Dry Ice Blasting Leaves Fire Station Ceiling Clean & Free of Unhealthy Buildup

For Fire Chief Darrell Eiler, the health and safety of the firefighters he commands is top priority.

When a malfunctioning exhaust system left the firehouse ceiling in Centre Township Indiana coated in, dust, dirt and buildup from engine exhaust, he began researching ways to get it clean.

The wooden ceiling over the truck bay, which should have been white, was black with grime and carbon buildup from diesel exhaust, which is linked to health risks that include cancer.

Eiler was not familiar with dry ice blasting, but a friend who worked for an environmental cleanup company told him what to look for. His search led him to Polar Clean, a division of Premium Plant Services.

“I wanted to get all of the carcinogens and stuff out of the rafters,” said Eiler. With a career that spans four decades, Eiler has seen firsthand the health issues that firefighters face, including a disproportionate incidence of cancer. “My number one goal is firefighter safety,” he said. Hand cleaning was not an option. “I knew looking at it, it was going to be more than we could handle,” he said.

“Night and Day” Results for Firehouse Ceiling

Luckily, the Polar Clean team specializes in handling jobs that ordinary cleaning methods and ordinary cleaning providers can’t, including jobs that require careful containment, hazardous waste disposal, working at heights or working in confined spaces.

Water-free dry ice blasting, which uses frozen CO₂ pellets that sublimate on contact, is highly effective for removing grime, grease and contaminants from ceilings and rafters, including nooks and crannies that would otherwise be inaccessible. It’s fast, chemical-free and produces no collateral debris. It’s powerful enough to tackle many stubborn adherents but can also be applied at an adjustable force for cleaning delicate equipment.

Over the course of about 12 hours, dry ice blasting left the firehouse ceiling, rafters, ducts and exhaust pipes clean and free of contaminant buildup.

The before and after results on both wood and metal surfaces were “night and day,” said Eiler. “They did a beautiful job. The rooms are brighter. The ceilings are white and look freshly painted again.”

Working with the Polar Clean team was a great experience, he said. “I would absolutely work with them again. They were very professional and worked very well with our crews.”

How Dry Ice Blasting Resolves Ceiling Cleaning Challenges without Water or Chemicals

Don’t resort to spotty and time-consuming hand cleaning of your ceilings and rafters. Dry ice blasting can make short work of grime, carbon, soot, rust, oil, combustible dust and flaking paint on ceiling surfaces, rafters and the crevices in between.

The chemical-free and water-free blast of dry ice leaves no collateral debris or moisture behind, making it a cleaning method of choice for high-risk environments including food, beverage and pharmaceutical production areas.

Learn more about dry ice blasting for ceiling cleaning, paint prep and other challenging applications by speaking with a member of our team.

Learn more about dry ice blasting for ceiling cleaning and restoration