FAQ's (Frequently Asked Questions)

A disaster in your home or office is something you may never have had to consider. Now that you do, you need professionals to restore those things that make you house a home or an office functional. Experienced technicians are vital for successful restoration. Our fire and smoke damage specialists have all completed advanced training in fire, smoke and water damage restoration. We strive to remain technologically advanced through monthly training sessions and technical updates. C&C Complete Services specializes in complete restoration of fire damaged homes, furnishings and personal belongings. Our cleaning and restoration processes enable your insurance company to determine what additional services, if any, are needed. If you have a large loss, an adjuster may choose to inspect your damage; however, emergency services should not be delayed. Any final decisions concerning your property rest with you and your insurance adjuster.

The information presented in this literature is general in nature and may not apply to your specific needs. We hope however that this will help answer your questions and concerns and aid you in understanding the processes and procedures in restoring your home.

What to Expect

The restoration of your home will involve three phases:

1. Scope and Determination of Services to be Performed – Our trained Fire Division Manager will meet you at your home or business and answer any questions as well as do a complete estimate or “take-off” of your home. The estimate is then faxed to your insurance company for their review.

2. Project Commencement – On the day of work begins, the Fire Division Manager will meet with you to introduce the technical staff who will be providing the restoration services. A detailed copy of the work to be performed will be given to you.

3. Walk-Through and Satisfaction Guarantee – On the final day of service, the Fire Division Manager will meet with you again for a walk-through. Any questions and/or problems will be addressed at this time. Your complete satisfaction is our goal.

How the Work Proceeds

We assign two or three technicians to your home or business. We minimize the number of personnel to control quality and accountability. The supervising technician will answer any questions you may have as well as coordinate the work schedule. Our trained technical staff will complete the work quickly and efficiently. We clean from top to bottom working our way “out the door”. Normally, floors will be done last. Our goal is to prevent recontamination and ensure complete soot removal. Our Fire Division Manager will answer questions you may have and provide additional information that is specific to your situation.

Categories of Fire, Smoke and Other Damage

We have defined the following general categories of property damage:

1. Contained Fire – A contained fire is controlled before heavy smoke spreads throughout the house. Relocation is not necessary.

2. Severe Fire – A severe fire may require temporary relocation due to an excessive amount of smoke damage, structural damage, or a combination.

3. Other Damage/Calamities – Calamities are unusual damage situations where we can be of service.

Glossary Terms

The following glossary of terms will help you become familiar with situations that require the relocation of you and/or your property:

Move-Out – People must relocate for all or a portion of the time that restoration and/or reconstruction takes place.

Pack-Out – People and all contents must be relocated for all or a portion of the time that restoration and/or reconstruction takes places.

Pack-Back – All contents and personal belongings are returned to your home or business. Furniture and marked boxes will be returned to the appropriate room.

The following questions and answers apply to all three categories of property damage:

Has my heating and air conditioning system been contaminated?

The ventilation system is generally cleaned on the first day of work in order to improve air quality and prevent contamination through the duct system. Vents will be covered with filter element as an extra precaution.

How will you clean my walls and wallpaper?

There are many types of interior wall surfaces; such as flat, semi-gloss and gloss paint, vinyl-coated and fabric wallpaper, wood paneling, brick and stone to name the most common. We use chemsponges, wall washing and rinsing or a combination of techniques to restore you walls or prepare for paint.

What about my draperies and other window treatments?

We have the ability to dry clean your drapes and clean blinds on-site. In some cases they may need to be taken down, dry cleaned, ozoned and rehung.

Why are some areas of my house affected more than others?

To summarize the Second Law of Thermodynamics, heat seeks equilibrium. Therefore, smoke is attached to cool areas. This explains why soot may be found in cool places of your home, such as: closets, basement and on the inside of the exterior walls.

Can you clean my upholstery?

Yes, we encounter an array of fabrics from Herculon to Chintz, glazed cotton or imported silks. We will determine the cleaning process to be used based upon the type and condition of the fabric. We will dry clean, wet clean, ozone, or use other cleaning procedures to restore the fabric to its pre-loss condition. We hand clean the most delicate fabrics.

Can you clean all the different types of floor surfaces?

