fullygoldy (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
fullygoldy) wrote2007-08-22 06:21 pm
fullygoldy) wrote2007-08-22 06:21 pm
PSA - Water Damage
Although I gave up my career in water damage restoration and mold remediation before I even started my LJ, I'm thinking this week's weather is a sign that I should talk about it now. So here is a quick and dirty FAQ for all my friends list dealing with water intrusions.
Number 1: When do I need a water restoration professional?
A: Call a professional as soon as you realize you cannot get fully dry by yourself within 24 hours. So, really, if you have more than a washing machine full of water on your floor, you probably need help.
Number 2: What should I do first?
A: Remove as much liquid water as possible. Mops, buckets, pumps, towels, siphons - whatever works on the amount of water you have. It is 100 times harder to evaporate standing liquid water than water that is trapped in building materials. Set up a dehumidifier. Do not set up fans unless you have a dehu. Fans will force evaporation, so drying will go faster, but only if you have a mechanism for removing the moisture from the air. No dehu means that evaporated water will invade your possessions and building materials.
Number 3: How do I know my "professional" is a professional?
A: Look at their tools. Do they have moisture meters? Are they taking humidity readings? Are the dehumidifiers the size of a kegerator and wrapped in stainless steel? (In this case you *can* judge a book by its cover because there is only one acceptable dehu on the industrial market. If your company's dehu is blue plastic, it's not really going to do the job as fast as you want it to.) Did the machine that extracted water from your carpet need two cords and did someone ride on it? Can they explain in english exactly what they're doing for you?
Number 4: If they don't have these kick-ass tools, am I screwed?
A: Probably. But not absolutely. If they can tell you *why* they're placing the number of fans and dehus in your house (you have xxx cubic feet requiring drying, therefore, I need xx fans and x dehus to get you dry in 36-48 hours). If they come back *every* day to check your progress, *and* they're checking your relative humidity to determine progress, it'll go slower, but they'll get you completely dry.
Number 5: Do I have to throw away everything that got wet? Tear out all my soggy carpet?
A: It depends. If the water damage comes from a broken supply line or rain that entered through a hole in your house (some kind of potable water), you can probably dry everything (including carpet) and be fine (books will look funny but you won't *have* to throw them away). If black water was the culprit - be prepared to get rid of EVERYTHING porous that the water touched.
Number 6: What is black water?
A: Anything that came from a drain or sewer line (poo). Anything that came out of a body of water or flowed over the ground (flood waters) before it entered your house.
Number 7: What is the definition of porous?
A: For our purposes, anything made of cloth, paper, or cardboard. Carpet & pad, laminate flooring, drywall, wallpaper, upholstered furniture, books, newspapers, particle board, stuffed animals, draperies - get the picture? Hardwood floors technically don't fall into this category, but they're so hard to dry correctly, you may as well tear them up too.
Number 8: What can I safely keep?
A: Anything non-porous can be cleaned and sanitized and kept. Glass, metal, plastic, finished hardwood furniture (your family antiques might need refinishing). The studs in your walls can be sanitized, dried, and sanded if necessary. Brick and block can be pressure washed and sanitized.
Number 9: What proactive things can I do to minimize damage?
A: Always respond to leaks and mysterious water appearances immediately. Store your stuff in waterproof bins and containers, or up on shelves. Never put cardboard boxes in contact with concrete or masonry. That means set them up on pallets or shelves, and leave an air gap all around. Even without an obvious flood, the moisture that is wicked into cardboard out of concrete is enough to allow mold to get a foothold and destroy the contents of those boxes. As soon as you open the boxes, you release the mold into your home and it finds new places to grow and cause problems.
Number 10: What do I say to my insurance company?
A: Always, ALWAYS say "I've got a water problem." Never lead with the word 'mold.' Most insurance companies are finding ways to not have to deal with mold. But if in the course of restoring your water loss, they find mold, or mold develops, it usually gets classed as part of the "water loss." If they get hinky, make sure you start talking about the health issues of your family members - allergies, respiratory illnesses are all impacted by water losses and mold. They don't want to be responsible for your medical care, so they're going to take better care of your house.
