Air Movement Is Vital For Flood Damage

5/23/2017 (Permalink)

Air Movement Is Vital For Flood Damage Repairs

For more than two decades, water damage restorers have been utilizing air moving equipment for the purposes of structural drying. The reason for this is because controlled drying processes depend on evaporation – the transition of liquid water to vapor.

Several different factors influence the rate of evaporation. Most are linked directly to changes in the air around damaged materials. Therefore, the application of air movement at the surface of wet objects is essential for the successful repair of water damage in North Shore homes.

The Control Of Microbial Growth
High powered air movers are very effective when it comes to drying surface water. At SERVPRO, Salem MA they are a critical tool for preventing microbial growth. Practically speaking, if water activity (aw) can be limited to a level below 0.75, the development of microbes is slower. However, if held at a level under 0.65 aw, it is difficult for any microbes to grow, even on the most vulnerable materials.

It means that SERVPRO has to commit to drying all damaged materials in order to reach an equilibrium with an environment below the 0.65 aw cut off. The fastest way to do this is to install air movers and direct clean, dry air over wet surfaces. Crucially, if the exposed surface of hygroscopic substances (plasterboard) get dried quickly but their interior remains wet, microbial growth is still unlikely.

The Even Distribution Of Heat And Air
As the drying process progresses, SERVPRO Salem tightly regulates the humidity, temperature, and airflow within the water damaged space. When air movers get used correctly, they must redirect clean air and support the even distribution of heat to any materials which are still intolerably wet. As the job is nearing completion, the technicians can start to relax humidity and airflow controls, but they must still maintain established drying goals. Moisture tests are carried out periodically to determine how much moisture the materials in the room contain and how long it is likely to take for them to be dried out.

At SERVPRO of Salem MA, we take water damage restoration seriously. By using sophisticated structural drying techniques, our technicians ensure that all excess water, damp, and moisture gets eliminated.