Home floods - essentials to know
A different direction here - a break from the emotional rantings - some of you may be highly relieved. Relax, read and enjoy the information I just learned at a class in town:
“Do it yourself” has consequences – personal fan and heater can incubate mold if insured homeowner tries to remediate mold on his/her own without professional help
Causes Washing machine hose is number one source of water damage inside – ice maker lines, dishwashers, toilets, water heaters also, nail in pipe – can go in when owner is working on home project using drill – will rust and develop as a slow leak – can take months to exhibit itself –
Personal protection: Filters for mold protection – N95 can be purchased from Home Depot – Interstate Safety Supply sells here locally in Sparks – as far east on Glendale as possible, turn right – latex gloves are good idea – Purcell also good as sanitizer. “Fit test” for respirator – qualitative – is it working, quantitative – how many particles are getting through. WET company cannot give their employees a respirator until this is done. HEPA recommended for what an adjuster would be exposed to. Tyvek suits – breathable suit to hold particulants and contaminants out, to be used once and then discarded. Consult with physician – Hepatitis B and Tetanus shots are highly recommended. Tyvek suits also helpful to protect against brown recluse and black widow spider bites. Wet and slippery floor is one of most common hazards.
Approved National Standard Institute – this is the extraction industry standard and they hold up in court – if extraction company or insurance company can use these standards they can cover themselves if they are questioned for mold later developing if challenged in court – the basis for this course – if you deviate from it, it needs to be justified – also can apply in bad faith cases “S500” is the particular standard
Asbestos testing – regardless of age, unless it is proven not to be there, required for testing if extraction employee is going to be doing any type of demolition for OSHA reasons – commercial properties and multi-residential over 4 units (condominium) – WET will test regardless if house is earlier than 1984 –
Initial Phone call from insured for flood – Advise insured: Preserve and protect property, get objects off floor, shut off water if possible, there are consequences of delayed action, is the source of water corrected
Drying carpet – if carpet has to come out, they will take it out – but they often “tent” carpet to help dry out subfloor – a lot of it depends on the backing used – delamination is not necessarily a function of age, more quality of carpet – WET will look at time it “should” have taken to dry it out – they try not to bill if they attempt to dry and then have to take it out anyways – regarding staining, furniture stains will not come out, rust stains from metal – if it is just discolored from water alone, WET is pretty confident that they can clean out the discoloration from water alone
Important documents/papers – If discovered within 24 hours and frozen within 48 hours, then can be preserved by freeze drying if contamination not issue. Sublimation – taking something from solid to vapor without ever becoming liquid – cost is about 75 dollars a cubic foot, plus shipping costs to ship to out of state facility.
Water migration - Check everywhere, moisture sensors, non-penetrating meters for inspecting sub-floors below hard surface flooring. “Hyrdosensor” moisture sensor – looks like a rifle with a metal pole attached – walk into room – all it will do is give initial indicator of where carpet is wet – can tell if pad is still wet. Voltage meter used to detect electrical current for water in crawlspace. Non-penetrating meters will check moisture without causing any damage.
High value area rugs – has to be cleaned thoroughly, immersed in biocide, re-cleaned and re-dried, clearance testing when exposed to category 3 black water – not worth saving if under 1,00 dollars in value
Micro-organisms – fungi/mold – reproduce – live as parasites or saprophytes, posses a body with rigid cell walls, simple plants that lack choorphyll, some species active when wet humidity above 60% Rh (relative humidity) , feed and grow by absorbing digested matter, most fungi thrive in moist and warm environment, after one or more conditions for growth reducing likelihood of fungi reproducing, by nature mold uses air currents to disperse its mold spores to other territories for survival and reproduction. Never just blow air on mold without scrubber otherwise mold spores will spread. Air flow is good to prevent mold from developing. Mildew is mis-used term for growth on plants. Prefers damp dark environment, 68 to 86 degrees. Acid growth substances are needed, most mold will not grow colder than 55 or warmer than 115 degrees. Potential food sources for mico-organisms: carpet adhesives, organic soils within structure, carpet fibers, upholstery, paper (drywall, books, documents, photos) and wood framing, floors walls and tackless strips. Spores are the reproductive aspect of mold. Mold is like a tree with seeds, but grows very quickly.
Pet odors - Shellac based product will seal subfloor for pet odors, Kilz will not work.
