1) What is “Dry”?

Your contractor should set a dry standard and drying goal which should be included in a drying plan (see below).

At the very least, you should know what DRY is. Brownie points if you walk WITH your Contractor to set dry Standard if you can locate an unaffected area of the house. If YOU know what dry is, no one can tell you otherwise. You should be able to know through your contractor’s moisture readings that you’re nearing dry standard by watching the various readings drop to baseline / target conditions. Your contractor may use various strategies to dry the building. Feel free to ask them how they will execute the drying plan! (see below) (i.e. dehumidification, heat drying, etc.)

a) “Dry Standard – ANSI/ IICRC S500: a reasonable approximation of the moisture content or level of a material prior to a water intrusion.”

b) “Moisture Content – ANSI/ IICRC S500: the measurement of the amount of moisture contained in a material, expressed as a percentage of the weight of the oven-dry material. In regards to measurements, it is only recommended that the term “moisture content” be used when such measurements are taken using instruments calibrated for the given material and material temperature.”

c) “Drying Goal” – ANSI/IICRC S500 – “Drying goal: the target moisture content or moisture level in a material established by the restorer to be achieved at the end of the drying process.”

The Indoor Pre-Loss Environmental Condition of Most Homes: If you cannot locate a room in your home that is unaffected, most homes are maintained between 70–80-degree F, between 40-55% RH. This creates an EMC (Equilibrium Moisture Content) in wood of 7.7-9.9%. Typically, Dry Standard is found in an unaffected area of the home. In a hurricane event, the entire home is either wetted by water OR is exposed to high interior humidity. The humidity and water will elevate the EMC in building material so finding a pre-loss EMC will not be possible. If this happens, YOUR EMC can be found by going to the following website and putting in you average interior temperature and Relative Humidity.

Find an EMC Calculator Here
You will typically get a value of 7.7 to 9.9% EMC in the Florida region.

d) They should have a drying plan – A drying plan is especially critical. They should drying goal, category, class, containment, equipment quantity / setup based on the structure, anti-microbial treatments, post-drying verification, documentation, reconstruction, cleaning, and any legal compliance items. More on that will be following.

e) Penetrating vs. Non-Penetrating Meters

i) How can a Contractor ensure the equipment taking the readings is the right one for the job? While non-penetrating meters (simply meaning it doesn’t not “penetrate” the surface its reading) serve their purpose in some scenarios, it can typically fail to measure the whole assembly. If you’d like to learn more about how we measure the true moisture content of wood read here.

2) How “clean” was the water?
The more contamination present, the stricter the work practices are to remove and clean it. Hurricane/ Storm water is designated as Category (CAT) 3 water. CAT 3 water changes PPE levels and cleaning / content removal procedures.

a) Category of Water – ANSI/IICRC S500 - “the categories of water, as defined by this document, refer to the range of contamination in water, considering both its originating source and quality after it contacts materials present on the job site. Time and temperature can affect or retard the amplification of contaminants, thereby affecting its category. Restorers should consider potential contamination, defined as the presence of undesired substances; the identity, location, and quantity of which are not reflective of a normal indoor environment; and can produce adverse health effects, cause damage to structure, systems, or contents, or adversely affect the operation or function of building systems.”

TIP: Initial categorization can be set and confirmed with an ATP meter.

Check if your contractor an ATP Meter those available. Click here to view one.

b) “Category 3: Category 3 water is grossly contaminated and can contain pathogenic, toxigenic, or other harmful agents and can cause significant adverse reactions to humans if contacted or consumed. Examples of Category 3 water can include but are not limited to: sewage; wasteline backflows that originate from beyond any trap regardless of visible content or color; all forms of flooding from seawater; rising water from rivers or streams; and other contaminated water entering or affecting the indoor environment, such as wind-driven rain from hurricanes, tropical storms, or other weather-related events. Category 3 water can carry trace levels of regulated or hazardous materials (e.g., pesticides or toxic organic substances”

3) How to protect you and the companies’ workers.

1. “8.4 Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) –

OSHA 29 CFR 1910.132 requires that employers perform and document a hazard/risk assessment and provide their employees with the necessary PPE to reduce the risk of exposure to chemical, physical, or biological hazards. Biological hazards that can be encountered when performing water damage restoration work include, but are not limited to, allergenic, toxigenic, and/or pathogenic microorganisms. Various types of PPE are available to help reduce exposure. The following are potential routes of exposure: ■ ■ contact with mucous membranes (eyes, nose, mouth); ■ inhalation (respiratory); ingestion; and dermal (contact with skin).”

4) They Should Take Daily Readings.

a) 10.9 – Ongoing Inspections & Monitoring – “The first of these inspections to monitor and make adjustments should be performed no later than the day following the initiation of restorative drying. The frequency of subsequent monitoring should be daily until drying goals have been met but may be adjusted by the agreed scope of work, potential for secondary damage, job site accessibility, or by agreement between the materially interested parties. Such adjustments should be documented.”

b) Requirements copied from an average food insurance policy:

i. “w-13025a. A properly completed drying log should include:

ii. Record of daily temperature and relative humidity readings of both indoor and outdoor air;

iii. • Moisture readings and the recorded location of affected and unaffected building materials in each room;

iv. • Drying goal and dry standard for the affected materials;

v. • Daily operating status of the building's HVAC system and all

vi. dehumidification equipment;

vii. • Name, model, and capacity of all dehumidification, air moving, and heating equipment;

viii. Name, make, and model of the moisture reading equipment;

ix. Water category and water class type; and

x. • Cubic footage of affected area.

xi. The S500 drying approach after a flood is always category 3 floodwater, water class 4.

xii. Note: A moisture map is not required but is a sign of quality. Grains per pound (GPP) or humidity ratio is the ratio between relative humidity and temperature; see a psychrometric chart.”

To be continued...

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