Cleaning Fire & Soot Damaged Brick & Masonry - PART 1

10/13/2020 (Permalink)

SERVPRO of Bartow County is open 24/7 and can help you recover after a fire loss. If you have fire damaged brick or masonry give us a call today!

Oftentimes brick and masonry elements are damaged by smoke and fire during home fire. A blockage in the chimney could cause smoke to backflow out of the chimney, filling the room with smoke and staining the walls, brick fascia of the chimney, and the contents of the room. Smoke and soot can be very tricky to remove from just about any surface but can be particularly difficult to remove from brick or masonry work. 

Brick and other stone work tends to have porous uneven surfaces with very tiny nooks and crannies that can hold smoke and soot particles. The best way to remove both visible smoke damage and smoke smells is to remove the source of the damage or smell. This means removing every particle of soot and smoke residue. In the case of brick and masonry smoke and soot damage can be very difficult to remove without the proper tools, cleaning products, and training.

SERVPRO of Bartow County is a leader in the Bartow County fire restoration industry and has both the training and tools to mitigate and restore any size fire restoration project. We also have a Contents Department that can clean and restore fire damage belongings like electronics, textiles, artwork, keep-sakes, and heirlooms. The following is a step-by-step guide on one of two SERVPRO protocols for cleaning building materials and the structure of a fire damaged property. 

This protocol utilizes both acidic and neutralizing cleaning and restoring products to restore brick and masonry work to preloss condition. This method also requires specific personal protective equipment (PPE) and extensive knowledge and experience working the professional cleaning products utilized in the process. You should never put yourself in harm's way by taking on a restoration project, unless you are properly trained and experienced in the fire restoration field. 

Needed Equipment:

5 Gallon Buckets (3); Stiff Bristled Brushes (3); Protective Plastic Sheeting

SERVPRO’s Proprietary Cleaning & Restoration Products:

SERVPRO’s Stone and Porcelain Cleaner; SERVPRO’s Wall and All Surface Cleaner; SERVPRO’s Bridght-N-Neutral Cleaner

Required PPE:

Goggles; Safety Glasses; Chemical Resistant Gloves; Face Shield; Respirator 

Important Notes: 

Exterior Cleaning - Take caution with plants, shrubs etc...Collect run-off and be careful with overspray.

Interior Cleaning - Take caution with carpets, wood laminate, tile or other floor coverings. Cover these areas with plastic to protect from overspray.

Pretest an inconspicuous spot before proceeding with cleaning

DO NOT USE SERVPRO Stone and Porcelain Cleaner on polished marble, granite or other masonry surfaces. This will cause irreversible damage to the surface.

How to Remove Soot & Smoke from Brick & Masonry

Masonry Cleaning Technique #1

Professional Cleaning Product Preparation (label your buckets to avoid confusion of solutions)

• Bucket #1 - Acid Solution - Pour 2 cups of SERVPRO Stone and Porcelain Cleaner into one gallon of HOT water. Place 1 stiff bristled brush with this bucket and do not use this brush with any of the other solutions in any of the other buckets.
• Bucket #2 - Neutralizing Solution - Pour 2 cups of SERVPRO Wall and All Surface Cleaner into one gallon of HOT water. Place 1 stiff bristled brush with this bucket and do not use this brush with any of the other solutions in any of the other buckets.
• Bucket #3 - Clean Water Rinse - Fill bucket half way with HOT water. Place 1 stiff bristled brush with this bucket and do not use this brush with any of the other solutions in any of the other buckets.

Cleaning

Acid Clean

• Pre-spray or dip a stiff bristled brush into acid solution from Bucket #1 and scrub the solution into the affected brick or masonry area.
• Let the acid solution dwell for 15-30 minutes to allow the acid to break down the microscopic soot and smoke residue particles.
• Spray or dip a stiff bristled brush into clean clear water from Bucket #3 and use to rinse the surface free of the acid solution. When you rinse the acid solution from the affected area the broken down soot and smoke particles will also be rinsed away.
• Repeat previous 3 steps as needed until the surface is clean.

Neutralize 

• Pre-spray or dip a stiff bristled brush into neutralizing solution from Bucket #2 and scrub into the affected brick or masonry area.
• Let the neutralizing solution dwell for 15 minutes to stop the chemical reaction and fully neutralize any acid residue left behind in the acid solution cleaning steps.
• Rinse the surface thoroughly with clean clear water to remove any residual neutralizing agent residue.
• Interior - Dip stiff bristled brush into clean clear water from Bucket #3 and scrub into brick.
• Exterior - Pressure wash or rinse with water hose.

Repeat Acid Clean and Neutralize procedures as needed until the surface is clean.

SERVPRO of Bartow County is Bartow County’s Preferred Fire Restoration Company... Don’t Take Our Word For It....

Take a look at what some of our Bartow County customer have to say about their experience working with SERVPRO of Bartow County: Google Reviews, Facebook Reviews, & A+ BBB Accredited Business Reviews

*If you enjoyed this blog check out some of our previous Blogs on Fire Restoration: “SERVPRO of Bartow County Fire Restoration Procedures”; “The Different Types of Smoke”; “Fire Cleanup in Cartersville GA Home”; “Fire Prevention in Bartow County, GA”; “October is Fire Prevention Month in Bartow County, GA