Homes and businesses can be damaged from water in many ways. No matter what causes water damage, it’s critical to bring in a professional to start the restoration process immediately, because mold can set in within 48 hours. The right team will have the right equipment, and dryers (air movers) and dehumidifiers are a big part of the process.

Getting Rid of Standing Water

The first step is to remove standing water, and this is generally done with pumps and special vacuums. Your standard shop vacuum is not going to be enough to remove large amounts of standing water. Next, a restoration team will start using dehumidifiers and dryers in tandem.

Dryers

Dryers move air over areas and materials that are waterlogged. Wet drywall, carpet, and hardwood floors all need to have dryers moving air over them to kick-start the evaporation process, and the sooner this begins, the better. One of the most important parts of using these dryers is putting them in the right spots. A professional will understand how to line up the dryers to facilitate water removal.

Dehumidifiers

While the role of dryers is essentially to get air moving, dehumidifiers take moisture out of that air. They do this by drawing in air with their own fans and then removing its moisture by running the air over evaporator coils. Generally, restoration professionals use powerful refrigerant dehumidifiers that need to be emptied as they swiftly fill with water.

Dryers and dehumidifiers have to be used together. Dryers can get air moving and dry material to an extent, but only a dehumidifier can get all of the moisture out of the air. Conversely, a dehumidifier cannot remove moisture unless a dryer has gotten the air circulating. Both types of machines need the other one in order to fully dry your space.

Assessment

At some point in the restoration process, it may look and feel like the flooded space is truly dried out, but this isn’t necessarily true. Professionals use moisture meters to check flooded areas to see if the potential for mold is truly gone. They will only turn off the machines after the numbers say that they can.

Sewer water damage is worse than regular water damage. The treatment process begins the same way with water removal, drying, and dehumidifying, but at some point, sanitation and deodorizing have to be done as well. Air scrubbers are used to make the air more pure. Damage from sewer water is not a DIY problem; you need a professional.

Unfortunately, there is a very real chance that your home could be damaged by water. Hopefully, this won’t happen, but it’s best to have a professional restoration team in mind in case it does. That way, all you have to do is call them when you need them. When you need drying and dehumidifying services in Troy, OH, contact Complete Detail Cleaning & Restoration.