Different fires produce different soot — and acidic petroleum soot etches metal, plastic, and finishes within days. We identify the soot type, apply the right cleaning chemistry, and treat the damage before it becomes permanent.
Nearly invisible enzymatic clean
Time-critical etching prevention
Dry deposits dry-sponge method
Through HVAC infiltration
Acidic soot specific protocols
Wall, ceiling, cabinet cleaning
Off-site textile cleaning
Right chemistry documented
Dispatcher confirms structural safety, dispatches crew. Acidic soot calls (electrical, plastic) get priority dispatch.
Critical timeline for petroleum/electrical soot to prevent etching. Smoke type identified.
Plastic barriers around affected area. HEPA-filtered air scrubbers prevent migration.
Affected textiles, clothing, upholstery inventoried and packed for off-site cleaning.
Smoke-type-specific chemistry: dry-sponge, solvent, enzymatic, or chemical.
Duct cleaning + coil cleaning. Hydroxyl or ozone final treatment.
Soot damage scopes vary widely — kitchen fires are most common, electrical fires are most time-critical, adjacent-property smoke claims happen weekly.
Soot damage is covered under standard Texas HO-3 as direct result of fire. Adjacent-property soot from neighbor's fire is covered under your own policy. Acidic soot from electrical fires sometimes requires aggressive insurance documentation.
Soot scope often combines with fire damage, smoke damage, and water damage from suppression. Our scope distinguishes each component for proper carrier pricing.
We know each major Texas carrier's playbook for this loss type
Most projects bill direct to insurance. Out-of-pocket cost is typically your deductible only.
Free on-site soot-type identification + scope documentation. Priority dispatch for acidic soot.
We bill carrier for cleaning, HVAC decon, soft goods, and odor treatment.
Out-of-pocket soot cleanup ranges by soot type and square footage.
"Electrical fire in our garage put soot through the entire house. They identified the smoke type, used the right chemistry, and got us cleaned up before the acidic soot etched our finishes."
"Plastic recycling fire produced acidic soot we didn't know we had. They confirmed by surface testing, ran proper chemistry, saved our kitchen finishes that would have been ruined within a week."
"Wood stove backdrafted during chimney issue. Dry soot throughout the house. They dry-sponge cleaned everything — way different from the wet-cleaning we expected."
Different soot types require different cleaning chemistry. Using solvent on dry soot smears it. Using dry-sponge on greasy protein soot doesn't work. Wrong chemistry damages surfaces further.
Within 24-72 hours for surface preservation. Electrical and plastic fires produce acidic soot that etches metal permanently if left.
Light surface wipes on hard surfaces — sometimes. But you'll smear without proper technique. Cost of professional work usually less than surface replacement when amateur cleaning fails.
Yes when documented as part of covered fire/smoke loss. We inventory affected contents with photos, pack out soft goods, and document each item.
Acidic soot etches metal within days. Brass and chrome are particularly vulnerable. We treat metals with acidic-neutralizing solutions.
Soot inhalation is a respiratory irritant. We follow IICRC FSRT protocols including occupant safety. HEPA air scrubbing during work, full PPE for crew.
Kitchen grease, electrical, plastic, wood stove — soot-type identification, fast response on acidic types, HVAC decon.