Mold on base level drywall – you do not want to just take off baseboard and expose to carpet, it is important to keep it contained or taped so that mold on baseboard does not contaminate carpet (MDF medium density fiberboard is thin coat on particle board – majority of existing baseboard) – if it is water damaged, it has to be replaced – solid wood can be saved - use razor knife to avoid pulling texture off wall
Water damaged materials
Materials physically damage and swell – particle board beneath vinyl if swollen has to come out, laminated wood flooring has to be replaced. Wet insulation means wall is coming out. Drywall is gypsum powder between two pieces of paper. It becomes fragile when wet and more stable as it dries. Wet drywall can be saved, but if it is pulling loose from fasteners it has to come out. This is the reason for drilling holes at base area – a lot of the time it can be saved by doing this if it is not coming from fasteners. Water marks on ceiling will reflect the taped areas where the drywall connects to the studs since the water will penetrate the nailed areas at the holes – will also show up at the on center stud points as circles between the tape lines. Decision to drywall is also a function of how cost effective it is to dry/repair vs. replace. Hydroscopic material means it absorbs water. Engineered wood floor more difficult to preserve than pure wood due to glue and materials added to wood.
Carpet delamination
Causes include water, improper installation, excessive foot traffic, over aggressive extraction, and improperly specified carpet cushion (particularly berber carpet). There are two layers – primary and secondary backing. When carpet is wet it looses 50 percent of its strength, so extreme efforts to dry can cause it to delaminate. Folding carpet can cause damage, and rolling it up can also scratch walls. Decision to repair or replace – category 2/3 will warrant replace. Reasons to restore – good condition, expensive high-quality, customer preference, matching issues. Reasons to replace – wear, delamination, stains/mold, customer preference. Carpet awl tool and knee kicker are tools used to ensure proper removal and reduce risk of damage to backings. Iron on top of wet terry towel can be used to remove seamed areas to pull apart/melt glue at tape. Avoid pulling seams if possible. Other option is to use carpet rake and to pull out pad from under seamed area.
Aggressive drying
This means primary focus on drying vs. replacement – drying wet materials with no disruption to installation, leaving highly porous materials means more need for equipment.
Submersible pump
7.48 gallons of water in one cubic foot – large pumps removed 2400 gallons per hour and 600 gallons per hour for smaller pump – amount of time to remove is number of cubic feet times 7.48 gallons of water divided by gallons per hour capacity of machine (2400 or 600 in case above). Weight = number of gallons x 8.34 for total pounds
Flood cuts – reason for height cut into the wall – 2 feet beyond visible mold is to go beyond the visible mold for mold that cannot be seen. At 2 feet sheet can be split, or at 16 inches sheet can be split in thirds.
Air machines for mold
Air scrubber and negative air machine is the same machine but set up differently. Air scrubber – uses HEPA filtration machine – air runs through it and clean air comes out the other side – particulates are filtered out along with dust, mold, particulates – filters last 6 to 12 months – they mostly can re-used per job, with exception of hospital – it is bagged and re-used – it should not show up on a bill – it is maintenance and should be built into the cost as line item. Two outside filters used before third filter HEPA filter is reached and the item per day cost reflects those charges, those are replaced about once a day. Length x width x height = cubic feet – also height of ceiling times floor area. 4 air exchanges one hour is optimal. At window area, duct is run out the window so that air is pulled out from room – negative means air is pulled out of room – air scrubber is used as negative air machine ones it pulls air out of room, but it is still the same machine. They are used to clean the air to get the spores out. Generally one machine used per contained area, unless it is a very large area.
