Auburn residents and businesses reach Bouchard Cleaning & Restoration DKI through our Lewiston-area line, 207-740-9449. Our emergency line is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year for fire, water, mold and sewage in Auburn, and every other service we offer is available here as well.
Auburn’s housing and business districts each bring their own kind of job, and the sections below start with the likeliest ones.
Water damage and flooding in Auburn
On the Auburn side of the Androscoggin, North River Road and the homes on Newbury Street take water first, and in a bigger flood it reaches Center Street. In December 2023 Center Street businesses stood in floodwater. Drywall, insulation and carpet that river water has soaked usually have to come out before drying starts.
Many calls have a plainer cause, such as a frozen pipe, a roof leak or a failed sprinkler line. Over a quarter of the city’s housing is in two- to four-unit buildings, where water from one floor finds the floor below. We pull out standing water, then set drying equipment. Our water damage restoration page covers the process, and the water damage tips help while you wait.
Commercial cleaning and apartment turnovers in Auburn
Auburn’s Center Street corridor and the river-side business blocks are mostly shops and offices, and they need cleaning and sanitizing on a schedule as well as after an incident.
Auburn also has a lot of rental housing, much of it in older two- to four-unit buildings. Landlords can book move-in and move-out cleaning, with the work planned around the date the unit has to be ready. The cleaning and sanitizing page explains the method, and the apartment and condo cleaning page covers turnovers.
Fire, soot and puff-back cleanup
About half of the homes here heat with oil and a few burn wood, so we see two kinds of soot. An oil burner puff-back throws a greasy black film through every room, and a chimney fire leaves its own residue around the flue and nearby rooms. Soot smears when it is wiped, so wait for us before you clean anything.
We board up openings first so the house is secure, then pack out the contents that can be saved and inventory them for cleaning while repairs go on. We work with every insurance company and can explain how the claim will go. The smoke and fire damage services page lists what a cleanup covers.
Mold in Auburn basements and older houses
More than a third of Auburn’s housing dates from 1939 or earlier, and nearly 60 percent from before 1960. Cellars in houses that age stay damp after river flooding and the spring thaw, and mold can start within 24 to 48 hours of a leak.
We assess first, so you know the plan and any testing before work begins. Larger or hidden growth needs proper removal, which can include HEPA air scrubbing, anti-microbial treatment and tearing out and rebuilding damaged materials. Our mold assessment and removal page describes how a job runs, and the tips to prevent mold growth help once the space is dry.
Sewage and biohazard cleanup
Auburn and Lewiston share one wastewater plant, and parts of both cities’ sewers still carry stormwater along with sewage. In a heavy storm that can push sewage up through a basement floor drain, and sewage carries bacteria that household cleaners do not handle.
We remove whatever the sewage reached that cannot be saved, then clean and sanitize the space. The same crews handle bodily fluid cleanup, animal waste and vandalism. Hoarding cleanups have an emotional side, so we work with the owner and, where it helps, the property manager or realtor. The biohazard cleaning page describes each type of job.
Air duct cleaning
Oil is the main heat in Auburn, and some households burn wood, so ducts collect soot and fine ash after a puff-back or a smoky stove. Renovating an older two- to four-unit house does the same with plaster and drywall dust, which the furnace then carries from room to room. The National Air Duct Cleaners Association suggests cleaning every three to five years, sooner with pets, smoking or allergies. Cleaner ducts also help indoor air quality and can trim heating and cooling costs. The duct cleaning page explains the job.
Carpet, upholstery and floor care
Our van-mounted hot steam extraction cleans carpet and upholstery, and you do not need to prepare anything. Technicians block and tab the furniture, pre-treat stains, deal with pet odors and can apply Scotchgard. Carpet is usually dry in 12 to 24 hours. Shops and offices along Center Street bring winter salt and sand onto entry carpet, and landlords call us for rental units between tenants. Tile floors can be waxed and grout cleaned on the same visit. Our floor care page covers carpet, upholstery, tile and grout.
Post-construction cleanup
A remodel leaves drywall dust on every surface and inside the ducts, and a rebuild after flood or fire leaves mud and adhesive on top of that. Older two- to four-unit houses get renovated here, and the river-side business district rebuilds after high water, so we get both kinds of calls. The crew removes debris, dust, mud and adhesive, cleans walls and high spaces, peels factory stickers off new windows and washes the windows, sills and screens. Carpet, tile and the duct system are cleaned too. See post-construction cleaning for the full list.
Clothing and soft contents restoration
Clothing, bedding and curtains that went through fire, flood water, sewage, mold or smoke can often be saved. In Auburn’s two- to four-unit houses, smoke and water travel between floors, so a neighbor’s belongings may be affected too, and flooded basements are where winter coats and bedding are stored. We use the Esporta Wash System, a phosphate-free detergent and about half the water, and its third-party testing shows about 90 percent of soft contents come back food-grade clean. Our clothing restoration page explains what can be saved.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the Lewiston phone number cover Auburn jobs too?
Yes. Auburn calls go through our Lewiston-area line, 207-740-9449, and we serve the whole city. The toll-free number, 1-800-479-6676, reaches us as well.
Our shop on Center Street took on water from the river. Can we stay open?
That depends on how far the water spread. River water is contaminated, so we remove wet porous materials such as drywall, insulation and carpet, then clean, sanitize and dry the space. We will tell you which areas can stay in use and give you a plan for the rest.
We rent a three-family house. Water from the top floor is coming through the ceiling below. What now?
Shut off the water if you can and call us. We extract the water, set drying equipment on every floor it reached and monitor moisture until all units are dry. Our water damage tips list what to move and what to leave alone.
How long after the river goes down before mold becomes a worry?
Mold can start growing within 24 to 48 hours of a spill or flood. Call as soon as the water recedes so the basement can be dried before it takes hold.
Is a chimney fire different from a furnace puff-back to clean up?
Both leave soot that smears, and both can send residue into the ducts. We clean the structure, deodorize and clean the ducts when they carry residue. Do not wipe the walls or run the furnace until we have looked.
Can I clean up a small sewage backup myself?
Sewage contains bacteria, so the area needs cleaning and sanitizing that household products do not reach. Please call before you start cleaning it yourself.
Can you clean an Auburn apartment between tenants on a tight schedule?
Yes. We do surface, window, wall, carpet and tile cleaning and can clean the ducts in the same visit. Give us the move-out date and the date the next tenant arrives and we will plan around them.
My claim was denied. How do I pay for the cleanup?
Insurance does not always cover cleaning and restoration. Our partner Enhancify offers financing that you can apply for on our website and repay over time. If the claim is still open, we work with every insurance carrier.
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