A large share of the houses in York are empty for part of the year, and that shapes most of the calls we get here. Bouchard Cleaning & Restoration DKI serves York Village, York Harbor, York Beach and Cape Neddick from our Westbrook office. Call 207-536-7220 or toll-free 1-800-479-6676. We are available 24 hours a day. After hours the call goes to a local answering service, which pages our on-call staff to phone you within 15 minutes.
York can use any of our cleaning and restoration services. The sections below put the most common problems first.
Frozen pipes, burst lines and water damage in York
About a third of York’s housing units are counted as seasonal or occasional-use. When a camp or second home loses heat in January, or a supply line lets go while nobody is there, the water can run for days before a neighbor or a caretaker notices. By then it has usually soaked the floor, the ceiling below and the walls. The standing water is pumped out and drying equipment goes in, with moisture checks until the structure is dry; wet documents can be dried too. If you are away and a caretaker finds a problem, they can call us directly.
Ocean-side York has its own risk. In the January 2024 storms water came up Railroad Avenue at Short Sands, and homes near Long Sands flooded even where the new seawall protected the road. Salt water and sand from a storm like that mean wet drywall and flooring have to come out. A caretaker can read how the work goes in water damage restoration, and the water damage tips cover what to do first.
Mold in closed-up houses
A house that sits shut for weeks at a time holds moisture. Mold gets started in a damp basement, behind a closed-up bathroom or in a bedroom closet, and the first sign is often the smell when the owner opens the door in spring. The same is true after any water event that was not fully dried, and it can start a day or two after a leak.
After an assessment we lay out the plan and any testing it requires. Removal may involve anti-microbial treatment, plus tear-out and rebuilding where materials are damaged. A dehumidifier and a working sump pump help a seasonal house between visits. Our mold assessment & removal page has the process, and the tips for preventing mold have more.
Fire and smoke damage
More than half of York’s occupied homes burn fuel oil, so a puff-back that coats a house in soot is a real possibility, along with the kitchen and electrical fires any town has. Soot is oily and smears when you wipe it, and cleaning smoke residue by yourself often makes the stain permanent.
Anything open gets boarded up, and belongings are packed out with an inventory so they can be cleaned. Our staff work with all insurance companies and can explain how the claims process runs. Fire cleanup is described in our smoke & fire damage services, and the fire damage tips list what not to do.
Sewage and biohazard cleanup
Sewage on a floor needs more than a mop and household cleaner. The contaminated materials are removed and the area is cleaned and sanitized. We also clean up bodily fluids, animal waste, hoarding situations and vandalism. On hoarding jobs we work with homeowners and property managers. The scope of this work is set out in biohazard cleaning.
Cleaning and sanitizing for inns, rentals and offices
York has a hospital, and inns and motels near the beaches. We clean and sanitize hospitals, nursing homes, restaurants, gyms and office buildings, with sanitizing done as a precaution or once an illness is confirmed. The approach is under cleaning & sanitizing.
Owners of rental houses and condos can have us clean between guests or tenants. We time it to the date the unit has to be ready; apartment & condo cleaning lists what it covers.
Air duct cleaning
A house that has been shut up for months can have a layer of dust in the ducts that is blown through the rooms the first time the system starts, so spring is a reasonable time to have them cleaned. Pets or indoor smokers are other reasons. The duct cleaning page has the benefits.
Carpet, upholstery and floor care
Our carpet and upholstery cleaning is done by van-mounted hot steam extraction. Stains are pre-treated and pet odors removed, and Scotchgard can be applied. Beach houses that see a lot of sand and salt can also have tile floors waxed and grout cleaned. The floor care services page gives the details.
Post-construction cleanup
Owners at York Beach, York Harbor and Cape Neddick often renovate or rebuild a second home before the season starts, and houses damaged by the winter storms are being repaired. Either job leaves drywall dust and adhesive behind. When the contractors leave, we clear the debris, wash walls and high spaces, take the factory stickers off new windows and wash them, then clean the carpet and tile. Cleaning the duct system last keeps the dust from returning through the vents. Our post-construction cleaning page sets out the scope.
Clothing and soft contents restoration
Bedding, clothing and curtains from a house with a fire, flood, sewage or mold loss can often be saved. We clean them with the Esporta Wash System, which third-party testing shows returns about 90% of soft contents to food-grade clean, with a phosphate-free detergent and about half the water. Clothing restoration says more about how the wash works.
Frequently Asked Questions
We own a seasonal house in York. What should we do before we leave for the winter?
Ask a caretaker to check the house regularly, since a burst pipe can run for days unseen. Keep indoor humidity down, and if you shut the heat off, call a plumber about draining the lines. Our mold prevention tips have more.
Can a caretaker or property manager call you if I am out of state?
Yes. A caretaker or property manager can call 207-536-7220 or 1-800-479-6676, and we will talk through what has happened and how we can start. After hours our on-call staff call back within 15 minutes.
Does your service area include York Beach and Cape Neddick?
Yes. We serve every part of York, from York Harbor to York Beach and Cape Neddick, and the towns around it.
Waves came over the seawall and into the ground floor. What happens next?
We remove wet drywall, insulation and flooring that salt water reached, clean and sanitize what stays, and dry the structure. We check moisture at each visit and tell you what can be saved before anything is thrown out.
Does homeowners insurance cover this?
It depends on the policy, and flood damage and mold are often excluded or limited. We work with all insurance carriers and can explain how your claim will be handled. If a claim is denied, Enhancify, our partner, takes financing applications.
Can you clean our rental cottage between weekly guests?
Yes. We do move-in and move-out style cleaning of surfaces, windows, walls, carpet and tile. Tell us your turnover date and we will plan around it.
How do we know if the smell in a closed-up house is mold?
A musty smell is a sign, but only an assessment tells you. We look at the affected areas, explain what testing is needed and give you a plan before removal begins.
Do you handle a house with soot from a woodstove or oil burner?
Yes. We clean soot from walls, ceilings and belongings, and we clean the ducts so the system doesn’t spread it again. Don’t wipe the soot first, because that smears it.
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