Remediating Water Damage and Drying Property in Chicago Homes

7/9/2018 (Permalink)

Dealing with active water damage can be exhausting and frightening. Contact SERVPRO and we arrive on the scene quickly to help.

Team SERVPRO Understands the Four Factors to Focus on During the Water Damage Remediation Process

Removing water from Chicago homes after a flood is only the first step in restoring them to a clean, dry, and safe environment. To allow the owners and residents to resume their routine means getting every bit of excess moisture out of the home and carefully drying the interior and property.
 
SERVPRO restoration teams need to bring four different factors back to normal levels to reverse the effects of water damage in Chicago homes. Once accomplished, our technicians can restore most property if it wasn’t already, permanently damage by the water by adjusting the Humidity, Evaporation, Air Movement, and Temperature.
 
Relative Humidity is the level of moisture, or water vapor, in the air inside the home. If it is over 60 percent, then the air is considered saturated, and drying slows almost to a standstill. To lower it to an acceptable level of under 40 percent, our specialists install dehumidifiers to draw water directly from the air and nearby structural property like wall panels and ceiling tiles.
 
Reduced humidity ties directly into Evaporation. As the dehumidifiers lower the humidity, natural evaporation increases. Water trapped in personal property like furniture turns to vapor faster as the air dries. Evaporation starts after the amount of water in a home is reduced to less than two inches in depth, so removal is very important.
 
At the same time, SERVPRO specialists also increase Air Movement. At key points in the home, they install air movers to blow warm, dry air throughout the home and across the surface of the affected property. To assist in this, they also install fans at doors and windows to draw out the cool, damp air and force it outside the home. Both actions help speed up the overall drying process which prevents the property from absorbing too much moisture and causing permanent damage.
 
Finally, there is the Temperature of the home. Property dries faster in a range of 70 to 90 degrees. If the outside air is below that range, and the home HVAC is not usable, then our team can bring in portable heaters to raise the inside temperature. They do this carefully, since raising the temperature too quickly can raise the humidity level, counteracting the efforts of the dehumidifiers.
 
Restoring any home from the effects of water damage is not a simple process, but a professional restoration service can get you back to your home quickly and only when it is safe. If you need us, contact SERVPRO of West Loop / Bucktown / Greektown at (773) 434-9100 today. We are here for you.

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