Location: Buffalo Grove, Illinois
Property Type: Multi-story residential home
Service Provided: Fire damage mitigation, smoke and soot cleaning, content cleaning, demolition, and structural drying
Cost of Services: $48,500
The Problem and Our Solution
We responded to a residential fire that started at an electrical outlet in the home’s foyer. Smoke and soot spread throughout the first and second floors, leaving heavy residue and odors, while smoke odors also reached the basement and garage. Firefighters also used water to put out the flames, soaking the ceilings, walls, and floors. We had to clean up the water damage as well.
Here’s what we found and how we addressed each issue:
Foyer and Entry Areas
- Heavy fire damage. This is where the fire started and where it caused the most damage. We removed damaged walls, ceilings, and flooring, including the damaged floor and ceiling in the foyer closet.
- Damaged hallway and dining room flooring. We removed the hallway flooring because it connected to other damaged areas. In the dining room, we had to remove the flooring up to the dividing wall.
First-Floor Living Spaces
- Fire and water damage in the living room. We tore out two full walls, the ceiling, flooring, and damaged insulation. We also removed damaged trim, cleaned the wall cavities, and treated the surfaces with a deodorising solution.
- Smoke and soot residue. We vacuumed and cleaned walls, ceilings, windows, and other structural surfaces throughout the first floor.
- Smoke-damaged furniture and belongings. The homeowners had moved most of their kitchen belongings into the living room during remodeling, so we had to move and clean everything before we could work on the room.
Second Floor
- Smoke and soot throughout the rooms. Smoke and soot spread into the hallway, four bedrooms, bathrooms, and closets. We cleaned the walls, ceilings, windows, furniture, and personal belongings to remove residue.
Basement
- Water-damaged walls and ceilings. Firefighting water damaged ceiling tiles and approximately 25 linear feet of paneled wall.
- Lingering smoke odors. Smoke odors also reached the basement, so we cleaned the surfaces and treated them with deodorizing solution.
Garage
- Lingering smoke odor. Firefighters opened the garage to let smoke out of the house, but some of that smoke entered the garage and left an odor.
Structural Drying and Air Cleaning
- Water damage and hidden moisture. We used a thermal imaging camera to identify temperature differences that could indicate hidden moisture and needed closer inspection.
- Drying and air filtration. During the initial setup, we placed 11 air movers, two dehumidifiers, five air scrubbers, and three specialty equipment units throughout the home.
The Timeline
April 17, 2025 – Initial Assessment and Equipment Setup
We began by identifying the areas affected by fire, smoke, soot, and water.
- Labeled affected rooms to organize the restoration work.
- Used thermal imaging to check concealed ceiling areas for temperature differences.
- Tested smoke and soot residue using cleaning sponge samples.
- Began cleaning and vacuuming affected walls, ceilings, and windows.
- Set up 11 air movers, two dehumidifiers, five air scrubbers, and three specialty equipment units.
April 18–21, 2025 – Structural and Surface Cleaning
We continued cleaning throughout the affected rooms, focusing on removing smoke and soot residue from building surfaces.
- Vacuumed and cleaned walls, ceilings, and windows.
- Mopped floors and continued working through rooms that needed extra attention.
- Kept the air filtration and drying equipment running while cleaning.
April 22–23, 2025 – Material Removal and Wall Cavity Treatment
- Removed sections of baseboard and other affected materials.
- Took out insulation where needed.
- Cleaned and vacuumed exposed wall cavities.
- Applied a liquid treatment to exposed wall surfaces.
- Continued cleaning surrounding areas to remove remaining residue and debris.
April 28–30, 2025 – Continued Cleaning and Structural Drying
- Moved air movers into position to direct airflow toward exposed wood framing.
- Kept drying equipment working around open wall cavities.
- Cleaned accessible areas around the home’s central cooling system.
- Removed remaining debris and addressed residue in the areas where we were working.
May 1-5, 2025 – Furniture and Content Cleaning
We continued cleaning furniture and personal belongings damaged by smoke and soot.
- Cleaned soot and smoke residue from furniture.
- Thoroughly cleaned belongings with heavier smoke and soot buildup.
- Continued cleaning walls, surfaces, and belongings throughout the home.
May 23-28, 2025 – Follow-Up Restoration Work
- Completed the remaining restoration work throughout the home.
- Thoroughly cleaned belongings with heavy smoke and soot buildup.
- Finished all the restoration work in our project records by May 28.
