Water Damage Repair and Restoration Minneapolis
Years ago water damage restoration was really primitive compared to how it is done today. To say an industry has come a long way is an understatement. After years of careful analysis, today’s drying techniques are based on objective factors like: building size, type and amount of moisture present and materials involved. Precise instruments are used to measure the drying progress so that the technician is sure all moisture has been removed. There are a variety of equipment and solutions available to the contractor to remove water.
A professional water damage restoration contractor should select the structural drying equipment in a scientific method based on materials, size of the water damage area, and the class and category of the water damage.
Water Damage Is Classified by Category and Class of Damage:
Category
The Category of the water loss is based on the waters point of origin:
- CATEGORY 1 – Originates from a source that does not pose a substantial harm to humans. (Water from faucet, garden hose, water heater, water supply line etc.)
- CATEGORY 2 – Contains an elevated level of contamination and has potential to cause discomfort or sickness if consumed by or exposed to humans. (Water from dishwasher, washing machine, laundry tub, water softener etc.)
- CATEGORY 3 – Contains pathogenic (disease causing) agents and is grossly unsanitary.”Black water” includes sewage and other contaminated water sources entering or affecting the indoor environment. (Water from drains, rivers, lakes, oceans etc.)
If Category 2 water is not removed promptly from the structure, it may be reclassified as Category 3.
CLASS
The Class of the water loss is based on the size and items affected:
- CLASS 1 – Slow rate of evaporation – (Least amount of water) Water losses that could affect only part of a room or area; or even large losses containing low permeability/porosity materials (e.g. plywood, particle board, structural wood, VCT, concrete.) Little or no wet carpet and/or cushion is present. Minimum amount of moisture can be held in the remaining structural materials.
- CLASS 2 -Fast rate of evaporation – (More water than class 1) Water losses that affect the entire room of “carpet and pad.” Water has wicked up the walls as much as 24 inches. There is moisture remaining in structural materials (e.g. plywood, particle board, structural wood, VCT, concrete.) Due to the amount of water held in dirt or mud, Crawl spaces in most circumstances, will also fit under Class 2.
- CLASS 3 – Fastest rate of evaporation – (Most amount of water) Water may have come from overhead. Everything is wet. Must have carpet and pad. Ceilings, walls, insulation, carpet, cushion, and sub floor in virtually the entire area are saturated.
- CLASS 4 – Specialty Drying Situation- (Same amount of water as a Class 1 ) These losses involve wet materials with very low permeability/porosity ( e.g. hardwoods, sub floor, plaster, brick, concrete, stone ) Class 4 differs from a Class 1 due to the deep pockets of saturation that require the use of a desiccant or low grain dehumidifier to achieve the low specific humidity. Even then, the Class 4 drying job will take longer to dry than a typical Class 1.
Specialized Training
When you are evaluating a water damage professional, it is best to look for a company that has the following:
1- Certification and training from an independent body like the IICRC. These individuals have been exposed to the basic and in some cases advanced methods of structural drying. They have attended several specialty drying schools where we were certified by the IICRC – Institute of Inspection, Cleaning & Restoration Certification in Water Damage Restoration and Applied Structural Drying.
2- The correct type and limits of liability insurance. Many companies doing this work are not insured for claims that arise as a result of improper drying.
They have been trained in how to use and interpret results of moisture meters. The science of drying is the focus, including psychometrics, dew point, airflow, saturation, grains of moisture, temperature, humidity. They understand how and why things dry. They have been trained in different drying techniques for different situations. This allows them to save and restore your home and contents if they are salvageable instead of removing, demolishing and rebuilding affected areas.