Yes we can! Your wall to wall carpet and area carpets will be thoroughly cleaned and deodorized. Orientals and other specialty rugs will be individually cleaned and restored based on their fiber type and age. In some instances, Orientals and area carpets may be brought to our warehouse for specialized care. All hard surface floors, including wood, ceramic, vinyl, slate and concrete will be cleaned, restore, and/or finished according to the specifications required.

What about my computer and other electronics?

The key to successful electronics restoration is fast response. The sooner the cleaning process begins, the more likely we will be able to restore your equipment. We use a high pressure, low impact steam cleaning system. Fore example, this process can save computer hardware, CD players and TVs. All equipment is tested to ensure its integrity.

What is ultrasonic and ionic cleaning and will it damage my belongings?

We employ the latest technology to expedite the complete restoration of your china, vases, crystal, and other valuables. The key element in this equation is ultrasonic cleaning. Through the use of high frequency sound waves, ultrasonic cleaning provides an extremely effective method of cleaning, while minimizing the risk of breakage to your belongings. Ionic cleaning is very similar, yet it employs electrical charges to clean fine metals and jewelry.

What is ozone and how is it useful?

Ozone is very useful in odor control because it is a strong oxidizer and will attack a wide variety of materials that cause odor. Because it attacks and destroys odor- causing molecules, it is not considered a masking agent. Ozone is highly reactive and must be handled cautiously. If an ozone molecule does not combine with an odor-causing molecule, it will revert back to oxygen, which eliminates any long-term safety concerns. People, pets and plants may not be present during the ozone process.

What about smoke-damaged clothes and linens?

Damaged clothing and linens require special attention by dry cleaning professionals who specialize in smoke odor removal. Your clothing and linens will be picked up, cleaned and returned to you. The cleaning process usually includes ozone and deodorization, which should eliminate any residual odors.

Is there anything you can do with my artwork/antiques?

The restoration process for restoring artwork and antiques varies with the degree of damage and types of articles that are being restored. We have the capability to clean oil paintings, stained glass, fine china, sculptures, oriental rugs and tapestries. We employ specialists when necessary.

What about the black soot on the exterior of the structure?

Power washing is an alternative for removing unsightly black soot from the exterior of your house when conventional cleaning methods are not effective.

The following questions and answers pertain to information you will need if you have structural damage and your restoration requires a move-out and/or a pack-out.

What do I need to take responsibility for?

It is very important that you take responsibility for a few items immediately. Please take with you all of your valuables, firearms, medications and important documents such as birth certificates, titles, financial instruments or other identification. Sealed food is generally safe; any open food should be discarded.

My house has broken out windows and a damaged roof. What can I do to secure it?

A qualified contractor can provide board-up and other emergency assistance in order to secure your property.

What do I need to do to get my utilities back on?

You should contact an electrician to inspect your electrical system and restore your power. In more severe cases, the fire department will remove your electrical meter during the fire and the power company will need to reinstall it.

What about my pets and plants?

Pets need to stay with friends, family, neighbors or be boarded. Fish will need to have the aquarium water changed. Do not water plants until they have been repotted, you may want to report only if they are expensive or hold sentimental value.

Where will you be taking my personal belongings?

We clean, box and store your belongings for the duration of the reconstruction and restoration. This system ensures the efficient cleaning, storage and security of your contents. We have an alarm protected, sprinkled warehouse, especially dedicated for this purpose. For your convenience, we will designate 5-10 boxes as necessary. These boxes will be accessible to you.

The following incidents are property damage situations where our restoration/cleaning processes would be used.

What is a puff back?

There are two reasons that puff backs occur. Improper ventilation is the most common. Ventilation can be restricted by foreign objects or when the barometric pressure drops outside and does not allow the exhausting air to flow freely. This forces the air back through the furnace, picking up soot and releasing it through the ventilation system. The other is caused by pinholes in the heat exchanger which allows the soot to be dispersed throughout your home. The steps needed for restoration are the same as in a contained fire and severe fire.

The townhouse next door caught on fire. What will happen to my place?

We will treat for smoke damage and clean contents as needed. However, the odor may remain until the adjoining unit is repaired. To protect your property, you should report this to your insurance company.

I have 1000 gallons of fuel oil in my basement. What can I do?

The responsible oil company will pump it out. If necessary, a remediation company may be called in for environmental purposes. Afterwards, we will ventilate, clean, deodorize and seal when required.