Aerosolization
Process where contaminants below surface – such as sewage – become airborne – care must be taken to prevent from happening during removal process
Moisture meters
Dry standard used to compare non –dry for moisture readings
Contamination category
Amount of contamination – category 1 – clear water – category 2 – some contaminants – within 48 hours can move up to ---category 3 – human waste, sewer water, prolonged category 2 – category 2 pad must come out, category 3 all carpet and pad must go
Classes of water exposure (amount of equipment based on class) The more standing water, the faster the evaporation rate
Class 1 – small section of room – not a lot of water – slow evaporation rate
Class 2 - majority of room – and affected walls 24 inches or less, faster evaporation rate
Class 3 – entire room – wet ceilings and walls carpet and pad with water more than 24 inches – fastest evaporation rate
Class 4 – specialty drying – wet materials with low permeance/porosity – hardwoods, subfloor, plaster, brick
Hydroscopic
Term meaning matierals that absorb water – term applies to particle board
Removing wet drywall
Be aware of asbestos and lead paint – 1978 and 1979 homes had lead paint
“Do it yourself” has consequences – personal fan and heater can incubate mold if insured homeowner tries to remediate mold on his/her own without professional help
Causes Washing machine hose is number one source of water damage inside – ice maker lines, dishwashers, toilets, water heaters also, nail in pipe – can go in when owner is working on home project using drill – will rust and develop as a slow leak – can take months to exhibit itself –
Personal protection: Filters for mold protection – N95 can be purchased from Home Depot – Interstate Safety Supply sells here locally in Sparks – as far east on Glendale as possible, turn right – latex gloves are good idea – Purcell also good as sanitizer. “Fit test” for respirator – qualitative – is it working, quantitative – how many particles are getting through. WET company cannot give their employees a respirator until this is done. HEPA recommended for what an adjuster would be exposed to. Tyvek suits – breathable suit to hold particulants and contaminants out, to be used once and then discarded. Consult with physician – Hepatitis B and Tetanus shots are highly recommended. Tyvek suits also helpful to protect against brown recluse and black widow spider bites. Wet and slippery floor is one of most common hazards.
Approved National Standard Institute – this is the extraction industry standard and they hold up in court – if extraction company or insurance company can use these standards they can cover themselves if they are questioned for mold later developing if challenged in court – the basis for this course – if you deviate from it, it needs to be justified – also can apply in bad faith cases “S500” is the particular standard
Asbestos testing – regardless of age, unless it is proven not to be there, required for testing if extraction employee is going to be doing any type of demolition for OSHA reasons – commercial properties and multi-residential over 4 units (condominium) – WET will test regardless if house is earlier than 1984 –
Initial Phone call from insured for flood – Advise insured: Preserve and protect property, get objects off floor, shut off water if possible, there are consequences of delayed action, is the source of water corrected
Drying carpet – if carpet has to come out, they will take it out – but they often “tent” carpet to help dry out subfloor – a lot of it depends on the backing used – delamination is not necessarily a function of age, more quality of carpet – WET will look at time it “should” have taken to dry it out – they try not to bill if they attempt to dry and then have to take it out anyways – regarding staining, furniture stains will not come out, rust stains from metal – if it is just discolored from water alone, WET is pretty confident that they can clean out the discoloration from water alone
Important documents/papers – If discovered within 24 hours and frozen within 48 hours, then can be preserved by freeze drying if contamination not issue. Sublimation – taking something from solid to vapor without ever becoming liquid – cost is about 75 dollars a cubic foot, plus shipping costs to ship to out of state facility.
Water migration - Check everywhere, moisture sensors, non-penetrating meters for inspecting sub-floors below hard surface flooring. “Hyrdosensor” moisture sensor – looks like a rifle with a metal pole attached – walk into room – all it will do is give initial indicator of where carpet is wet – can tell if pad is still wet. Voltage meter used to detect electrical current for water in crawlspace. Non-penetrating meters will check moisture without causing any damage.
High value area rugs – has to be cleaned thoroughly, immersed in biocide, re-cleaned and re-dried, clearance testing when exposed to category 3 black water – not worth saving if under 1,00 dollars in value
Micro-organisms – fungi/mold – reproduce – live as parasites or saprophytes, posses a body with rigid cell walls, simple plants that lack choorphyll, some species active when wet humidity above 60% Rh (relative humidity) , feed and grow by absorbing digested matter, most fungi thrive in moist and warm environment, after one or more conditions for growth reducing likelihood of fungi reproducing, by nature mold uses air currents to disperse its mold spores to other territories for survival and reproduction. Never just blow air on mold without scrubber otherwise mold spores will spread. Air flow is good to prevent mold from developing. Mildew is mis-used term for growth on plants. Prefers damp dark environment, 68 to 86 degrees. Acid growth substances are needed, most mold will not grow colder than 55 or warmer than 115 degrees. Potential food sources for mico-organisms: carpet adhesives, organic soils within structure, carpet fibers, upholstery, paper (drywall, books, documents, photos) and wood framing, floors walls and tackless strips. Spores are the reproductive aspect of mold. Mold is like a tree with seeds, but grows very quickly.
Pet odors - Shellac based product will seal subfloor for pet odors, Kilz will not work.
