Same-Day Soot Cleanup in East Tennessee
Free inspection • All insurance accepted • IICRC certified
Is there a black film on the walls that smears when you touch it, even in rooms the fire never reached? Wiping it can set the stain for good. We clean it the right way for each surface. Call any hour. The inspection is free.
How we handle soot cleanup in East Tennessee
Do not wipe the soot before we arrive, because water and household cleaners can set it into a permanent stain. Then call. Someone answers at any hour. In the Tri-Cities our emergency crews are on site within 60 minutes, and we reach the Knoxville corridor the same day.
At the free inspection, we work out what burned and which rooms the soot reached. A kitchen fire, a wood fire and burning plastic each leave a different kind of soot.
Then we test a small patch on each surface. Painted walls, plaster, brick and cabinets each clean differently, and the test tells us which method will work.
We start with dry methods, using dry sponges and HEPA vacuums, and use liquid cleaners only where the dry method stops working. Air scrubbers run so nothing we lift settles somewhere else.
We write the estimate in Xactimate, the same software insurance companies use, and we work directly with your insurance company on the claim. If something is not covered, financing is available.
Why homeowners call us for soot cleanup
On site within 60 minutes
Soot keeps working into the surfaces it lands on. In the Tri-Cities our emergency crews are on site within 60 minutes, day or night, and we reach the Knoxville corridor the same day.
A free inspection, no commitment
We test your surfaces, show you what will come clean, and put the plan in writing. You decide whether we do the work.
We accept all insurance
We work directly with your insurance company and document soot in every room it reached, including closets and rooms far from the fire.
Financing if you need it
If your policy does not cover everything, or you would rather not file a claim, financing is available.
Family owned and IICRC certified
We are a family-owned crew out of Johnson City, and our soot cleanup follows IICRC standards.
Communities we serve across East Tennessee
We clean up soot in homes and businesses across the Tri-Cities and the Knoxville corridor, from Johnson City, Kingsport and Bristol to Knoxville and Morristown. Call any hour to check whether we cover your address.
Conrad's Water Damage and Fire Restoration
Soot Cleanup Services
- Soot Cleanup
Schedule a free soot cleanup inspection
Tell us which rooms have soot, and we will call you back to book the inspection.
Speak with the Conrad's Water Damage and Fire Restoration team now
Call for immediate assistance and service.
Soot cleanup questions we answer most
The ones we get on almost every job.
Can I wipe the soot off myself?
Wiping soot with a dry cloth or household cleaner almost always makes it worse, pushing oily residue deeper into porous surfaces and spreading staining further than the original deposit. Our technicians use dry chemical sponges, HEPA vacuums, and pH-matched cleaning agents matched to the type of soot so the first pass is the right pass, not a pass that costs you more to fix later.
Why is there soot in rooms that never saw the fire?
Smoke travels through HVAC ducts, wall cavities, and any gap it can find, so soot lands wherever the air went, not just wherever the flames were. That is why we inspect the whole structure, not just the burned area, and document every affected surface so nothing gets missed on your claim.
Can I just paint over it?
Paint will not seal in soot odor or the acidic residue underneath, and within weeks that residue will bleed through the new coat and the smell will return. Surfaces have to be properly cleaned and, where needed, sealed with an odor-blocking primer before any finish work goes on, and that cleaning is what we do before a contractor ever picks up a brush.
How fast does soot start to do damage?
Soot is acidic and starts etching metal, glass, and finished surfaces within hours of a fire, and the longer it sits the more of those materials become permanently stained or pitted rather than cleanable. Getting a crew on-site fast is not just about odor control, it is about protecting materials that are still salvageable right now but will not be in a day or two.
Do you work with my insurance?
Yes, we accept all insurance and we work the file with your adjuster by providing full documentation including 360 room scans, daily moisture and soot readings, photos, and a line-item scope priced against the Xactimate list your carrier already uses. You also have the right to hire us even if your carrier suggests someone else, and when you hire Conrad's we work for you, not for the insurance company.
Have a question? Call us, we're available. (423)-767-7229