S500 Principle 2—Document Conditions and Procedures

Our technicians are trained to document their findings of the inspection. Actually, they inspect the wet areas at different times during the drying process.

• They make an initial inspection on the first visit to the job site.
• They make ongoing inspections while the building and contents are drying.
• They make a final inspection when everything is dry.

During an initial inspection, the technician will inspect the areas where water has intruded to identify the extent to which water has migrated through materials and how much damage has occurred. They talk with building occupants about their observations to help further define the nature of the water damage. The information gathered in an initial inspection is documented and used to plan the needed emergency procedures.

During the process of drying a building, our technicians will conduct ongoing inspections. They inspect and measure moisture conditions inside the building and in materials affected by the water. Information gathered in these ongoing inspections is documented and used to determine whether wet materials are drying properly.

When the structure and contents are considered dry again, our technicians will conduct a final inspection. This information is documented to show that the building materials and contents have been restored to acceptable conditions. They document not only conditions of the building, but also the work procedures that are followed to address those conditions.

Remember the “Key Questions” of restorative drying that we try to answer; what is wet? and how wet is it?  

What is wet?

Our technicians will check for how much of the structure and contents have been affected by the water. To find out what materials got wet, we check for how far water has migrated through materials. The water restoration industry speaks of finding the “edge” of the water. What is the line between what is wet and what is dry?

How wet is it?

The technician checks for how much water these materials absorbed. They are also concerned about how much damage has occurred. The more moisture a material absorbs and the longer a material is wet, the greater the potential for damage. Our job is to quickly reduce the amount of time that materials stay excessively wet.

Determine the Scope of Water Intrusion

To determine the scope of the water intrusion, our technician will inspect how far the water has gone in the building. Scoping begins by inspecting and evaluating all affected components of the structure.

• The technician will start at the source of the water and work outwards from that point. The inspection follows the water as it migrated through the building.
• Moisture sensors allow the technician to detect moisture under a carpet.
• Moisture meters allow the technician to measure the moisture content of materials.  
• Check everywhere moisture may have impacted materials.  
• Determine how high the moisture has wicked up into walls.
• Check for moisture behind ceramic tiles.
• The technician also records the current conditions of temperature and relative humidity in the building. Knowing the temperature and relative humidity inside the affected area helps the restorer evaluate the potential for secondary damages from high humidity of the indoor air. Relative humidity that stays above 60% for long will result in more damage to some materials.

The inspection service checks whether water migrated to areas of the building that are not visible. For example, water falls on a carpeted floor. Where does the water go next? Does it travel to areas we cannot see? What we don’t see is inside the wall cavity between the brick outside wall and the drywall on the inside wall, with insulation in between. We also don’t see what is under the carpet—the padding and the subfloor.

Not only will our technicians determine the extent of the water damage they will also evaluate the restorability of damaged items. Some of the damages they inspect for are:

• Delamination -  a mode of failure for composite materials and steel
• Staining of carpets.
• Warping, bowing, swelling, or buckling of wood.
• Mold or microbiological contamination growing on drywall.

When we evaluate whether materials can be restored, we compare the value of the item to the cost involved in drying and restoring the item. Technicians may not be able to determine restorability of some materials until the drying process is complete.

Example: When carpet is wet, restorers determine whether the carpet can be dried or if it is damaged and needs to be replaced.

• Technicians inspect for delamination of the carpet’s backing material. Delamination occurs when the primary backing and secondary backing begin to separate. Small areas of delamination might be reglued. Extensive delamination of carpet usually cannot be restored. Instead, the building owner and adjuster must be notified of the delamination and a recommendation must be made for the carpet to be replaced.  
• When carpet is not salvageable, a 10" by 10" sample of the carpet will be retained to be evaluated by a testing company. The testing company will document the quality of the carpet so it can be replaced with carpet of equal quality.

Documentation is an important aspect of managing a water damage restoration project. Appropriate documentation allows us to communicate with building owners and to review the procedures of a drying project during and after the process is completed. Many restoration companies extract water and then placed drying equipment at a work site and leave. Typically they would come back three days later to see if the structure is “dry”. We check daily to see that the equipment is running and that the drying system is working. We document changes in the air conditions to make sure the air is dry and warm enough to encourage evaporation of water from wet building materials. We also document whether wet materials are becoming drier. All of this helps us to ensure that all excess moisture, seen and unseen, has been completely removed from the project site.

The bottom line - the best response to a water intrusion is a rapid response. SERVPRO of Norwood and West Roxbury is committed to respond swiftly in an emergency situation. We work with our clients to schedule the job immediately and begin mitigation services within hours of receiving notification of the loss. This timely response increases the chances of stopping additional damage from occurring and of restoring the property to pre-loss condition.

This brings us to S500 Principle 3 – Mitigation…