Before

After

Basement Fire & Smoke Problem in Fort Collins

When basement air quality is low due to poor circulation and a build-up of gaseous chemicals from stored products, the result can be a charring of the first-floor joists and beams. Luckily, the damage is more cosmetic than structural to this lumber and SERVPRO can provide a neat and cost-effective cleanup technique. The After Photo illustrates how clean the exposed raw lumber can be after "ice-blasting." Instead of soda or sand-blasting, CO2 (dry ice) pellets are placed in a hopper by a crew member and the second worker directs a pressurized stream of the pellets to chafe and removed the charred layers from the cellulose surfaces. The cleanup is minimal (HEPA filtered air scrubbers are well-suited for this), and there is no need to wet the wood with water, no pressure washing. Homeowners are pleased with this method of cleaning and feel "Like it never even happened."