What is Soda Blasting and How Can it Be Used to Restore Fire Damage

 

When a fire breaks out in your home or business, your primary concern is the safety of the inhabitants. The high temperature, flames, and amount of smoke are severe threats to everyone’s health, which is exactly why it’s imperative to evacuate the property right away. These various elements of a fire can end up causing permanent damage, if not addressed in a timely manner, to your property and personal belongings as well. Even the water used to extinguish the fire’s flames can end up damaging your residential or commercial property.

Following a fire, your home or business needs to undergo restoration as soon as possible to limit the damage from worsening or even becoming permanent. One way to restore your property of fire damage is to use soda blasting, which is a safe and environmentally friendly cleaning method.

Check out more on soda blasting, what it entails, how it works, and how it can clean up fire damage.

What is Soda Blasting?

Soda blasting is a cleaning method that uses an environmentally friendly form of sodium bicarbonate to remove dirt and other substances from various surfaces. The sodium bicarbonate, better known as baking soda and also referred to as soda blast media, is applied to an affected surface using pressure from blaster technology.

What makes this type of baking soda unique and different from standard baking soda is its crystal shape and size. It is largely sized, jagged, and irregularly shaped, which gives it special cleaning abilities.

How Does Soda Blasting Clean Damage?

To use the sodium bicarbonate for soda blasting, it must be used in a soda blaster. The pressure provided by the soda blaster will shatter the crystals. As the crystals shatter, the surface becomes cleaned and the crystals are turned into a fine powder. Because of this, soda blast media can only be used once. However, the powder left behind following soda blasting is water soluble, which makes for a quick and simple cleanup.

It’s important to use the sodium bicarbonate in a soda blaster, because it maximizes the cleaning efficiency. Other types of blasters are not designed to efficiently work with soda blast media. If you do use a sand blaster or other type of blaster, then the sodium carbonate will not clean the damaged surface as well as it could.

Is Soda Blasting Safe?

Soda blasting is very safe. When it comes to cleaning, there are many methods and equipment that can be harsh to the affected surfaces and even to people conducting the work. But this isn’t the case with soda blasting.

Not only is soda blasting an environmentally friendly cleaning method, but soda blast media has soft crystals. The soft crystals make for a rather gentle cleaning method that doesn’t produce a lot of heat. This also means soda blasting won’t harm the surfaces it’s used for. For example, if used on thin metal surfaces, the soda blasting won’t warp the material or ruin its appearance. In fact, soda blasting was first used in the 1980s to clean the Statue of Liberty. Because of the qualities of soda blasting, the structure could be cleaned without harming any of its components.

How is Soda Blasting Effective in Fire Damage Cleanup?

Soda blasting is highly effective for cleaning off charring, soot, and other residues left by a fire. It quickly and efficiently restores fire-damaged materials and even deodorizes them. When a fire occurs, it leaves behind not only physical damage but also lingering odors from smoke and burnt objects. These odors are tough to eliminate because the particles settle into surfaces. However, soda blasting absorbs and removes these smells instead of just covering them up.

Soda blasting is also a cost-effective method for fire damage cleanup. It requires lower pressure levels and smaller amounts of blasting media compared to other cleaning methods, making it more economical. Additionally, soda blasting is eco-friendly since baking soda is a non-toxic, environmentally safe substance. It’s also versatile and can be used on various surfaces, including wood, brick, stone, metal, and glass.

How Do Professionals Perform Soda Blasting?

It usually takes anywhere from a few hours to a few days to restore fire damage, depending on how bad it is and how large the area is. Below is a step-by-step guide to understanding how soda blasting works:

Preparation

• Assessment: Before starting, the affected area is assessed to determine the extent of the fire damage and the appropriate approach.
• Safety Measures: Safety gear is used to protect the operator, and the area is prepared to contain the blasting media.

Soda Blasting Process

• Equipment Setup: Soda blasting equipment includes an air compressor, blasting hose, and a blasting gun. Sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) is used as the blasting media.
• Application: The blasting gun propels the baking soda particles at high speed onto the fire-damaged surface using compressed air.
• Abrasive Action: The high-speed soda particles impact the surface, breaking down and removing soot, charring, and other residues left by the fire. The mild abrasive nature of baking soda cleans without damaging the underlying surface.

Post Soda Blasting Process

• Clean-Up: After blasting, the area is thoroughly cleaned to remove any soda residue and debris.
• Surface Inspection: The cleaned surfaces are inspected to ensure that all fire damage residues have been effectively removed.

Professional Fire Damage Restoration

If your residential or commercial property has suffered damaged by a fire, then you need to act immediately to limit the amount of harm done. Soda blasting is an effective way to handle fire damage restoration, but it is something that should be done only by professionals.

Get in touch with a professional fire damage restoration services to have your home cleaned in the aftermath of a fire. Professional technicians will clean and restore your damaged property, using soda blasting and other techniques and equipment.

---

Frequently Asked Questions

Is soda blasting effective on all types of soot?

Soda blasting is effective on most types of soot, including the fine, sticky residues from fires. However, extremely heavy soot deposits or soot on porous materials may require multiple treatments or additional cleaning methods.

Can soda blasting remove paint or other coatings?

Soda blasting can remove paint and other coatings, but it is generally used for cleaning rather than stripping. It’s effective on surfaces with delicate or layered coatings, but effectiveness can vary depending on the thickness and type of coating.

What types of equipment are used in soda blasting?

Soda blasting requires specialized equipment, including a blasting pot or hopper, a compressor, and a nozzle. The equipment needs to be set up and adjusted according to the size and nature of the job.

Is soda blasting suitable for residential or commercial properties?

Soda blasting is suitable for both residential and commercial properties. It’s commonly used for cleaning fire and smoke damage in homes, offices, and industrial buildings.