Mold on base level drywall – you do not want to just take off baseboard and expose to carpet, it is important to keep it contained or taped so that mold on baseboard does not contaminate carpet (MDF medium density fiberboard is thin coat on particle board – majority of existing baseboard) – if it is water damaged, it has to be replaced – solid wood can be saved - use razor knife to avoid pulling texture off wall
Water damaged materials
Materials physically damage and swell – particle board beneath vinyl if swollen has to come out, laminated wood flooring has to be replaced. Wet insulation means wall is coming out. Drywall is gypsum powder between two pieces of paper. It becomes fragile when wet and more stable as it dries. Wet drywall can be saved, but if it is pulling loose from fasteners it has to come out. This is the reason for drilling holes at base area – a lot of the time it can be saved by doing this if it is not coming from fasteners. Water marks on ceiling will reflect the taped areas where the drywall connects to the studs since the water will penetrate the nailed areas at the holes – will also show up at the on center stud points as circles between the tape lines. Decision to drywall is also a function of how cost effective it is to dry/repair vs. replace. Hydroscopic material means it absorbs water. Engineered wood floor more difficult to preserve than pure wood due to glue and materials added to wood.
Carpet delamination
Causes include water, improper installation, excessive foot traffic, over aggressive extraction, and improperly specified carpet cushion (particularly berber carpet). There are two layers – primary and secondary backing. When carpet is wet it looses 50 percent of its strength, so extreme efforts to dry can cause it to delaminate. Folding carpet can cause damage, and rolling it up can also scratch walls. Decision to repair or replace – category 2/3 will warrant replace. Reasons to restore – good condition, expensive high-quality, customer preference, matching issues. Reasons to replace – wear, delamination, stains/mold, customer preference. Carpet awl tool and knee kicker are tools used to ensure proper removal and reduce risk of damage to backings. Iron on top of wet terry towel can be used to remove seamed areas to pull apart/melt glue at tape. Avoid pulling seams if possible. Other option is to use carpet rake and to pull out pad from under seamed area.
Aggressive drying
This means primary focus on drying vs. replacement – drying wet materials with no disruption to installation, leaving highly porous materials means more need for equipment.
Submersible pump
7.48 gallons of water in one cubic foot – large pumps removed 2400 gallons per hour and 600 gallons per hour for smaller pump – amount of time to remove is number of cubic feet times 7.48 gallons of water divided by gallons per hour capacity of machine (2400 or 600 in case above). Weight = number of gallons x 8.34 for total pounds
Flood cuts – reason for height cut into the wall – 2 feet beyond visible mold is to go beyond the visible mold for mold that cannot be seen. At 2 feet sheet can be split, or at 16 inches sheet can be split in thirds.
Air machines for mold
Air scrubber and negative air machine is the same machine but set up differently. Air scrubber – uses HEPA filtration machine – air runs through it and clean air comes out the other side – particulates are filtered out along with dust, mold, particulates – filters last 6 to 12 months – they mostly can re-used per job, with exception of hospital – it is bagged and re-used – it should not show up on a bill – it is maintenance and should be built into the cost as line item. Two outside filters used before third filter HEPA filter is reached and the item per day cost reflects those charges, those are replaced about once a day. Length x width x height = cubic feet – also height of ceiling times floor area. 4 air exchanges one hour is optimal. At window area, duct is run out the window so that air is pulled out from room – negative means air is pulled out of room – air scrubber is used as negative air machine ones it pulls air out of room, but it is still the same machine. They are used to clean the air to get the spores out. Generally one machine used per contained area, unless it is a very large area.
Aerosolization
Process where contaminants below surface – such as sewage – become airborne – care must be taken to prevent from happening during removal process
Moisture meters
Dry standard used to compare non –dry for moisture readings
Contamination category
Amount of contamination – category 1 – clear water – category 2 – some contaminants – within 48 hours can move up to ---category 3 – human waste, sewer water, prolonged category 2 – category 2 pad must come out, category 3 all carpet and pad must go
Classes of water exposure (amount of equipment based on class) The more standing water, the faster the evaporation rate
Class 1 – small section of room – not a lot of water – slow evaporation rate
Class 2 - majority of room – and affected walls 24 inches or less, faster evaporation rate
Class 3 – entire room – wet ceilings and walls carpet and pad with water more than 24 inches – fastest evaporation rate
Class 4 – specialty drying – wet materials with low permeance/porosity – hardwoods, subfloor, plaster, brick
Hydroscopic
Term meaning matierals that absorb water – term applies to particle board
Removing wet drywall
Be aware of asbestos and lead paint – 1978 and 1979 homes had lead paint
posted by Zook at 1:09 PM
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