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Water Damage Restoration, Mold |
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What Is Restorative Drying?
Restorative drying removes abnormal water from structures to
"restore" materials to a normal condition. It prevents moisture
damage, microorganism and soil contamination, odors, and loss
of indoor air quality. When damage has already occurred,
restorative drying combines with steps like cleaning, refinishing,
removal and replacement. Most abnormal water comes from
within the building. Potential for damage exists even when the
water is relatively clean from burst pipes, faulty appliances, leaky
waterbeds, or many other sources. Sources that are more
contaminating include overflowed toilets, sewer backups, or river
floods.
The purpose of restorative drying is to decontaminate and dry
materials efficiently. Except for easily movable items like furniture
and contents, the aim is usually to dry them on-site rather than
remove them. In some cases, restorative drying can even save
saturated books and documents, hardwood floors, and soaked
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walls and ceilings. When remediating any loss that involves contamination, there are five basic
components of the project that need to be considered. These five "Cs" apply to any loss involving
contamination:
- Classify
- Cover
- Contain
- Clean
- Confirm
Classify the loss
First consider the category of the water.
Category 1 loss (clean water) originates from a source that does not pose substantial harm to
humans. Category 1 losses may deteriorate in cleanliness as the water mixes with soils and
other contaminants and as time elapses.
Category 2 loss (known as gray water) contains a significant level of contamination, has the
potential to cause discomfort or sickness and contains or may contain: biocontaminants (fungi,
bacteria, viruses, and/or algae), nutrients for biocontaminants, chemicals or physical hazards.
The level of contamination can be significantly aggravated by temperature (warmer water
deteriorates faster) and time (may change to Category 3 water if untreated for 48 hours).
Category 3 loss (known as black water) is grossly unsanitary and will contain pathogenic
agents, sewage and other contaminated water sources.
The Goals of Restorative Drying
As restorative drying contractors, our goal is to return the structure to equilibrium with the
environment as quickly as possible without causing any additional damage.
The keyword is "restorative." Restoration of carpet, pad, drywall and baseboard is one of the
fastest changing areas in our industry. The evolution of less disruptive drying methods have
enabled us to do more restoring and less reconstruction and replacement. The more we
learn about the various materials in the homes we dry, the more we are able to prevent
secondary damage from water contact. Instead of automatically replacing materials, we can
cost-effectively dry them.
Airflow, airflow, airflow
The number one thing that increases the rate of evaporation from wet materials is airflow
on wet materials, the more rapid the better. Of course, we also need to be able to handle the
humidity created from this rapid rate of evaporation with a dehumidification system. Heat
always helps, but there are practical considerations.
Remove the base trim
Removing the base trim to enhance evaporation has been used by our industry for
several years.
Dry from the inside
Over the years, various methods and systems have been developed to dry wall assemblies.
They all work if used properly and can speed up drying in many cases.
High-pressure inter-air drying systems
High-pressure inter-air drying systems were introduced to our industry a few years ago and
are very popular. They use high-pressure blowers to either push air into a wall cavity or pull
air out of a wall cavity. This creates a positive or negative air pressure inside the wall cavity.
The energy from pressure generates air movement. However, it is important to remember:
Pressure doesn't dry, air movement dries. The primary advantage of this type of system is
the small holes that are necessary to insert the nozzles into the wall. You might consider not
removing the base trim and actually inserting the nozzles in the wall above the baseboard.
Your total repair may be less than if you removed the base trim.
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Health & Safety 
