Faulty junction box · Aluminum wiring · Asbestos drywall · Title 24 reconstruction · Six months start to finish
The homeowners didn’t know their house had aluminum wiring throughout. They didn’t know the main service panel had been recalled. They didn’t know the drywall had asbestos. Most homeowners don’t — especially in a 1970 home. Then the attic caught fire from a faulty junction box, and suddenly all of it mattered.
This was one of the most complex jobs we’ve done. It took six months. It involved testing, abatement, permits, code upgrades, and a full reconstruction. When they moved back in, the house was safer than it had ever been — which is more than we could say for the day they bought it.
WHAT WE WERE DEALING WITH
A faulty junction box ignited a fire in the attic of a 1970-built Anaheim home. By the time the fire department arrived, the fire had spread between the bedroom ceiling and the hallway. Firefighters cut multiple access holes to get to it. Smoke filled the entire attic — contaminating all insulation, the HVAC ductwork, and the air handler unit. Every room in the house had smoke damage. Furniture, clothing, electronics — all of it was affected. And underneath all of that: aluminum wiring on a recalled service panel, and drywall that was about to test positive for asbestos.
Phase by Phase — Here’s What a Job Like This Actually Takes
1. Industrial Hygienist First — Always
Before we touch anything on a fire loss, we bring in a certified industrial hygienist. They document the full scope of contamination. This protects the homeowners, protects our crew, and tells us exactly what we’re dealing with before anyone picks up a tool. On this job, that step also triggered the asbestos and lead testing requirement. Skip the hygienist and you’re guessing. We don’t guess.
2. Asbestos and Lead Testing — Mandatory on Any Pre-1980 Home
If a home was built before 1980, we test before we demo. Period. California law requires it, but we’d do it anyway. The drywall in this home came back positive for asbestos. That’s not unusual — asbestos was widely used in drywall joint compound through the late 1970s. What it means is that nobody — not us, not any contractor — can touch that drywall until a licensed abatement company removes it under proper containment protocols.
3. Asbestos Abatement — Coordinated, Licensed, Done Right
We coordinated the full abatement with a licensed contractor. Proper containment, regulated disposal, air clearance testing after. Only once the area was cleared could our work begin. There’s no shortcut here and no reason to look for one.
4. Attic Insulation Out — All of It
Every bit of insulation in the attic came out. It had smoke damage and water damage from the fire suppression. Once the attic was cleared, we cleaned all structural surfaces to IICRC S700 fire and smoke restoration standards — walls, ceilings, doors, every surface throughout the home.
5. Shellac Encapsulation of All Attic Wood — Don’t Skip This Step
This is the step that separates companies that do fire restoration correctly from those that don’t. Even after thorough cleaning, smoke compounds absorbed into wood framing will continue to off-gas — sometimes for years. We applied a shellac-based encapsulant to every wood surface in that attic, sealing in anything left behind at the source. We’ve seen jobs where a contractor skipped this step and the homeowners were calling about smoke smell six months later. That doesn’t happen on our jobs.
6. Hydroxyl Treatment and Thermal Fogging for Odor
We ran a hydroxyl generator throughout the entire home — it breaks down smoke molecules at the molecular level and is safe to operate in spaces people will return to. We followed that with thermal fogging, which penetrates into wall cavities, porous materials, and everywhere smoke traveled. Both treatments together. Not one or the other.
7. Contents Packout — We Decided What Was Saveable and What Wasn’t
Everything came out of the house. Fabric items — upholstered furniture, clothing, bedding, drapes — weren’t salvageable. Smoke penetrates fabric deeply and there’s no cleaning that back to an acceptable standard. Electronics were gone too. But the major appliances — refrigerator, washer, dryer, oven, dishwasher — were cleaned and saved. Everything salvageable went to our facility, was cleaned properly, and stayed in secure storage for the duration of the project.
8. Permitted Reconstruction — Title 24 Compliance Throughout
A job this size requires building permits. Pulling permits means the reconstruction has to meet current California building code — including Title 24 energy standards. We pulled the permits, did the work to code, and got the inspections signed off. New drywall, new flooring, paint on all walls, ceilings, and cabinetry. Everything rebuilt to current standard.
9. New R-8 HVAC Ductwork — A Real Upgrade
The smoke-damaged ductwork and air handler were replaced entirely. Under Title 24, the new system required R-8 insulated flexible duct — a significant step up from what was there before. The new ductwork is properly sealed and insulated. Their utility bills will be lower. That’s a real benefit that came out of a terrible situation.
10. Aluminum Wiring Addressed — AlumiConn Connectors and a New Panel
Aluminum wiring is still legal but it’s a known fire risk at connection points — which is exactly what caused this fire. We installed AlumiConn connectors (the Al/Cu-rated connectors specifically designed for safe aluminum-to-copper transitions) at every device and fixture throughout the house, replacing every standard wire nut with the correct rated hardware. We installed arc-fault circuit interrupter outlets as required by current code. And the recalled service panel — the one the manufacturer had already flagged as a hazard — got replaced entirely. The electrical system in that house is now categorically safer than it was the day the fire started.
Outcome Stats
- 6 mo. — Start to finish — complex work done right
- 10 — Distinct phases, one company managing all of it
- 100% — Title 24 compliant reconstruction
- Safer — Home returned safer than it’s ever been
“They didn’t just get their home back. They got a home that was finally as safe as it should’ve been all along. That’s what thorough restoration actually looks like.”