helps counter considerable effects of fire on a property. Many factors, including the choice of cleaning method and the physical traits of affected areas, influence the restoration process's overall outcome. If fire damage includes soiling of tiled surfaces, you may expect a smooth cleaning process because of its resilient qualities. However, issues like stained grout lines can increase the challenge of restoring your Smithtown home.

When cleaning floors affected by fire damage at your Smithtown home, you cannot rely on the normal damp-mopping or other mild methods that you normally use. The layers of soot, ash, and other residues that accumulate on the surface would quickly soil the cleaning medium making it impossible to eliminate soiling. SERVPRO has abundant resources to overcome such challenges. For example, fitting a portable or truck-mounted water extractor with a squeegee wand simplifies cleaning or rinsing tiled floors when heavily soiled. 

Other useful equipment

• Rotary floor machines
• Vacuum cleaners
• Pressure washers

 After dealing with the accumulated soils, the next step is to resolve any stains and discoloration. The most likely problem is blotchy areas along grout lines. The easiest way to resolve such is to apply an acidic cleaning agent and then agitate the area. 

Additional cleaning headaches

Your fire restoration efforts can run into further headwinds if the cleaning solution you use damages the surrounding material. Acidic cleaners work by etching grout, thus eliminating blotchy patches. However, if it etches the surrounding tile or stone surfaces, it can ruin your efforts to resolve fire damage. 

Solutions for tile etching

• Pretesting surface materials
• Applying alkaline solutions after the acidic cleaners
• Drying the area thoroughly after cleaning

Our SERVPRO technicians inquire whether you have any extra piece of tile in your house and use it to test whether the cleaning solutions we have can cause etching. One clear sign that a solution can etch the surface is changing color to a whitish tinge or foaming. 

SERVPRO of Greater Smithtown can help you cope with expected or unexpected challenges after fire damage. Call us at (631) 265-9200. We're Faster To Any Size Disaster.