SERVPRO Drying Out Water Damaged Clarksville Homes

6/13/2022 (Permalink)

After a plumbing disaster, Clarksville homeowners need more than merely using a water-vac to pull water off the floor, open the doors and windows, and rent a rug shampooer from the local big box store. To completely restore a home or business takes a professional restoration service. 

Drying out a home with water damage in Clarksville requires attention to four key factors that affect humidity. SERVPRO restoration specialists train to analyze each one, knowing which drying methods and equipment they need to use in each home. It all comes down to HEAT. 

Water vapor level determines the humidity levels in the air in a home compared to its capacity. A level of 60 percent or higher indicates the air is saturated. That dramatically slows evaporation and increases drying time. Specialists use dehumidifiers to reduce the humidity level in each affected room. Properly working dehumidifiers can lower the level up to 20 percent every 24 hours. 

Evaporation is the natural process of water converting to vapor. With large amounts of water, it's prolonged. Our SERVPRO specialists use pumps and smaller extraction devices to remove the bulk of the standing water. Once they get the amount to less than two inches in depth, the evaporation rate rapidly increases. They can also augment the evaporation rate with dehumidifiers and use exhaust fans to increase movement, forcing saturated air outside the home. 

Air movement can also be increased using air movers to force warm, dry air throughout affected rooms and across damp surfaces like walls, tables, and countertops to gently increase the evaporation rate. Air movers and fans' combination to increase air movement is also very useful to dry out clothing in a gentle manner that does not damage the fabric. 

Temperature is also an essential factor, especially in cold weather. Since the preferred range to dry home and property is 70 to 90 degrees, we try to engage the HVAC system if it is operational carefully. If not, then specialists use space heaters to raise the internal temperature. They carefully monitor the temperature in every affected room to keep it under 80 degrees on the first day; however, a higher temperature can increase the humidity. 

At SERVPRO of Montgomery County, we use every tool and method available to return every residence to a dry, safe condition for families. If you have had a recent water issue in your home, call (931) 645-1285 to schedule a visit.