Structural Drying Fairwood

The structural drying process involves four key stages: assessment, water extraction, drying, and monitoring. First, professionals assess how much water damage there is and create a tailored drying plan. Equipment specifically designed for this purpose does the actual work of getting the water out of the affected areas. What would happen to the structure as a whole, or to any of its parts, if it were not so carefully assessed and monitored and either too much or too little equipment used to do the drying work? The plan would not work. The goal is to restore the structure to its pre-water damage condition efficiently and effectively.

Applied structural drying is a process that efficiently and effectively dries water-damaged buildings and structures. It uses advanced equipment—air movers, dehumidifiers, and heat injectors among them—to cause the water in the evaporating building materials and contents to come out of the materials and not just the surface. And I mean "not just the surface" in a way that's really important for drying anything in a building that might have any moisture-laden insulation or void either above or beneath the surface. This includes walls, ceilings, floors, and anything else that's part of the structure; that is, everything except the air inside.

The drying process consists of four distinct stages:1. Water RemovalThis is the first stage in which surplus stationary water is physically drawn out using pumps or vacuums.2. EvaporationAt this point, the residual moisture is transformed into vapor by raising air movement and temperature. This is usually done with air movers and dehumidifiers.3. DehumidificationDehumidifiers take the air that's full of water vapor out of the environment. They capture that vapor and convert it back to liquid water for easy removal. You could think of a dehumidifier as a super effective portable air conditioner that works at room temperature.4. Temperature ControlChanging the temperature ensures that the drying process occurs as efficiently as possible. The reason is that nearly all materials dry better when they are warmer. This is why we might aim to use heaters in conjunction with our drafts and directing air (more on that in the next section) or to adjust our HVAC system to maintain the optimal drying temperature.

There are three primary methods for drying structures: air drying, dehumidification, and heat drying.Air DryingThe process of drying by air requires increased movement of air, often with the help of fans, to make the evaporation occur at a faster rate.DehumidificationDehumidifying is done using dehumidifiers that extract moisture from the air and thereby speed up the drying process.Heat DryingHeat drying means raising the temperature in the affected area, usually with heating equipment, to make evaporation and moisture removal happen faster.

The optimal method for drying structures in Fairwood combines several techniques that work together to remove moisture thoroughly and avert the growth of mold. One key component of this drying system is large, powerful air movers that seem to do nothing but blow air everywhere. They are, however, quite effective at increasing the circulation of air throughout a structure, drawing it in through any openings and pushing it out through others. The other key component of this drying system is the dehumidifier. As I said, the drying system is pretty much a 1-2 punch. Air movers and dehumidifiers serve as the main tools in the structural drying toolbox.

In Fairwood, structural drying takes a few key steps to work against moisture and the damage it can cause.First, experts assess just how wet things are and determine how much water has infiltrated the structure. Next, the team uses pumps and vacuums to remove the standing water that stubbornly refuses to drain away. Then, the team sets up large fans and dehumidifiers to dry out trapped moisture and to do it fast. (After they waltz in like a big windstorm, you'd hardly think a disaster had occurred.)Throughout this process, the team monitors moisture content to better judge just where the wettest areas lie and how much more drying time the whole structure needs. Finally, if it's necessary, the team performs repairs and addresses mold issues.

In Fairwood, using sunshine as a drying agent is not the only option when it comes to getting something dry. An alternative method is structural drying, which mainly uses three types of equipment. Dehumidifiers remove moisture-laden air from the space and replace it with moisture-free air. Air movers keep the moisture-laden air moving toward the dehumidifier to speed drying in the structure as a whole. Heaters can be used to warm the structure and the materials inside so that they dry faster.

The ideal temperature for structural drying is generally 70 to 90 degrees Fahrenheit. Evaporation works best at these temperatures. They are warm enough so that the water molecules really want to escape the wet materials and go into the air; yet, they are cool enough that the water vapor and any additional moisture produced by the evaporation from other still-wet materials does not condense back into liquid water on cool surfaces (like the walls, floors, and ceiling of the structure).

The most effective moisture extractor for drying structures in Fairwood is dehumidifiers, specifically commercial-grade desiccant or refrigerant dehumidifiers. These devices effectively remove moisture from the air and are used most often in structural drying applications to enhance the drying process. Tied with the use of large fans and air movers to circulate the air in the structure and to promote much faster evaporation, we use them the most in the combination of the two tactics and with thorough monitoring of progress throughout the structure to ensure everything has reached an acceptable level of dryness.

To eliminate moisture from materials in Fairwood, start by achieving ample ventilation; open windows and use fans to get the air moving throughout the space. Then, use dehumidifiers to draw moisture out of the air and halt any further saturation. If you're dealing with a large space or a bad moisture problem, you might want to consider using commercial-grade equipment or hiring pros who specialize in moisture and water damage. To assist the evaporation process without damaging anything, you can also gently warm the area using space heaters; just don't get too aggressive with the heat. Finally, make sure that any wet materials, like carpets or furniture, are totally dry before you bring them back into the space. And if any of those materials were really saturated, consider removing and replacing them.