- 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed
- 24/7 Emergency Response
- We Work With Insurances
When smoke invades your property, you’re not just dealing with visible damage. You’re facing health risks from toxic particles that penetrate walls, furniture, and air systems. Every hour that passes, acidic soot continues eating away at your surfaces, making permanent damage more likely.
Professional smoke damage cleanup eliminates these threats completely. Your air becomes safe to breathe again. Stubborn odors disappear instead of lingering for months. Your belongings get properly restored rather than thrown away. Most importantly, you avoid the long-term health consequences of living or working in a contaminated space.
The difference between DIY attempts and professional restoration isn’t just about convenience—it’s about your safety and your property’s future value.
We at Flood Guys Restoration have been serving Southern Wisconsin properties through their worst disasters. We understand how Wisconsin’s climate affects smoke damage—from how our humidity impacts odor penetration to how our older downtown buildings require specialized restoration approaches.
Your neighbors have trusted us with their most valuable possessions during their most stressful moments. We’ve restored everything from century-old downtown buildings to modern condos, always with the same commitment: your property gets returned to pre-loss condition, and your family gets back to normal life as quickly as possible.
We’re not just another restoration company. We’re your local experts who live and work in the same communities we serve.
Your smoke damage restoration begins with our emergency response team arriving within hours of your call. We immediately assess the full extent of damage—not just what’s visible, but hidden contamination in your HVAC system, wall cavities, and other areas most companies miss.
Next, we secure your property and begin extracting smoke particles using industrial-grade air scrubbers and specialized equipment. Our technicians remove soot from every surface using techniques specific to your type of smoke damage—whether from fast-burning fires, smoldering materials, or synthetic substances.
The final phase focuses on complete odor elimination through advanced deodorization methods like thermal fogging and hydroxyl generators. We don’t mask odors; we eliminate them at the molecular level. Your property gets a final inspection to ensure every trace of smoke damage is gone before we consider the job complete.
Ready to get started?
Your smoke damage cleanup includes comprehensive soot removal from all surfaces, complete HVAC system cleaning, and professional odor elimination that actually works. We handle content cleaning for salvageable belongings and proper disposal of items too damaged to restore.
Downtown Wisconsin properties face unique challenges. Older buildings often have complex ventilation systems where smoke travels in unexpected ways. Historic structures require specialized cleaning methods that preserve original materials. Modern high-rises need coordinated efforts to prevent smoke migration between units.
We understand these local nuances because we’ve been restoring Downtown properties for years. Your cleanup plan addresses your specific building type, your neighborhood’s characteristics, and Wisconsin’s environmental factors that affect restoration success. You get service designed for your exact situation, not a one-size-fits-all approach.
Start smoke damage cleanup within 24-48 hours if possible. Smoke residue and soot are highly acidic and begin causing permanent damage immediately. The longer you wait, the deeper these contaminants penetrate into porous materials like drywall, fabric, and wood.
Within the first few hours, smoke particles are still relatively easy to remove from surfaces. After 48 hours, they begin bonding more permanently, making cleanup significantly more difficult and expensive. Some materials that could be saved with immediate action may need complete replacement if cleanup is delayed.
Time also affects your health exposure. Breathing contaminated air for extended periods increases your risk of respiratory problems, especially if you have asthma or other lung conditions.
Most homeowner’s and commercial insurance policies cover smoke damage cleanup when it results from a covered fire loss. This typically includes professional cleaning services, soot removal, odor elimination, and necessary repairs to return your property to pre-loss condition.
However, insurance companies often try to minimize smoke damage claims by arguing that surface cleaning is sufficient or that certain items can be cleaned rather than replaced. They may also dispute the extent of hidden damage in HVAC systems or wall cavities.
We work directly with your insurance adjuster to document all damage thoroughly and ensure your claim covers the complete scope of necessary restoration. Our detailed assessments and professional documentation help you get the full coverage you’re entitled to under your policy.
Absolutely. Smoke travels through your entire property via HVAC systems, wall cavities, electrical conduits, and even small gaps around doors and windows. Areas several rooms away from the actual fire often have significant smoke contamination.
Your HVAC system is particularly problematic because it can spread smoke particles throughout your entire property and continue recirculating them long after the fire is out. Ductwork, filters, and air handling units all need professional cleaning to prevent ongoing contamination.
Even items stored in closets, cabinets, or other enclosed spaces can absorb smoke odors and require professional cleaning. We’ve seen smoke damage in basements of properties where the fire was on the second floor, and in adjacent units of commercial buildings where the fire was several suites away.
Persistent smoke odors usually mean the source hasn’t been properly eliminated. Many companies use masking agents or surface treatments that provide temporary relief but don’t address contamination deep within porous materials.
We use advanced deodorization methods like thermal fogging, which creates a heated fog that penetrates materials the same way smoke did, neutralizing odors at their source. Hydroxyl generators break down odor-causing molecules at the molecular level rather than just covering them up.
The key is identifying all contaminated materials, including hidden areas like insulation, subflooring, and the interior of wall cavities. Sometimes materials are too heavily contaminated to clean and must be replaced. We test our odor elimination work to ensure complete success before considering the job finished.
Different materials create different types of smoke and soot that require specialized cleaning approaches. Fast-burning fires from paper and wood create dry soot that’s easier to vacuum and clean. Smoldering fires produce wet soot that’s sticky and spreads more readily.
Synthetic materials like plastics and fabrics create particularly toxic smoke with acidic residues that cause rapid corrosion and staining. Protein fires from cooking leave greasy films that can become permanent if exposed to heat. Oil-based fires create soot that travels upward and stains ceilings in patterns many companies miss.
Each type requires different cleaning agents, techniques, and safety precautions. Our technicians identify your specific soot type during the initial assessment and use the appropriate restoration methods. Using the wrong approach can actually make damage worse by spreading contamination or setting stains permanently.
The timeline depends on the extent of damage and the size of your property. Light smoke cleaning in a small area might take 2-3 days. Extensive damage requiring content removal, structural cleaning, and reconstruction can take several weeks.
Most residential smoke cleanup projects in Downtown Wisconsin take 5-10 days from start to finish. Commercial properties or buildings with complex HVAC systems often take longer. We provide a detailed timeline after our initial assessment so you know exactly what to expect.
We work efficiently while ensuring thoroughness because we understand you want to get back to normal as quickly as possible. Our goal is to complete your restoration correctly the first time rather than rushing through and having to return to fix problems later.
Local Resources
Other Services we provide in Downtown