Pine Point, Higgins Beach and the houses along Scarborough Marsh take the town’s worst water, and the beach homes that are empty in winter can freeze without anyone noticing. Bouchard Cleaning & Restoration DKI covers all of Scarborough for water, fire, mold and sewage emergencies at 207-536-7220. We are available 24/7/365, and calls made at night go to our on-call staff.
The sections below explain where the town’s coast, marsh and newer housing change the work.
Coastal flooding and water damage in Scarborough
The storms of January 10 and 13, 2024 sent sea and marsh water through Pine Point, and the fire department, the sanitary district and public works pumped more than a million gallons. Higgins Beach took the brunt of the wave damage. Another storm in March flooded the area again. Water from the sea or the marsh is salty and dirty, so wet drywall and carpet usually come out before the house is dried and rebuilt.
Away from the shore, burst pipes and roof leaks are the usual causes. In a seasonal house, a line that bursts while nobody is visiting can run for days, soaking floors and ceilings and starting mold before anyone finds it. Drying equipment goes in, and moisture is checked until the structure is dry. Water damage restoration covers the process in full, and the water damage tips cover the first steps.
Sewage backups and pump station failures
The January 2024 floodwater damaged a sanitary pump station along with the roads and seawalls. When floodwater overwhelms a pump station or a low-lying line, sewage can come back up into homes. Sewage is a contamination job: we remove the affected materials, clean the area and sanitize it with the TOMI SteraMist system, an ionized hydrogen peroxide mist that leaves no residue. Our biohazard work also covers bodily fluids, hoarding situations and animal waste. For the full scope, open biohazard cleaning.
Mold in seasonal and shore homes
More than 850 vacant homes in Scarborough are held for seasonal use, and a house that is closed up damp after a storm is an easy place for mold. It can start growing in a day or two. We assess the home, tell you what needs doing and what testing applies, and remove the mold with anti-microbial treatment and, where needed, tear-out and rebuild. Household bleach changes the color of mold without killing it. More is on the mold assessment and removal page.
Fire damage and oil or propane heating problems
Nearly half of the houses in town heat with oil and about one in five with propane. An oil burner puff-back leaves soot on walls, ceilings and contents, and a propane or wood-stove fire can leave heavy smoke damage. Because soot smears, wait for us before wiping anything.
Open doors and windows are boarded up, belongings are packed out, and the structure is cleaned and deodorized. We work with every insurance company and can walk through the claims with you. Everything we do after a fire is part of our fire damage restoration.
Cleaning and sanitizing homes, condos and businesses
Scarborough has many newer houses and townhouse-style condos. Move-in cleaning covers surfaces, windows, walls, carpet and tile, and we plan around your closing date or rental turnover. Closings and rental turnovers are covered by apartment and condo cleaning.
For offices, shopping plazas, schools and restaurants we clean and sanitize, including preventive treatments. We cover this in more depth under cleaning and sanitizing.
Carpet, upholstery and floor care
Sand comes in from the beaches and the marsh trails all summer, and winter salt follows it, so entry carpets in shops, offices and homes wear out faster than they should. Our vans carry van-mounted hot steam extraction, and the technicians move furniture themselves, so the room needs no preparation. We pre-treat stains, remove pet odors and can apply Scotchgard. For flood-soaked carpet in a shore house, we extract the water first and then clean. Tile waxing and grout cleaning are included in our floor care services.
Air duct cleaning
Houses that run on oil or propane and had a puff-back should have the ducts cleaned before the heat is used again, since the system carries the soot to every room. Newer homes get their own version of the problem: construction dust that settled in the ducts during the build, or an addition, can be blown around for years. Seasonal houses opened in spring often have dust and musty air in the vents. Pets shorten the usual interval, and clean ducts can lower heating and cooling costs. Our duct cleaning page has the full list.
Post-construction cleanup
New homes and additions go up regularly in Scarborough. When the builder leaves, we clear debris, dust, mud and adhesive, clean walls and high spaces, remove the factory stickers from windows and wash the glass, sills and screens, and clean, disinfect and inspect the ducts so the dust does not come back through the vents. We also clean the carpet and tile floors. New homes and additions are covered by post-construction cleaning.
Clothing and soft contents restoration
Marsh water or seawater in a shore house usually reaches the lower floor first, where winter coats, bedding, curtains and seasonal clothing are stored. A fire can add smoke odor to every closet in a condo building, including the neighbors’. A house that sat closed and damp can leave linens with a mold smell. These items are often recoverable. We wash them with the Esporta Wash System, which cleans with a phosphate-free soap and roughly half the usual water. See clothing restoration.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you serve Pine Point, Higgins Beach and Prouts Neck?
Yes, along with Oak Hill, Dunstan and the rest of Scarborough. Call 207-536-7220 or toll-free 1-800-479-6676.
A storm tide flooded our beach house. What should we do before you arrive?
Stay out of rooms with standing water, turn off power to the wet areas if it is safe to do so, and do not use wet electronics or appliances. More first steps are on our water damage tips page.
Our seasonal house froze and a pipe burst while we were away. Can you handle it?
Yes. We pump out the water, dry the structure and track moisture, and we can address the mold risk if the water ran for days.
Marsh water came into the crawl space. Is that sewage?
Flood water from the marsh or the sea is dirty and should be treated as contaminated. We remove affected materials and sanitize the area. If it is mixed with sewage, we use the TOMI SteraMist system.
Can you pump out a flooded basement?
We extract the water and then dry the space with equipment and moisture monitoring. Call us at once, because mold can start within 24 to 48 hours.
Our propane heater caused a small fire. Does smoke damage need professional cleaning?
Smoke can cause corrosion, odor and discoloration, so consult professionals before you try to clean it. Do not use food that was exposed to heat, and do not turn on electronics until they are checked.
We are closing on a Scarborough house and need it cleaned before move-in. Is that something you do?
Yes. We do move-in cleaning and can add carpet, tile and duct cleaning. Tell us the date.
Does insurance cover storm tide damage?
Coverage depends on the policy, so ask your agent. Our staff work with all insurance carriers; ask us how the claims process runs. A denied claim can still go ahead through financing from Enhancify.
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