Repainting after fire and smoke damage in Naperville

Kitchen fires, furnace puff-backs, candles and fireplaces leave soot that can range from a faint gray haze to heavy black streaks above the source. Light residue is washed off with a degreasing cleaner; heavier soot is first removed by restoration cleaning. Once surfaces are clean and dry, every stained area, and usually the whole room, is sealed before painting. Trim and doors are cleaned and scuffed so the new enamel bonds, and cabinets near the source are often refinished at the same time.

Water-based primers do not stop smoke odor or stains reliably. Shellac-based and oil-based sealers do, which is why we use them on smoke-affected walls and ceilings after cleaning. They are applied with ventilation and the room cleared, and once dry they lock the residue under a hard film. Two coats of finish paint then go on over the sealer. This step is often what decides whether a room still smells of smoke a month later, which is why we never skip it.

After a fire, restoration contractors usually handle the cleanup, drying and any drywall replacement. Our part is the finish: priming new drywall, sealing the existing surfaces, matching textures where patches meet old ceilings, and repainting walls, ceilings, trim and doors so the rooms look finished again. If you have an adjuster's scope of work, share it and we will price the painting to it. We also note anything the scope misses, such as closets or hallway ceilings, so you can raise it with the adjuster before work starts.