Structural Drying

If you have experienced any flooding in your home, then pumping, draining and mopping are just the beginning of the water removal process to prevent mold, decay, buckling and other water damage.

Structural drying is often needed to prevent further water damage.

When properly done, structural drying uses of state-of-the-art procedures and equipment to remove all excess moisture, no matter how deeply it’s traveled, in just a couple of days.

The first step is water removal by pumping, draining, mopping, and so on, followed by water extraction using powerful specially-designed vacuum equipment. Damp items such as clothes, furniture, and any other unsalvageable building materials are disposed of.

AIR MOVEMENT

Structural Drying is all about promoting evaporation, so that means lots of air movement to take away the water vapor that will soon fill the air. We use powerful high-volume axial fans and centrifugal air movers to get the job done right.

This is a non-invasive procedure to properly dry the structure without altering the building. Sometimes it’s necessary to remove baseboard and crown molding and make a series of small holes in order to dry structural framing quickly enough. After these adjustments are made, blowers designed for the higher air pressures then send in dryer air, forcing moist air out. When dried, the holes are later covered by replacing the baseboard and molding. In some extreme cases, it may be necessary to remove flooring, wallboards, and ceiling materials.

DEHUMIDIFICATION

To draw water-vapor out from deep within the structure, indoor relative humidity needs to be kept low. Failing to control humidity may lead to mold and other problems in areas that weren’t harmed by the flooding.

Restoration companies use industrial high-volume refrigerant dehumidifiers specifically designed for water damage mitigation. They work by condensing water vapor out of the air by the gallon. Smaller areas make use of silica gel desiccants that can be used instead of the high-volume dehumidifiers.

Measurements and adjustments are taken frequently and are critical in keeping everything moving as rapidly as possible, as well as in determining that there’s negligible excess moisture left to remove. It is also possible to dry the building too quickly, resulting in damaged hardwood floors and other woodwork.