About one housing unit in five in Lincoln is vacant, and in a lakes town that includes seasonal camps. Bouchard Cleaning & Restoration DKI works in Lincoln, Chester, Enfield, Howland, Mattawamkeag and the lakeside camps around them. Our numbers are 207-947-4454 and, toll-free, 1-800-479-6676. Calls are taken 24/7/365, and after hours our on-call staff phone you back within 15 minutes of the answering service paging them.
Lincoln customers can book any service we offer. The sections below cover the problems we expect to see here.
Frozen pipes and water damage in camps and homes
A camp that is closed for the winter can have a pipe freeze and split without anyone knowing, and the line can run for days before the next visit. Houses that sit empty between owners carry the same risk. Crews pump out the water, set up drying equipment and check moisture readings throughout, and if water ran for a while we also check for mold.
A roof leak or a failed line in a year-round house is handled the same way. What we do once we arrive is on the water damage cleanup page, and the water damage tips cover what you can do before then.
Puff-backs, woodstoves and fire damage
About seven in ten homes heat with oil and more than one in ten burns wood. An oil burner that misfires blows soot through the ducts and over everything in the house. A woodstove or chimney fire leaves a similar film, and soot smears if you wipe it.
Pack-outs and content inventory are part of a fire job, so belongings can be cleaned away from the damaged rooms. We clean and deodorize the structure as well, and our own contractors can handle the rebuild when there is structural damage. Whichever insurer you have, we have worked with it. The fire restoration page describes the full range of work.
Mold in closed-up camps and damp basements
Mold grows in a building that stays closed up and damp for months, and in a camp that can show on bedding and the backs of walls by spring. Call us if you notice a musty smell when you open up.
Any testing is explained before the work starts, along with each removal step. Depending on what we find, we apply anti-microbial treatment and rebuild what has to be torn out. Household bleach lightens the color of mold and leaves it alive. The mold remediation page covers the process from assessment onward, and the mold prevention tips cover keeping moisture down afterward.
Sewage backups, septic and biohazard cleanup
The town has a sewer district for in-town properties, while many lakeside camps and houses rely on private septic systems. In either case, a backup into a basement or crawl space contaminates whatever it reaches. We remove what is contaminated, clean the area and sanitize it with the TOMI SteraMist system, which leaves no residue. Bodily fluid cleanup, hoarding, animal waste and vandalism are also part of what we do. For the full job list, read the biohazard cleanup page.
Cleaning and sanitizing for Lincoln businesses
A hospital and the town’s schools and municipal buildings are the kinds of places we sanitize. We clean and sanitize medical buildings, nursing homes, schools, restaurants, gyms and offices, ahead of an outbreak or after one, with the TOMI SteraMist system. About a quarter of households rent, and landlords can have apartments and condos cleaned between tenants. Our cleaning services page describes sanitizing for commercial buildings; rental turnovers are under apartment and condo cleaning.
Air duct cleaning
With oil and wood heat in most homes, soot reaches the ducts after a puff-back or a chimney problem. Camps are a different case: a building that was shut for months collects dust and a stale smell in the ductwork and registers, which blows out once the heat is turned back on. The National Air Duct Cleaners Association’s guideline is every 3 to 5 years, with shorter intervals for pets, smokers or allergy sufferers. See the air duct cleaning page.
Carpet, upholstery and floor care
Carpets and furniture in a camp that sat closed all winter are often worth cleaning when you open up. We clean carpet and upholstery with van-mounted hot steam extraction, set furniture back on blocks and tabs, and remove pet odors and stains. No preparation is needed on your part, and the carpet usually dries in 12 to 24 hours. Rental apartments are cleaned between tenants, and carpet that took on water gets extracted first. More is on the floor care services page.
Post-construction cleanup
We clean up after a renovation, a camp rebuild or a new building, when leftover dust reaches the walls, windows and floors. After a frozen-pipe flood or a fire, the finishing clean comes once the drywall and flooring are back in. We remove debris, dust and adhesive, wash windows, sills and screens, and clean carpet and tile. The ducts are cleaned and inspected as well. Our post-construction cleanup page describes the clean after the trades leave.
Clothing and contents restoration
Bedding, clothing and curtains that came through smoke, flooding, sewage or mold are often worth keeping. Camp linens left in a closed building over the winter can pick up a musty smell, and the woodstove smoke odor sets into closets and jackets. The Esporta Wash System, shown by third-party testing to return about 90% of soft contents to food-grade clean, uses half the water of ordinary washing. The contents restoration page describes the wash process.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you come out to the lakes around Lincoln?
Yes. We serve camps and year-round homes in Lincoln and the surrounding towns, including Chester, Enfield, Howland and Mattawamkeag. Call 207-947-4454.
We opened the camp and found a split pipe and wet floors. What now?
Shut off the water if you can, then call us. The water is extracted and the structure and contents are dried, with moisture monitored. Because the water may have run for days, we also check for mold.
The camp smells musty after the winter. Is that mold?
It may be. Mold grows in closed, damp buildings. We assess first and explain what testing is needed before recommending removal.
Which number do I call for a weekend emergency?
Use 207-947-4454 or the toll-free line, 1-800-479-6676, on a weekend the same as any weekday. Our on-call staff reach you within 15 minutes of the answering service’s page.
Our septic system backed up into the basement. Do you clean that?
Yes. The contaminated materials are taken out and the area is cleaned and sanitized. The septic system itself is a job for a septic contractor.
A woodstove fire filled the house with smoke. Can the house be saved?
Often yes. We clean the walls, ceilings and contents, deodorize and clean the ducts. Don’t wipe soot or use furniture that smells of smoke.
Do you take on large losses a long way from your office?
Yes. We have several crews, and as a DKI member we can request additional technicians and equipment when a job needs more. We serve all 16 Maine counties.
We are not insured for this. Are there payment options?
If you have no coverage, our partner Enhancify offers financing, and you can apply from our website. If you do have a policy, we deal with all insurance carriers.
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