We have the contents out of the way, what is next?

6/1/2019 (Permalink)

The contents are out of the way, carpet pad removed, and free water has been extracted. Often water will wick up the drywall or wall coverings following the initial loss. Or perhaps, the water came from above from a main or second floor toilet or kitchen. SERVPRO of Manistee, Ludington, and Cadillac technicians will use a variety of tools and meters to moisture map the affected area to determine if demolition is necessary. Penetrating and non-penetrating moisture meters, moisture sensors, thermo-hygrometers, and inferred cameras are a few of the tools needed to moisture map a structure.  

The walls can sometimes be dried without cutting by using dehumidifiers and high speed axial air movers. Restoration companies always try to minimize cutting to reduce reconstruction and disruption to your life.  If the walls are only wet a few inches high, the baseboard will be removed and fans set. Sometimes cutting below the baseboard line is possible if the water has not wicked very high on the wall coverings. This is the preferred method since it does not require any drywall repairs which greatly reduces the time you will be unable to fully use your home.

If a moisture barrier is present or if the insulation on exterior walls was affected, more intrusive cutting may be necessary.  The walls may need to be “flood cut” at one foot, 2 feet, or 4 feet. Sometimes the subfloor will need to be removed if it has deteriorated or swollen to the point that it is structurally unsound or will not accept new floor coverings. Vinyl floor coverings may need to be removed to dry the subfloor as they present a vapor barrier which doesn’t allow the subfloor water to escape. Drying ceramic tile and hardwood floor are a specialty drying challenge that the experts at SERVPRO of Manistee, Ludington, and Cadillac are trained to perform. Laminate floors are discarded if water gets under them.

So now that we have walls and floors ready what happens next?

See our next blog for the answer to that question.