Honest, plain answers to questions we hear from owners and building managers about fire damage cleanup, smoke removal, water damage restoration, and the drying process.
Once FDNY has cleared the building and it is safe to enter, the next two phone calls are usually to your insurance carrier and to a restoration company. We come on-site, document the damage with photos, and put a written scope together so the cleanup, any board-up, and temporary protection (tarping, securing the unit, removing debris) can begin without delay. Quick action keeps a fire loss from becoming a water loss and a water loss from becoming a mold loss.
It depends on what burned. Dry smoke from fast-burning materials, wet smoke from slow smoldering fires, and protein residue from kitchen events all clean differently. We test surfaces first, then choose the right method — dry chemical sponges, alkaline cleaners, or solvent-based products — followed by HEPA filtration on the air and odor neutralization at the end. Soft contents, books, electronics, and HVAC components are addressed separately so nothing gets re-contaminated.
Almost all of the water on a fire scene comes from suppression — hose lines from FDNY and any sprinklers that activated. That water saturates floors, ceilings in the unit below, and any shared walls between apartments. It is the reason structural drying often starts the same day as soot cleaning, and the reason a kitchen fire on the third floor can produce a ceiling leak on the second.
Most residential drying runs three to five days. We size air movers and dehumidifiers to the space, take daily moisture readings on framing, drywall, and flooring, and continue running equipment until materials are back to a normal dry standard for the building. Larger losses, hardwood floors, and concealed wet cavities can take longer. The daily readings go in the file so the timeline is documented.
Yes. We document the loss with photos, an itemized scope, and daily logs so the file is organized when the adjuster reviews it. We are not your insurance representative — the carrier and the policy decisions are between you and them — but the way we document and bill is designed to make that process as smooth as possible.
Sometimes. For light smoke or limited water work it is often possible to keep the unit occupied with appropriate containment, HEPA filtration, and a sequenced schedule. For larger losses — anything involving demolition, structural drying with multiple machines running, or significant odor — it is usually better for the occupants to relocate temporarily so the work can be done quickly and safely.
Speed and thoroughness. We extract standing water quickly, set drying equipment sized to the space, and take daily moisture readings until the structure is back to a normal dry standard. If we find concealed wet material — a saturated stud bay, soaked insulation, wet subfloor — we open the cavity and dry it rather than trapping moisture behind a finished surface.
Yes. Most of our jobs include interior restoration work — drywall, paint, ceiling repair, baseboards, simple flooring patches. For larger rebuilds we coordinate with licensed plumbers, electricians, and flooring installers so the owner is dealing with one schedule rather than four contractors.
It should not. If a residual odor returns, it almost always means a hidden source was missed — soot inside the HVAC system, residue trapped behind a fixture, or an absorbent material like a closet shelf that was not addressed. We test before declaring the unit done, and if something is missed we come back and fix it.
Office hours are Monday to Friday 8a–6p and Saturday 9a–2p. For active losses we make ourselves available outside those hours when possible. The best thing to do is call the office and leave a clear message — name, address, and what is happening — and we will return the call promptly.
Call the office. We will arrange a walk-through, usually the same day for Manhattan addresses.