Restoring Water Damaged Structures

2. Restoring Water Damaged Structures

3. Lesson Objectives Upon successful completion of this course participants should be able to: • Explain how moisture content from direct contact and absorption of water from the air is critical to drying. • Define psychrometry. • Explain how a psychrometric chart is read. • Identify types of equipment used to scope the area affected by water. • Determine the type of action required to prevent further structural damage: • Containment barriers • Tarp • Shrink wrap

4. Lesson Objectives Upon successful completion of this course participants should be able to: • Identify potential contaminants in a damaged structure. • Explain safety regulations for removing contaminants from structures. • Explain the removal of water through dehumidification. • List types of dehumidification equipment: • Refrigerant • Desiccant • Explain the process of controlling micro-organisms.

5. Lesson Objectives Upon successful completion of this course participants should be able to: • Explain the role of demolition in the restoration industry. • Explain the process of deodorization as it applies to disinfecting a damaged structure.

6. Water Damage Inspection “Clients always want to know if their home or business will look as good after restoration as it die before the water damage. The restoration technician’s primary goal is to return the damaged structure as nearly as possible to its pre-loss appearance.”

7. Psychrometrics

8. Psychrometrics Psychrometrics is the measurement of water vapor and heat in an air sample.

9. Thermodynamics • Thermodynamics is the branch of physics that deals with the relationships between heat and other forms of energy.

10. Specific Humidity Specific Humidity (SH) is a measure of moisture in the air as a weight and is expressed as grains of moisture per pound of dry air (GGP). A heavier weight means that more moisture is present.

11. Relative Humidity Relative Humidity (RH) is the amount of moisture in the air expressed as a percentage of the total amount of moisture the air could hold. As the temperature increases the relative humidity decreases.

12. Psychrometric Chart • Graphical representation of the physical and thermal properties of moist air. • The readings that need to be obtained in order to plot information on a psychrometric chart are: - Dry bulb temperature – A temperature measurement in Fahrenheit or Celsius. (shown along the bottom of the psychrometric chart) - Relative Humidity (RH) – The RH can be obtained using a thermo hygrometer.

13. Psychrometric Chart

14. Reading a Psychrometric Chart 80F Dry Bulb Temp 60% RH 91 GPP .61 VP

15. Water Barriers • Diverting water – • sand bagging • portable water gates • drainage ditches • Tarping a roof – • plastic sheeting or tarp • Shrink wrap – • used to create partial or total enclosure

16. Extraction • The best defense against water damage is speedy extraction. • Extraction decreases drying time.

17. Extraction Tools • Light wand • Squeeze wand • Vacuum • Weighed compression tools • Submersible pumps

18. Monitoring Monitoring is the process of observing changes to the structure as it begins to dry. Progress is the term used by the restorative drying industry to note changes in the work area: - Making progress - Slow progress - No progress

19. Monitoring Methods Average Moisture Content (AMC) is used to give an overall picture of all the affected materials in a structure and the progress of drying during the restoration. Moisture Mapping is diagramming the water intrusion on paper. The Dot System is a four color system used to identify water intrusion.

20. Monitoring Reports Daily inspections: • Documentation (paper or electronically) • Progress of restorative drying • level of drying in the work area • changes in atmospheric conditions

21. Dehumidification Dehumidification occurs when water molecules are removed from the air.

22. Dehumidification – Water Loss Four Classes of Water Loss: • Class 1 – minimal water is present • Class 2 – water absorbed less than 24” • Class 3 – water absorbed more than 24” • Class 4 – water saturated dense materials

23. Dehumidification – Drying Systems Three drying systems: • Open – use outside air to lower indoor humidity. 2. Closed – use when outdoor SH is higher than indoor SH. 3. Combination – use outdoor air and mechanical dehumidifiers to dry.

24. Types of Dehumidifiers • Conventional refrigerant • Desiccant

25. Controlling Micro-organisms Micro-organisms can damage the structure and pose health risks to humans ─ • Bacteria • Viruses • Parasites • Protozoa • Algae • Fungi

26. Biocides Biocides are chemicals capable of killing organisms that thrive in wet/moist areas: • Pesticides • Herbicides • Insecticides • Algaecides • Molluscides • Miticides • Rodenticides

27. Demolition – Restoration vs Replacement Is restoration possible? • great value • sentimental value • cost effectiveness

28. Deodorization The complete drying of all affected contents and structural elements is the best prevention for foul odors in a water damaged structure.