Structural Fire Damage Cleaning in Fulton, TX
With the wallboard torn out, what is left is a skeleton of black studs, scorched rafters and smoke-stained block. Somebody now has to decide what gets blasted clean, what gets sistered and what gets replaced. Unify Fire Solutions connects you with independent, licensed and insured contractors in Fulton who clean the framing, masonry and steel itself.
- Soda, dry ice and hand cleaning of framing
- Char depth probed member by member
- Sealer applied to lock in residual odor
What Makes Framing Work Different
Hang new drywall over sooty, smoky studs and the smell comes back through the paint on the first warm day. Cleaning the structure is the step that decides whether the rebuild smells like a new house or a campfire.
Licensed & Insured Independent Pros
Each contractor on our referral list is an independent, licensed and insured local company. Verify both, and ask whether the crew follows the IICRC S700 standard for fire and smoke work.
Upfront Written Estimates
Media blasting depends on square footage, the media used and how hard the space is to get into. Ask for a line-item written estimate before the first bag of media is opened.
Rapid Local Dispatch
A real person answers around the clock, and the search for a crew begins on that call. How fast someone arrives depends on availability and distance, often within the same day.
Blasting Rigs and Probing Tools
This trade runs on gear most remodelers do not own: soda blast pots, dry ice blasters, tow-behind compressors, HEPA vacuums, air scrubbers and an awl for probing char.
Do not climb into a burned attic or walk a scorched roof deck to look for yourself. Weakened joists and burned-through sheathing can give way without warning, and exposed wiring may still be live. Let the crew confirm the structure will hold before anyone goes up, and keep everyone off the floor above a burned basement or crawlspace.
Cleaning the Building From the Roof Deck Down
Furniture and debris are a separate job. This page is about the framing, masonry and steel that actually carry the load.
Char Depth Probing and Member Decisions
Pressing an awl into the blackened wood shows how deep the char goes; a shallow crust over firm wood usually means it can be cleaned. Deep char that eats into the section of a joist or truss chord means sistering or replacement.
- Members marked clean, sister or replace
- Structural engineer called in for questionable beams, trusses and headers
- Photos of each marked member for the claim
Soda Blasting
Baking soda media knocks soot and surface char off framing while leaving the grain mostly intact. It leaves a fine white dust and some residue, so containment and a thorough HEPA vacuum afterward are part of the job.
Dry Ice Blasting
Dry ice pellets hit the surface and turn straight into gas, so there is no media left behind to sweep up. It works well in tight attics and around wiring, though it costs more and is noisy.
- Hearing protection and ventilation required
- Good choice when residue would be a problem
Wire Brushing and Sanding
For a few blackened studs or a small closet fire, wire brushes, sanding discs and a HEPA-shrouded grinder may be all it takes. It is slow on big areas but precise where blasting would be overkill.
Brick, Block, Concrete and Steel Beams
Fireplace surrounds, block foundation walls and concrete slabs hold soot in their pores, and alkaline cleaners, scrubbing or blasting pull it out. Steel beams get cleaned and inspected for any heat warping, with doubts sent to the engineer.
Encapsulation and Attic Insulation Removal
Even well-blasted wood can hold faint odor in its pores, so crews roll or spray a pigmented shellac-based or specialty encapsulating sealer over cleaned framing. Attic jobs start by vacuuming out the smoky blown-in or batt insulation so the rafters and roof deck can be reached.
Crawlspaces get the same treatment on a smaller, dirtier scale: floor joists, sill plates and the underside of the subfloor are probed, blasted where needed and sealed. Expect a vapor barrier to be pulled and replaced if smoke or hose water soaked it.
Ask your contractor which method they recommend for each area and why. It is common to see soda in open walls, dry ice in the attic and hand sanding near the electrical panel on the same job.
Containment matters here, since blast media and loosened soot travel anywhere the air moves. Expect poly over openings, taped-off HVAC returns and air scrubbers pulling the space under negative pressure during blasting. Ask what the plan is to shield the undamaged rooms, floors and glass.
