Drying Water Damage

Water can wreak havoc on your home or business, so it’s hard not to panic when a pipe bursts or a drain backs up. There are more than a few steps to take care of the water damage restoration process. However, drying water damage is probably one of the most crucial parts of it. For this reason, we have compiled this list of tips in order to provide you with the best guide possible to handle drying water damage.

Of course, the very first thing you should do is locate your main water stop valve and turn it off. This is usually found in your basement near the front foundation wall or inside a crawl space if you have one. It might also be near your water heater.

What’s Next on the Drying Water Damage Process?

When handling extensive water damage, it’s best to hire a professional water restoration and cleaning service. On the other hand, if the water damage is simple, you might take it upon yourself to fix it.

However, whether you hire a professional water damage restoration service or handle drying water damage on your own, there are some crucial steps you must follow. In fact, if you can dry items within 48 hours, you might salvage many goods and avoid mold and rust.

Nevertheless, suppose you do need to hire a professional water cleanup service. In that case, you might also want to consider filing a water damage insurance claim. Therefore, you might need a public adjuster to file, negotiate and settle your claim. Call AllCity Public Adjusting today to help out with your public adjusting needs.

Drying Water Damage Step 1: First, Remove Standing Water

Suppose there are large amounts of standing water. In that case, the first step is to contact a water restoration service to extract as much of the water as possible. Water remediation professionals use drying equipment such as industrial-grade wet/dry vacuums and pump to remove excess water from floors, furniture, and carpets.

To illustrate, a sump pump is a submersible pump that continuously moves water out of the house through a hose or pipe. Moreover, some shop vacs are rated for use in wet conditions. These vacs suck water from carpets and give you a fighting chance to save rugs and walls. Don’t use an ordinary household vacuum whose innards are not protected from water.

Drying Water Damage Step 2: Second, Remove Sodden Objects

It’s critical to remove wet carpet and furniture when mitigating an area. Some carpets can be dried and saved, but you will need to throw them away if a sewer backup caused your flood.

Haul wet rugs and furniture into the sun to reduce inside moisture levels. Furthermore, remove sheet vinyl or linoleum flooring to promote maximum evaporation. Finally, throw out wet insulation under floors.

Drying Water Damage Step 3: Finally, Drying Water Damage

Move Air Naturally

It’s important to note that there are few drying methods to choose from and even combine. If the damage and humidity aren’t extensive, open windows and doors to start circulating air. In addition, open closet and cabinet doors, and remove drawers to speed up the drying process.

Move Air Mechanically to Expediate Drying Water Damage

Meanwhile, suppose the project of drying water damage is advanced. In that case, your restoration company will bring in high-powered fans to rev up air circulation.

Dehumidify

The evaporation process increases humidity levels in your property. Therefore, it’s essential to remove any residual air moisture. Industrial dehumidifiers are best because they work fast and are more powerful.
A portable dehumidifier can also work to remove small amounts of water vapor from the air in a contained area, such as a bedroom.

Heat

Warm air helps dry things more quickly, so as long as your furnace and air conditioning units didn’t suffer water damage, you can turn on the heat to increase the drying rate. However, keep in mind that warm air will hold more moisture, so once you’ve reached a temperature like 80 degrees, turn the air conditioner on to cool the house again. This process can be repeated until the property is dry.

More Ways to Absorb Moisture

Desiccants (silica gel, clay, calcium oxide) absorb moisture like a sponge. Therefore, place water-permeable packages of desiccants and wet items in airtight containers or in sealed areas. With this in mind, some desiccants change color to indicate they are saturated, which can take days or weeks, depending on how much moisture items contain. So frequently check up on the items you are drying up.

Freeze Papers

To buy time and protect wet documents, books or pictures, place them in plastic bags and into a frost-free freezer. This will stop additional deterioration and prevent mold and mildew. Then, when you have time, retrieve books from the freezer and air- or fan-dry the pages.

After Drying Water Damage it’s Time for Mold Restoration

Mold growth can begin as soon as 24 hours after water damage. With this in mind, mold spores can be extremely detrimental to your health. Thus, it’s essential to begin drying out water damage as soon as possible.
If mold has already begun growing, immediately get a mold remediation team to fix up the issue. Quick-drying reduces the risk of structural damage and prevents mold from growing.