What Challenges Exist in Drying Flood Damage in Los Gatos Homes?

7/28/2020 (Permalink)

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With Humid Conditions and Other Obstacles Existing After a Flood, Drying Efforts can Become a Challenge 

As the standard of a request as drying and water recovery might be for Los Gatos homes after a water loss or flood, many challenges and obstacles can prevent this from being successful. Flooding can be among the more destructive disasters to impact properties, especially with many homes in the area being ranch-style properties. Split-level homes with partial subterranean construction can be directly affected by natural flooding spreading throughout your community.

As much as flood damage in Los Gatos homes can vary, specific elements are fundamental and universal to each recovery job. Water removal and drying are needed actions taken to reduce the damage that flooding can do in a property and get you back to your routine as soon as possible. To accomplish this in the efficient timeline that we seek to provide, our SERVPRO team relies on a crafted blend of industry-leading equipment, experienced water restoration personnel, and fast response to the emergency. Initial actions taken immediately can help slow the progression of migrating water throughout the property, allowing us to focus on the structure's drying needs.  

What Are the Principles of Drying?  

Drying balances specific elements working together to eliminate moisture both in the environment and trapped in porous materials or contents. Each of these elements impacts the others, meaning that less of one means another factor must increase to compensate. The appropriate blend of these drying principles can change from one location to the next and often plays on the atmospheric conditions and readings conducted during the job scoping phase. This evaluation helps to determine the current conditions and how to best approach moisture removal and restoration for these readings after a flood. These disasters can also introduce other obstacles that could impact the pace of drying, such as debris, silt, and solids. At its base levels, moisture removal can break down into three elements: 

Temperature – Heat quickens the movement of molecules and can improve the chemical reactions necessary to facilitate evaporation. Lower temperatures can slow the progression of drying.

• Airflow – The air movement can be vital to the drying process, but it can also hinder it. When vapor pressure brings higher humidity into drier spaces to even out, the higher moisture content can be an additional challenge for drying efforts.  

• Humidity – Higher moisture conditions that exist for prolonged periods can provide ideal conditions for mold growth. However, moisture content knowledge can also ensure the right dehumidification tools get used to regulating these conditions for rapid drying. 

Should Repairs Happen First?  

Repairs are a necessary part of flood recovery in your home, especially with natural flood scenarios. Controlled demolition is one of the critical elements of managing contamination, as affected materials and contents can get removed and discarded before further migration of these effects can occur. With a group of in-house contractors available to respond with our SERVPRO technicians, we can provide efficient reconstruction solutions and temporary repairs to allow for mitigation to be a more practical approach. Initial repairs for your flooded structure might target:

• Roof Damages
• Structural Openings
• Penetration Points  

How Does Water Migration Occur?  

The movement of water also plays a vital role in recovering the property after a flood loss in Los Gatos. Intruding water can move fast through single-story structures, allowing surface exposure to be a considerable concern and other factors that can contribute to more widespread migration of moisture, contaminants, and water. There are several methods of moving water throughout the property after a flood, but often these fall into a few primary categories: 

• Vapor Pressure – High and low-pressure vapor areas exist between the environment outside of the house, areas in structural cavities, and the central atmosphere in the affected areas. The environment is always seeking to establish a balance of these conditions, allowing for water vapor to migrate from one area of the property to another. 

• Liquid Migration – The literal traveling of water from its penetration points throughout the structure is the most direct and visible damage path in flooding conditions. These threats require extraction and water removal equipment to address.

• Saturation – Standing water can present exposure concerns for porous materials like wood plank flooring, drywall, carpeting, and other sensitive surfaces. The absorption of water can allow migration to continue into structural cavities and be a more significant obstacle for restorers. 

As challenging as flood losses might be, you can count on the experience and equipment of our SERVPRO of Los Gatos / Monte Sereno team to make it "Like it never even happened." Contact us today at (408) 600-2020.