Number 1: When do I need a water restoration professional?
A: Call a professional as soon as you realize you cannot get fully dry by yourself within 24 hours. So, really, if you have more than a washing machine full of water on your floor, you probably need help.
Number 2: What should I do first?
A: Remove as much liquid water as possible. Mops, buckets, pumps, towels, siphons - whatever works on the amount of water you have. It is 100 times harder to evaporate standing liquid water than water that is trapped in building materials. Set up a dehumidifier. Do not set up fans unless you have a dehu. Fans will force evaporation, so drying will go faster, but only if you have a mechanism for removing the moisture from the air. No dehu means that evaporated water will invade your possessions and building materials.
Number 3: How do I know my "professional" is a professional?
A: Look at their tools. Do they have moisture meters? Are they taking humidity readings? Are the dehumidifiers the size of a kegerator and wrapped in stainless steel? (In this case you *can* judge a book by its cover because there is only one acceptable dehu on the industrial market. If your company's dehu is blue plastic, it's not really going to do the job as fast as you want it to.) Did the machine that extracted water from your carpet need two cords and did someone ride on it? Can they explain in english exactly what they're doing for you?
Number 4: If they don't have these kick-ass tools, am I screwed?
A: Probably. But not absolutely. If they can tell you *why* they're placing the number of fans and dehus in your house (you have xxx cubic feet requiring drying, therefore, I need xx fans and x dehus to get you dry in 36-48 hours). If they come back *every* day to check your progress, *and* they're checking your relative humidity to determine progress, it'll go slower, but they'll get you completely dry.
Number 5: Do I have to throw away everything that got wet? Tear out all my soggy carpet?
A: It depends. If the water damage comes from a broken supply line or rain that entered through a hole in your house (some kind of potable water), you can probably dry everything (including carpet) and be fine (books will look funny but you won't *have* to throw them away). If black water was the culprit - be prepared to get rid of EVERYTHING porous that the water touched.
Number 6: What is black water?
A: Anything that came from a drain or sewer line (poo). Anything that came out of a body of water or flowed over the ground (flood waters) before it entered your house.
Number 7: What is the definition of porous?
A: For our purposes, anything made of cloth, paper, or cardboard. Carpet & pad, laminate flooring, drywall, wallpaper, upholstered furniture, books, newspapers, particle board, stuffed animals, draperies - get the picture? Hardwood floors technically don't fall into this category, but they're so hard to dry correctly, you may as well tear them up too.
Number 8: What can I safely keep?
A: Anything non-porous can be cleaned and sanitized and kept. Glass, metal, plastic, finished hardwood furniture (your family antiques might need refinishing). The studs in your walls can be sanitized, dried, and sanded if necessary. Brick and block can be pressure washed and sanitized.
Number 9: What proactive things can I do to minimize damage?
A: Always respond to leaks and mysterious water appearances immediately. Store your stuff in waterproof bins and containers, or up on shelves. Never put cardboard boxes in contact with concrete or masonry. That means set them up on pallets or shelves, and leave an air gap all around. Even without an obvious flood, the moisture that is wicked into cardboard out of concrete is enough to allow mold to get a foothold and destroy the contents of those boxes. As soon as you open the boxes, you release the mold into your home and it finds new places to grow and cause problems.
Number 10: What do I say to my insurance company?
A: Always, ALWAYS say "I've got a water problem." Never lead with the word 'mold.' Most insurance companies are finding ways to not have to deal with mold. But if in the course of restoring your water loss, they find mold, or mold develops, it usually gets classed as part of the "water loss." If they get hinky, make sure you start talking about the health issues of your family members - allergies, respiratory illnesses are all impacted by water losses and mold. They don't want to be responsible for your medical care, so they're going to take better care of your house.