- 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed
- 24/7 Emergency Response
- We Work With Insurances
Smoke damage doesn’t just leave visible residue—it leaves you questioning whether your space will ever feel safe and clean again. The lingering odors, the worry about hidden contamination, the stress of not knowing if your family’s health is at risk.
Our smoke damage cleanup process eliminates these concerns completely. You get your property back in pre-damage condition, with air quality that’s actually cleaner than before the incident. No more holding your breath when you walk through the door. No more explaining odors to visitors.
Just your home or business, fully restored and genuinely safe. Most clients tell us their space feels cleaner and fresher than it has in years.
Flood Guys Restoration is family-owned and we’ve been serving South Milwaukee and surrounding communities for years. We’re not a national chain—we’re your neighbors who understand exactly what properties in this area face.
South Milwaukee’s lake-effect weather, older home construction, and unique environmental factors all affect how smoke damage spreads and how restoration needs to be handled. We’ve seen it all, from smoke damage in century-old homes near the lakefront to modern condos dealing with HVAC contamination.
Our average response time is 90 minutes because we’re local. When you call, you’re talking to people who know your neighborhood, understand your concerns, and have the equipment staged nearby to respond immediately.
Step one: We assess everything—not just obvious damage, but hidden contamination in HVAC systems, wall cavities, and areas where smoke traveled but you can’t see residue. This prevents surprises later and ensures we address the full scope of contamination.
Step two: Containment and removal. We protect unaffected areas and remove items that can’t be cleaned effectively on-site. Everything else gets cleaned using techniques specific to the type of smoke residue present.
Step three: Deep cleaning and decontamination using specialized equipment that removes particles at the molecular level. We’re not just wiping surfaces—we’re neutralizing acidic residues that cause ongoing damage. The final step involves advanced odor elimination that doesn’t mask smells but eliminates them completely. We test air quality before calling the job complete.
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Our smoke damage cleanup covers every aspect of restoration: structural cleaning, content restoration, odor elimination, HVAC decontamination, and coordination with contractors for any reconstruction work. You get one point of contact for the entire process.
South Milwaukee’s location near Lake Michigan creates specific challenges for smoke damage restoration. Higher humidity levels can cause smoke particles to penetrate deeper into materials and increase the risk of secondary damage like mold growth. The salt air from the lake can also accelerate corrosion from acidic smoke residues.
We adjust our techniques based on these local conditions, using moisture control equipment calibrated for our climate and cleaning agents selected for their effectiveness in high-humidity environments. This local expertise typically means faster restoration times and better results than companies that use generic approaches regardless of local conditions.
Call immediately—within hours of when the fire is extinguished, not days later. Smoke particles become more acidic over time and will continue damaging your property even after the fire is out. What might be cleanable today could be permanently damaged if you wait.
The first 24-48 hours are critical. Smoke residue that sits for days becomes chemically bonded to surfaces and much harder to remove. Electronics, in particular, can suffer permanent damage from acidic smoke residues within just a few hours of exposure.
We’re available 24/7 specifically because timing matters so much with smoke damage. The sooner we start, the more we can typically save and the less expensive the overall restoration becomes. Waiting to “see how bad it is” almost always makes the problem worse and more costly to fix.
Most homeowner’s insurance policies cover smoke damage cleanup when it results from a covered fire loss. This typically includes professional cleaning, content restoration, temporary housing, and deodorization services. Coverage is usually more comprehensive than homeowners expect.
The challenge is navigating the claims process correctly. Insurance companies require specific documentation, and mistakes early in the process can limit your coverage. We handle insurance claims daily and know exactly what documentation adjusters need and how to present estimates in ways that maximize your coverage.
We work directly with your insurance company, provide detailed damage assessments, and handle all the paperwork. Most clients are surprised to learn their policies cover services like professional cleaning of electronics, temporary housing during restoration, and even replacement of items that can’t be cleaned effectively. Let us handle the insurance complexity while you focus on getting your life back to normal.
Attempting DIY smoke cleanup almost always makes the problem worse and can be dangerous to your health. Smoke particles contain toxic compounds that require specialized equipment and techniques to remove safely. Standard cleaning products can’t handle smoke residue and may actually set stains permanently.
Professional smoke cleanup requires equipment like thermal foggers, ozone generators, and HEPA filtration systems that aren’t available to consumers. Different types of smoke residue require different cleaning approaches—what works for kitchen grease fires won’t work for synthetic material fires.
Improper cleaning can spread contamination to clean areas, drive particles deeper into materials, or create chemical reactions that cause additional damage. The money you think you’re saving on professional cleanup often gets spent replacing items damaged by incorrect cleaning attempts. Professional restoration typically costs less than replacing everything that gets ruined by DIY cleanup efforts.
Most residential smoke cleanup projects take 3-7 days for the cleaning and deodorization phases, though the timeline depends on the extent of contamination and the size of the affected area. Complex cases involving extensive HVAC cleaning or specialty items can take longer.
The process breaks down into phases: initial assessment and documentation (completed within 24 hours), content removal and structural cleaning (2-4 days), and odor elimination treatment (2-3 days of continuous processing). If reconstruction is needed, that adds time but happens after cleaning is complete.
We provide detailed timelines during our initial assessment and update you daily on progress. Factors that can extend timelines include discovery of hidden contamination, need for specialized cleaning of electronics or artwork, or weather conditions that affect drying times. Our goal is always to complete restoration as quickly as possible while ensuring thorough results that will last.
Fire damage is caused by flames and heat, while smoke damage is contamination from particles and gases that can travel throughout your entire property—even areas never touched by flames. Smoke travels through HVAC systems, electrical pathways, and wall cavities, contaminating rooms far from the actual fire.
Smoke particles are microscopic and acidic. They cause corrosion, discoloration, and persistent odors that get worse over time. Fire damage is usually obvious and visible, but smoke damage can be hidden and may not become apparent for weeks or months as acidic residues continue eating away at surfaces.
The restoration approaches are completely different. Fire damage requires structural repairs and reconstruction. Smoke damage requires specialized cleaning techniques, chemical neutralization, and advanced odor elimination. Both need professional expertise, but smoke damage is often more complex because contamination can be anywhere in the building, not just where you can see obvious damage.
Complete odor elimination requires attacking odor-causing compounds at the molecular level, not just masking smells with air fresheners. We use multiple advanced techniques including thermal fogging, ozone treatment, and hydroxyl generation to neutralize odors permanently.
Thermal fogging uses heated deodorizing agents that penetrate materials the same way smoke originally did, neutralizing odor molecules embedded deep in porous surfaces. Ozone treatment chemically breaks down odor compounds but requires the space to be unoccupied during treatment. Hydroxyl generators provide continuous odor neutralization that’s safe around people and pets.
The key is finding all odor sources, including hidden areas where smoke traveled through wall cavities, ductwork, and above ceiling tiles. We use specialized detection equipment to locate contamination that isn’t obvious and continue treatment until air quality testing confirms complete elimination. The process typically takes 2-3 days of continuous treatment, and we guarantee the odors won’t return.
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