Case Study: Fire Restoration at School

Technique Used:

Service: Fire restoration and smoke sealing

Fire restorations require a detailed cleaning process to eliminate soot and other debris and don’t leave an odour behind. Wickens was contracted to complete this fire restoration project for a school whose utility room needed to be cleaned before classes began in September.

The Situation

Wickens was reached out to assist with fire restoration in a utility room at a school. Due to equipment used while the building’s roof was being repaired, a fire was started which contaminated the room and all the equipment inside with a layer of soot.

The utility room contained equipment and all the HVAC supplies for the school and needed to be restored, cleaned, and ready for students to return to classes for the new school year.

Challenges

As we examined the work that needed to be completed, we identified that several parts of the HVAC system were hard to reach due to the height of the room and the amount of equipment inside.

We had to coordinate our services between mechanical and electrical work that was also being done in the room while ensuring that everything was cleaned and completed in time for students to return to classes.

Due to the client’s protocol, the area also needed to be smoke sealed to ensure that no odour would occur or remain.

The Solution

When cleaning difficult areas, it’s important to have the tools necessary. Wickens uses specialized tools and equipment including extensions and special nozzles for the dry ice blasting process. By using these additional tools, we avoided difficulties that may have occurred without them on hand. We also performed hand wiping to a “military clean” spec to ensure everything was cleaned to the highest calibre.

While there was no odour left behind after cleaning, we understood the client’s protocol for smoke sealing after the blasting and the hand-wiping process was complete. Odours can occur in warmer weather, making this a helpful step in ensuring smells don’t appear in the hot summer months. We smoke-sealed the room so that this would not occur.

To help alleviate timelines, classes were postponed for one week to allow appropriate time for cleaning and repairs to be made. While other trades required additional days, Wickens completed our fire restoration and cleaning services within the one-week deadline. To ensure we reached this deadline, we mobilized a large crew to accommodate the other repairs that needed to be done, while still blasting and cleaning the room in the allotted timeframe.

The Results

Wickens was able to use dry ice blasting, hand wiping, and smoke sealing techniques to complete the fire restoration in the utility room. The soot in the room was removed, and it was returned as close as possible to its original appearance. We removed the possibility of any potential odour; in addition, smoke sealing was completed to ensure it would not return. We completed the work by our deadline to ensure students could go back to class as planned.

Wickens Dry Ice Blasting tackles the toughest jobs across Ontario, offering fire restoration, mould remediation, asbestos abatement, lead paint abatement, and more. If you’re interested in paint removal or other restoration services, contact us today to see how we can help. We’ll work with you to come up with an optimal plan to ensure the longevity of your property while cleaning effectively.