Structural Drying Dishman

The process of restoring structures involves several important steps to remove moisture effectively and return the structure to its pre-damage condition. Initially, the specialists assess the building to determine the extent of moisture damage. If the structure has been compromised and can no longer support itself, the specialists will shore up the framework of the building using lumber. Then, they remove any standing water using pumps or vacuums.

Water damage restoration occurs when applied structural drying techniques are used to dry out a building and its contents quickly after they have been exposed to water. Applied structural drying is a process that uses the latest technology and equipment to dry a structure rapidly and efficiently. Using high-velocity air movers, the drying process concentrates on the materials that make up the structure itself, as well as the finished contents. Since many types of building materials can hold moisture and still look and feel dry, the drying process also uses dehumidifiers to ensure that the drying air used to move moisture out of the building (and the moisture itself) is as unobstructed as possible. The result is a structure that is as free from water and high humidity as possible, that has its integrity restored, and that has a finished appearance where the dropped contents, furniture, and fixtures look like they've been there the whole time.

An open drying system can be utilized when the outside environmental conditions are more conducive to drying than those found inside a structure. This usually means that the outside air has either a very low humidity level, is quite warm, or both, and these conditions work together to facilitate evaporation of moisture that has become trapped inside walls, ceilings, floors, and other types of structural materials. Whenever this method is used, it's vitally important to ensure that security and weather conditions are not compromised, as this method of drying does require that windows and doors be kept open.

There are four stages of drying in structural drying: extraction, evaporation, dehumidification, and temperature control.In the extraction phase, pumps and vacuums are used to physically remove any excess water from the structure.The stage of evaporation takes place when the wet surfaces are subjected to a powerful airflow generated by air movers. These air movers create a wind across the wet surfaces, forcing moisture to evaporate.Next up is dehumidification. This part of the process uses dehumidifiers to pull moisture out of the air so it can't settle back on surfaces and cause more headaches. The ultimate phase, temperature control, is about holding the best temperature to sustain a drying operation that is working efficiently and to prevent any chance of mold growth.

There are three predominant types of drying in structural drying: air drying, dehumidification, and heat drying.To remove moisture from air, the circulation of dry air is necessary, and for this task, air drying is the best method. To dehumidify air, however, it is more efficient to use dehumidifiers that are specially designed for the job. Since the dehumidifiers used in our experiments are of the heat pump type, we also use the term heat pump dehumidification for this method. The third method we discuss in our textbook, drying with heat, logically follows from the operation of the wet-bulb psychrometer.

In structural drying, the most frequently employed technique in Dishman is the use of air movers and dehumidifiers. Air movers, more commonly known as blowers or fans, are deployed to circulate air. This circulated air, in effect, increases the evaporation rate of the wet surfaces (walls, floors, etc.), which in turn decreases the overall amount of moisture in the structure. The air mover does not actually dry anything; it merely allows the natural drying process to reach its full potential. When you see a large fan blowing in an open doorway, you know that the interior areas of the structure in Dishman are undergoing structural drying.

1. Natural drying: Using the elements, such as natural air movement and sunlight to achieve drying. 2. Assisted drying: Also known as "vent drying," this form involves using mechanical devices to increase or assist the natural drying process. 3. Air drying: This step occurs after water removal, but before structural drying. Water remaining in materials isn't harmful if it's present in liquid form. However, when the water begins to evaporate into the air, it can cause high humidity levels. These levels can lead to harmful fungi and mold growth. 4. Dehumidification: Reducing the relative humidity in the air. 5. Restoration drying: A method that incorporates all previous forms and uses detailed knowledge of psychometrics (the science of the interaction between air and water).1. Absorption: The process in which materials absorb moisture from the environment, reducing humidity levels.2. Adsorption: The process of water vapor adhering to the surface of a material.3. Dehumidification: The use of mechanical dehumidifiers to remove moisture from the air, lowering humidity levels.4. Air Movement: The use of high-velocity air movers to increase airflow across wet surfaces, enhancing evaporation.5. Heat Drying: Increasing the temperature to encourage faster evaporation of moisture from materials.

The main extraction of water stage takes place in three parts. The first part employs high-capacity pumps to remove standing water that may be three to four feet deep. The second part is accomplished through the use of an industrial-grade wet vacuum. Wet vacuums are capable of removing water from surfaces that are not accessible to the large pumps. The third and final part employs two relatively new and specialized kits made by Dri-Eaz, a leading manufacturer in the restoration equipment marketplace. These two kits, called the R700 and R800, actually do not suck or pull water out of the materials directly. Instead, they create a negative pressure in the material from which the water is to be removed, thereby forcing the water out. This is still an example of vacuum technology at work.

The best drying agent for structural drying in Dishman is often considered to be desiccant dehumidifiers. These devices utilize a desiccant material to absorb moisture from the air, and they do this with such efficiency that within a relatively short period of time the interior humidity levels in a space can be considered to be at safe, dry levels. This makes the devices particularly useful in cooler environments, such as those found in the kinds of structural drying situations that we typically encounter.

The drying process includes three major aspects: temperature, airflow, and dehumidification. Usually expressed as: Drying = Heat + Airflow + Dehumidification, these components work in unison to remove water from materials by heating the air to increase the evaporation rate, moving that moisture-laden air away from the wet surface via airflow, and using dehumidification in a closed system to keep the air from becoming saturated with water vapor.