Structural Drying and Dehumidification in Brockton, MA

Why does a house feel damp after the water is gone?

Because the water left in the wood and insulation is still releasing moisture into the air. Wood holds water well below its surface, and the drying has to move that water out, not just wait for it to evaporate into the room.

Once standing water is removed, the surface of the wood dries quickly and the centre dries slowly. The air may feel fine while the wall cavity behind it is still wet, which is why a homeowner can feel the job is finished when the readings show otherwise.

The air is part of the drying too. A dehumidifier takes moisture out of the air, which lets the wet materials give up more of their water. A house with the windows shut and the heat off dries much more slowly than one with equipment running.

How do crews decide the drying is finished?

They compare the readings at each measured point with the dry standard for that material, and they check the trend across several days. The drying is finished when every point has reached standard and stayed there, not when one reading looks good.

A moisture meter gives a number for the wood, and the number is compared with a reading taken from unaffected material in the same house. That comparison shows whether the wet area has reached the level of the dry area. A reading of the air is taken too, because the air sets how much moisture the wood can give up.

The final log is the record. It shows where each point started, how it moved each day and the reading at release. If a repair is opened later and the wood is still wet, the log shows what was done and when.

Can I run a dehumidifier myself?

A household dehumidifier can help a small, shallow wet area once the standing water is gone, but it cannot handle a large or deep loss. Commercial units and air movers are sized to the space, and the placement matters as much as the unit.

A portable unit in one room pulls moisture from that room's air, but the wet framing in the walls and under the floor keeps releasing moisture into the air around it. The unit fills up, shuts off and the room gets damp again. Equipment has to be placed where the wet materials are.

If you do run a unit yourself, empty the tank, keep the doors and windows in a set position and log the humidity. Do not run it on an extension cord, and keep it away from any water still standing.

What should be removed rather than dried?

Carpet pad, insulation that held water for a long time, particleboard, some drywall and any material that came into contact with river or street water are usually removed. Solid framing and hardwood can often be dried in place, depending on how long they were wet and what the water contained.

Drying cannot pull silt out of porous material. Insulation and pad that held flood water keep their contaminants and their moisture, so they are generally removed and replaced instead of being dried in place.

Each decision is written down for each material, and a homeowner can ask why a particular piece is being removed. The crew should be able to point to the reading and the material type that led to the decision.

What if a point cannot be reached by the equipment?

The crew adjusts the plan with a different unit, a different position or a small opening that creates an airflow path. A point that cannot be reached is recorded in the log with the reason, and the opening is closed when the readings are at standard.

Some wall cavities and floor voids are hard to reach with air movers. A probe or a small opening can create the airflow the drying needs, and each opening is recorded with its location and the reason for it.

A point that stays wet may need opening, and the decision is made with the homeowner in writing, because the opening is a change to the scope.

Ask for the final log to list every point measured, the first reading, the last reading and the date of each check between them. A log that shows the trend in one table is much easier for the repair trade and the insurer to read than a stack of daily sheets.