Fire restoration in Modesto
Modesto sits in the San Joaquin Valley, where a property may include barns, shops or storage buildings as well as a house. A fire in any of them leaves soot, water damage and, in outbuildings, often a mess of stored fuel, fertilizer and equipment. Two things about the valley shape restoration here: the air and the winter fog.
Soot is fine particles
Soot is made of tiny particles, many small enough to stay in the air and get deep into lungs. Cleaning and tearing out damaged materials stirs them up. Stanislaus County is part of the San Joaquin Valley area that the EPA has designated nonattainment for federal fine-particle (PM2.5) air quality standards, so on some days opening windows to air out a house brings in more fine particles rather than clearing them. That puts more weight on what happens inside: HEPA air scrubbers running throughout the job, plastic containment around work areas, HEPA vacuums and crews in proper respirators. Ask how the company will control dust and particles, and whether anyone, including you, should be in the house while they work.
Keeping particles out of the rest of the house
If the fire was in one part of the house, containment keeps soot and demolition dust from spreading to clean rooms. That means plastic walls with zippered doors, negative air pressure in the work area and sealed vents. Ask whether the heating and air conditioning system will be sealed off or shut down during work, and whether the ducts will be cleaned at the end.
Fog and drying
Modesto is in the part of the valley where winter tule fog forms on calm nights after rain and is usually thickest just before dawn. Cool, saturated air slows natural drying. A house soaked by firefighting in fog season needs controlled drying, heat and dehumidification in a closed building, rather than open windows. Ask for daily moisture readings on walls, framing and subfloors, and don't let anything be closed up until those readings say it's dry.
Outbuildings and stored chemicals
Fires in barns and shops often involve fuel, oil, solvents, fertilizers and pesticides. Burned containers and contaminated runoff need careful handling and proper disposal; they shouldn't go into household trash or be hosed into the yard. Ask for a separate scope for any outbuilding, and ask how hazardous materials will be identified and disposed of.
Equipment and tools
Soot on tractors, tools and equipment can be corrosive. Equipment exposed to heavy smoke should be cleaned promptly and, for engines and electrical components, checked by someone who services that kind of equipment before it's used again.
Contents and storage
Smoke odor sinks into fabrics, upholstery and paper. Ask how belongings will be cleaned, whether that happens on site or at the company's facility, and where they'll be stored while the house is restored. Ask for the inventory with photos.
Checking a contractor in California
California's Contractors State License Board lets you look up a contractor's license number, classification and status for free. Check before you sign, and make sure the name on the license matches the name on the contract.