Looking at Blackened Studs and Rafters?
Phone our dispatchers and they begin searching for a structural crew close to Fulton. It costs nothing to call.
Call +1-833-336-1630The Path From Charred Framing to Sealed Wood
- 1
Phone the Dispatcher
Say which parts of the structure are open now, such as walls, attic, crawlspace, masonry or steel. Mention if a roofer, engineer or adjuster has already been out.
- 2
Mobile Crew on Site
The contractor arrives with a compressor, blasting equipment and containment materials. First they confirm the roof deck and floors will hold weight and that the exposed circuits are dead.
- 3
Probe, Mark and Quote
They test each stud, joist and rafter with an awl, tag it, and flag anything doubtful for an engineer. You get a written, line-item quote listing square footage, method, sealer and insulation removal before any work starts.
- 4
Blasting, Sealing and Walkthrough
After blasting and HEPA cleanup, the framing gets its sealer coat, and you walk the bare structure with the crew lead. Do a sniff test on a warm afternoon, and ask for photos of every marked member before the rebuild closes the walls.
What Callers Said About Their Structural Crew
The attic fire left every rafter black and the insulation soaked. The crew pulled the insulation, dry ice blasted the rafters and rolled sealer on everything. Two rafters were cut deep enough that they called in an engineer, and those got sistered.
I assumed every black stud in the hallway had to be replaced. The crew lead probed each one with an awl and showed me that most were just surface char. Soda blasting and a coat of sealer saved most of the wall.
Our basement fire blackened the block walls and the steel beam over the family room. The contractor cleaned the block and the beam, then had an engineer check the steel for warping. The basement smells normal again, even closed up.
Your Structural Fire Cleaning Questions Answered
How do crews decide if a charred stud can stay?
The test is simple: they probe it. An awl or screwdriver pushed into the black surface shows how deep the char goes, and wood that is firm just under a thin crust can usually be blasted and sealed. Deep char, cracks or a reduced cross section mean sistering or replacement, with a structural engineer making the call on anything questionable.
What is the difference between soda blasting and dry ice blasting?
Soda blasting uses sodium bicarbonate media that is gentle on wood and helps neutralize odor, but it leaves dust and residue to clean up. Dry ice leaves no media behind and works well near wiring, but the equipment is noisy and the job usually costs more. Many crews use both on the same house.
Why seal the framing if it has already been cleaned?
Smoke gets deep into the pores of the wood, past what blast media can reach. A shellac-based or specialty encapsulant locks that residual odor in so it cannot off-gas through the new drywall. Sealer only works over clean framing, never as a shortcut over soot.
Does the attic insulation have to come out after a fire?
In most cases where smoke got into the attic, it does. Blown-in and batt insulation trap smoke and soot like a filter, and many get soaked by hose water too. It is vacuumed out with an insulation vac so the rafters and roof deck can be probed, blasted and sealed before anything new is blown in.
Can soot be cleaned off brick and concrete block?
Usually yes, though masonry takes more effort than drywall because soot sinks into the pores. Crews use alkaline masonry cleaners and stiff brushes, and soda or other media blasting for heavy buildup. Heat-cracked or spalled block and brick should be looked at by an engineer or mason.
Do I need a structural engineer for fire-damaged framing?
You may not on a small job, but any doubtful load-bearing member calls for one. Trusses, beams, headers, steel and heavily charred joists are where an engineer's letter protects you and helps the claim. The building department may ask for it before signing off on the rebuild.
Structural Fire Cleaning Throughout Fulton
Calls come in from all over Fulton and nearby towns, from older homes with solid lumber framing to newer builds with engineered trusses and I-joists. Attics, basements, crawlspaces, garages and light commercial spaces all come up regularly.
- Attic fires
- Electrical fires
- Furnace puff-backs
- Chimney fires
- Lightning strikes
- Neighbor's fire spread
If the first crew we connect you with is not the right fit, call back and a dispatcher will connect you with another. Get the bones cleaned before anyone hangs new drywall.
