Portland has two kinds of emergency that most Maine cities do not: harbor tides that reach buildings at street level, and many older apartment buildings where one wet ceiling affects several households. Bouchard Cleaning & Restoration DKI handles both, along with fire, mold, sewage and routine cleaning. Our Portland number is 207-536-7220, the same line as our Westbrook office. Emergency service in Portland runs 24 hours a day, with on-call staff covering nights and weekends.
The notes under each heading describe what each service usually involves in the city’s buildings.
Water damage and flooding in Portland
The National Weather Service lists flooding along the wharfs and the side streets near Portland Pier once the harbor tide runs high, with Marginal Way and Somerset Street among the first roads to take water. The storms of January 2024 pushed seawater into the Old Port and the Back Cove area. Tidal water is salty and dirty, so wet drywall and carpet normally come out, and the structure is dried before anything is rebuilt.
Inland, most water damage here starts inside the building. About six in ten Portland homes sit in multi-unit buildings, and nearly half of the city’s housing was built before 1940. In a triple-decker, a failed supply line on the third floor can reach every unit beneath it. We place drying equipment in each affected unit and track moisture readings until the walls and floors are dry, and we talk with the owner or condo association as well as the tenants. Owners can read the full process under water damage restoration, and tenants can start with the water damage tips.
Fire and smoke damage in Portland apartment buildings and houses
Smoke in a multi-unit building does not stay where the fire started. It moves through shared stairwells, wall cavities and ducts into units that never burned, and each of those households has belongings and walls that need cleaning. About three Portland homes in ten heat with oil, so a burner puff-back is a real cause of soot here too. Soot smears when it is wiped, which is why we ask you to leave walls and ceilings alone until we have looked at them.
Boarding up openings and packing out contents with an inventory come first. Deodorizing and cleaning the ducts that carry smoke between units follow, and reconstruction is available when walls need to be rebuilt. We work with all insurance companies and can walk you through the claims process. Our smoke and fire damage services go into more detail.
Sewage backups and biohazard cleanup
Portland’s sewers are combined in part, meaning storm drainage and household sewage share pipes. The state tracks the overflows closely, and most of the city’s yearly volume comes during winter storms when frozen ground sheds rain straight into the lines. A heavy storm or a fast thaw is when a basement floor drain is most likely to push sewage back into a house or a shop.
We remove the contaminated materials, clean the area and treat it with the TOMI SteraMist system, an ionized hydrogen peroxide mist that leaves no residue. The same crews handle bodily fluid cleanup, hoarding and animal waste cleanup. More is on our biohazard cleaning page.
Mold in older Portland buildings
A day or two of standing moisture is enough for mold to begin. In older Portland buildings it often shows up behind plaster, under kitchen floors or in a basement that took in tide water or groundwater and was never fully dried. The assessment sets out the removal plan and any testing, with tear-out and rebuilding for what is damaged. Removal can involve anti-microbial treatment. Household bleach does not kill mold, so it is better left alone. The full process is described in mold assessment and removal.
Commercial cleaning, sanitizing and apartment turnovers
We clean and sanitize restaurants, offices, gyms, schools, nursing homes and medical buildings, both after a confirmed illness and as preventive care. Commercial sanitizing is described under cleaning and sanitizing.
Landlords and property managers with many units can hand us a list. Each unit gets surfaces, windows, walls, carpet and tile cleaned for move-in or move-out, planned around your timeline and budget. We cover this in more depth under apartment and condo cleaning.
Carpet, upholstery and floor care
Carpet and upholstery are cleaned with hot steam extraction run from our vans, and you do not need to clear the room first. Stain pre-treatment, pet odor removal and Scotchgard are available on request, along with tile waxing and grout cleaning. The details are on our floor care services page.
Air duct cleaning
With about six in ten Portland homes built before 1960, many of the forced-air systems here are old, and their ducts have collected decades of dust. A renovation adds fresh drywall and plaster dust on top of it. Smoke from a fire in one apartment can also travel through ductwork that serves other units, so a building manager may want the whole system cleaned afterward. Pets and indoor smoking shorten the usual interval. Our duct cleaning page explains the benefits and the recommended schedule.
Post-construction cleanup
Gut renovations of Portland’s older apartment buildings and storefronts leave plaster and drywall dust well beyond the work area, and rebuilds after a waterfront flood leave the same mess. Once the contractors finish, we remove debris, mud and adhesive, wash walls and high ledges, clean carpet and tile, and take the factory stickers off new windows before washing them. We also clean and inspect the ducts so the dust does not return through the vents. Post-construction cleaning comes with a free quote.
Clothing and soft contents restoration
In a multi-unit building, a fire or a burst pipe often affects the belongings of several households, and a flooded basement storage space can hold a family’s winter coats and bedding. Smoke-soaked clothing, sewage-exposed linens and mold-damaged curtains can usually be restored. We wash soft contents with the Esporta system, which uses about half the water of conventional washing and a phosphate-free detergent. The clothing restoration page has the details.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you work on Peaks Island and the other Casco Bay islands?
We serve all 16 counties in Maine, including the islands off the coast. Call 207-536-7220 and tell us which island, and we will arrange the job with you.
The harbor tide came into our ground-floor shop. Does everything have to be thrown out?
Tide water is salty and dirty, so wet drywall and carpet usually have to be removed. We check moisture levels in the floor and walls and tell you what can stay before anything is discarded.
Water is coming through the ceiling from the apartment above. What should I do?
Tell the owner or manager, and call us. Do not turn on ceiling fixtures if the ceiling is wet, and stay out of any room where it sags. See the water damage tips for more.
Sewage came up the basement drain during the storm. Is it safe to stay in the house?
Sewage carries bacteria, so keep people and pets out of the affected area and do not try to clean it with a mop and household cleaner. Call us and we will remove the contaminated material and sanitize the space.
We own several rental buildings in Portland. Can we set up cleaning for more than one unit in a single call?
Yes. Tell us which units, what each needs and when they have to be ready, and we will plan the work around that.
Can you disinfect a restaurant after a flood or a fire?
Yes. We clean and sanitize restaurants using the TOMI SteraMist system, which kills on contact with a 5-second application time and leaves no residue.
Do you have an office in Portland?
No. Our Portland number, 207-536-7220, is the same line as our Westbrook office at 24 Bridgton Road Suite 2, and the Westbrook office handles Portland jobs. Call that number or toll-free 1-800-479-6676 at any hour.
Does my policy cover flood or mold damage?
Policies differ, and not every one includes mold, so ask your agent. We work with all carriers and can help you make sense of the claims process. For a denied claim or no coverage, Enhancify, our financing partner, takes applications on our website.
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