A Tale of Fire and Ice: Utilizing Dry-Ice Blasting for Family Home

The thought of fire damage is a nightmare scenario that no homeowner wants to experience! Unfortunately, fires are a reality that many people can face unexpectedly. PuroClean Home Emergency Services utilizes a specialized process called dry-ice blasting to conduct any fire or smoke mitigation that is needed.

We understand the importance of a quick response when dealing with fire damage, so we’re there for our customers during critical situations. With PuroClean Home Emergency Services, you can rest assured that you’ll receive the best care and attention during a stressful time.

Dry-Ice Blasting: An Unlikely Solution

A couple contacted us about fire, soot, and smoke mitigation. Their wood stove, installed incorrectly in the finished basement of their Batesville home, ignited a devastating fire. Smoke infiltrated the wall cavity behind the drywall throughout the basement. It traveled upward, reaching the first floor and attic, then out the roof. The damage left behind was extensive. 

When we assessed the five-year-old home, we knew that our work would involve remediating the visible damage as well as the damage we couldn’t see with our eyes. The project required thorough cleaning, restoration, and repair of the home’s affected areas.

Restoring a home after a fire is not a quick task! It involves meticulous planning, assessment, and careful execution. To remove soot and restore the home’s affected wood frame, our crew decided to utilize a specialized process called dry-ice blasting.

Dry-ice blasting is nonabrasive, nonflammable, and non-toxic. Dry ice blasting employs solid CO2 pellets accelerated at high speeds to clean surfaces effectively and is eco-friendly.

This method is effective in removing soot and smoke residue from various surfaces while being gentle on the structure.

One of the advantages of dry-ice blasting is that it leaves behind no mess and requires minimal cleanup. The medium used, dry ice, evaporates. It leaves the area as close to its pre-loss condition as possible.

At the time of this blog’s publication, the restoration journey for the homeowners is ongoing. Our team is currently hard at work restoring their house to its former glory. We’re keen on keeping them in the loop every step of the way.

History of Dry-Ice

Dry ice was initially identified by Thilorier in 1835 during his exploration of solid carbon dioxide. Originally intending to study liquid carbon dioxide, he noted its direct transition from solid to gas, which piqued his curiosity about dry ice. While dry ice has been mainly utilized in laboratories and scientific institutions globally for research purposes, it stayed confined to the scientific sphere until the late 1800s.

In 1897, solid carbon dioxide was patented for creating soda water to be mixed with whiskey, but dry ice didn’t work for this purpose. Prest Air Devices started using dry ice and dry ice blast cleaning in commercial use in the 1920s. Since then, dry ice blast cleaning has changed and improved to what we know today.

Fire Damage? PuroClean is Here to Help!

Experiencing a fire in your home can be a devastating and traumatic experience. Its aftermath can leave behind damage and destruction that can be overwhelming. At PuroClean Home Emergency Services, we understand how difficult it is to navigate through fire damage. That’s why our team of experts is available around the clock to assist you in restoring your property immediately. Our compassionate technicians use state-of-the-art tools and equipment to handle any fire-related emergency. Don’t hesitate to give us a call today at (812) 801-4485.