Is It Absolutely Necessary to Hire Disaster Response Professionals to Direct the Water Damage Repair in My Marlborough House?

7/31/2020 (Permalink)

Water damage remediation is a complex process and needs professionals. Call SERVPRO for water damage remediation.

Opening a Window and Flipping on a Fan Is Probably Inadequate As Your Sole Water Loss Intervention -- Let SERVPRO Manage Your Marlborough Water Damage Repair

No time is preferable for water damage in Marlborough, but certain atmospheric conditions make cleaning up and drying out after water loss more challenging. Your first inclinations and the advice you receive from friends, family, and research might have you opening doors and windows wide as the water damage planning progresses, creating what the industry calls an open drying system. Depending on the materials affected, the temperature and humidity in different environments, and other factors, an open drying system could be spot-on effective or cause more water damage to repair.

Does Science Really Matter During Water Damage Repair, or Should I Follow My Instincts?

Repair of Marlborough water damage depends on a comprehensive understanding of how water, air, temperature, and structural components relate when materials are wet. Extraction of liquid water and then applied drying techniques are how research indicates damaged materials regain their function and appearance. Fundamental to the science of drying, or psychrometry, is that liquid water and airborne moisture (water vapor) damage the structure they touch. The damage is progressive and cumulative, emphasizing that rapid and equipment-assisted water removal and drying are vital to its repair.

Will Waiting for Water to Dry Out on Its Own Cause More or Less Damage?

Failing to respond immediately to water damage in your Marlborough home ensures that the harm will continue and worsen, complicating the repairs needed. If you try to hasten the drying by introducing outdoor air and running fans or dehumidifiers without managing psychrometric conditions appropriately, the hope of repairing the damage fades. Our managers and technicians complete the rigorous coursework developed by the Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC). The training provides them with a context for planning an effective water damage repair plan, manipulating the three psychrometric conditions for optimal outcomes:

• Humidity -- determines how receptive air is to accepting more water vapor from damaged materials
• Airflow -- air movers positioned advantageously sweep vapor-saturated air away from surfaces, permitting the less humid air moved adjacent to wet surfaces to accept additional vapor
• Temperature -- warmer air can hold more water vapor

Wait -- Do I Want My Home Filled with High-Humidity Air?

As the humidity of the air rises, the chance of additional damage to structures also increases. Our certified and experienced water damage repair technicians do not merely balance airflow and temperature until the humidity becomes oppressive. Once the air movement and temperature fully load the air with vapor, we configure dehumidifiers to absorb (desiccant) or condense the water vapor, containing it for disposal outside of the house.

Will Even Well-Balanced Drying Repair the Water Damage Alone?

It is also useful to note that failing to use aggressive extraction prior to choosing a drying system is a huge mistake. Extraction with pumps and truck-mounted extractors is vital to successful water damage remediation, substantially shortening the time needed to dry structures:

• Truck-mount extractors can remove 36,000 gallons of water a day
• High-efficiency dehumidifiers, in contrast, remove 30 gallons of fluid a day

We always start with pumping and extraction, completing the job with the most advantageous drying system.

Why Is Opening My House Up to Outside Air a Questionable Action During Water Damage Repair?

Employing an open drying system, where outside air exchanges with the air inside your home, can work in some circumstances. Those circumstances, however, are limited and unlikely to be easily understood without IICRC training. Only when the following conditions are in place and stable over time will the desired air exchange, and repair of water damage, occur:

• The outdoor air must be warmer and much drier than the interior air (high temperature and low relative humidity)
• The contrast between the humid indoor air and dry outdoor air must show at least a 20 grains per pound (gpp) lower humidity

Note: Optimal levels for efficient drying are at less than 40 percent relative humidity

All that it takes for an open drying system to slow down or reverse structural drying is for the weather to change. Additionally, 40 percent humidity may rarely or never occur in some climates.

Partnering with SERVPRO of Marlboro / Concord to repair water damage ensures your home benefits from scientifically based best practices, welcoming you back to “Like it never even happened,” condition. Call us at (978) 486-9868 day or night to schedule an assessment and planning session.