What Solvents Do I Need to Remove Smoke from Walls?

6/15/2020 (Permalink)

Let SERVPRO remove smoke damage from your Dallas walls.

SERVPRO Fire Restoration Technicians in Dallas Stock a Full-Range of Solvents and Chemical Cleaners for Smoke Removal

Do all solvents remove smoke?

Solvents are powerful cleaning methods that need to apply with caution when removing smoke from the walls of your Dallas home. Most solutions, like most smoke residues, have a neutral, alkaline, or acidic base. These industrial cleaners can be ineffective, or even cause further harm to your home, if they are not applied correctly. To assess different types of smoke, SERVPRO technicians use Litmus paper to record the acidity or alkaline level. We can then match the pH level to the equivalent acid or alkaline cleaner. When applying these to a smoke residue, the goal is to restore the area to a neutral level by using an alkaline on acid or vice versa. Doing so requires some expertise as well as careful measuring of the specific smoke residue.

Does it take time to remove smoke residues?

One of the essential parts of fire restoration in your Dallas home is time. Dwell time is how long a chemical agent needs to suspend smoke residues or soils. These usually take ten to fifteen minutes, but leaving a solvent too long can damage the surface. Once smoke residues successfully suspend in a solvent, our technicians can use a rinsing agent to remove both the soiling and the solution. Often, we can sand the affected surface after solvent cleaning to provide a smooth surface for repainting or an odor-sealing primer.

How do I choose the right solvent for smoke soiling?

• Use litmus paper to understand the acidity or alkaline of the smoke soiling
• Inspect the smoke residue and the sources of the fire to realize whether deposits are water or oil-based
• Always vacuum the surface before applying solvent to remove any unbonded soots

Removing smoke residues from walls is complex and requires different types of equipment. Contact SERVPRO of Southeast Dallas County at (972) 227-0800. 

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