AbeStorm

Disaster Recovery & Restoration: Fast Drying Solutions with Dehumidifiers

Water damage is one of those problems that some people face here and there, and it’s important to figure out ways to deal with it. Getting a commercial dehumidifier can solve that, along with proper water damage drying. But you really have to figure out ways to address that, and doing it properly will only make the experience better. That being said, there will be challenges that arise, so it makes sense to learn more about proper ways of doing disaster recovery in a way that’s very effective. What “water damage” really means and its risks? Water damage is more than just the things you see, like soaked carpets or wet flooring. It usually goes well beyond that, for example you have porous building materials that absorb water fast. On top of that, you can have mold which ends up growing as soon as 1-2 days after the water disaster takes place. And it leads to even more issues, like structural instability. Water damage leads to moisture that weakens your home’s foundation, beams, joints, sub-floors and so on. And needless to say, it can lead to hazards in the long run, including electrical hazards on top of that structural damage mentioned earlier. Importance of rapid drying in restoration Clearly, drying rapidly after water damage is crucial. If you leave the water there, it can lead to all kinds of problems. For example, if you act now, you can stop mold from appearing. And once mold is there, it takes a lot of time and money to remove, which is something you want to avoid. Acting fast preserves the structural materials, it also reduces the restoration timelines. And on top of that, you can protect the indoor air quality if you eliminate any signs of water from the premises. If you act as fast as you can, it will streamline things, make the experience better, and in the end, you will like the results a whole lot more. With that being said, the faster you start with the water damage drying, the less you have to pay, and that will matter quite a bit. How dehumidifiers speed up recovery? A dehumidifier is meant to provide you with a quick and effective way of removing moisture from the air. It also helps create a vacuum for the moisture release, which can be extremely handy and something you want to take into account. Plus, the dehumidifier is effective because it helps work in tandem with the air movers. Those will blow across surfaces in order to lift moisture. And then the dehumidifier will capture moisture, and then remove it. This tandem approach is excellent, and it will surely make the experience a whole lot better, something to take into consideration. Plus, the benefit is that the dehumidifier is going to operate continually, which is only going to remove the water a whole lot faster. Plus, the good thing is that you can handle the extreme moisture loads a lot quicker than expected. It certainly helps convey a more consistent result, and the outcome is going to be totally worth it in the end. Choosing the right commercial vs. residential model Is it a good idea to go with a residential or commercial dehumidifier? It always depends on the type of model that you want to acquire. A residential unit is great for damp basements, mild humidity problems or a small laundry. The downside is that it has a low extraction capacity and it’s not meant for non-stop usage. A commercial unit, on the other hand, can be great for things like floor restoration, burst pipes, storm damage, sewage backups, commercial facilities, basement flooding and so on. If you go the commercial route, you can have things like a high extraction rate, a durable build, as well as built-in pumps, a high CFM airflow and continual operation. So yes, it highly depends on the use case, and you’ll find the results to be downright excellent all the time, just having something to consider here. Step-by-step drying process The great thing about using a dehumidifier is the fact that its overall process is simple and easy to follow. It usually goes through a few, important steps, as follows: First, you assess the damage and then you identify structural risks, water intrusion risks and so on. After that, the standing water is extracted before the dehumidifier is put into use. If necessary, you will also need to remove the damaged materials. Then, you set up the dehumidifier, air movers, as well as the HEPA air scrubbers. Once the dehumidifier did its work, you have to continue monitoring the moisture levels on a daily basis. Make sure that you continue until the moisture is fully removed, just to ensure that everything is ok. Abestorm offers a wide array of options when it comes to a residential or commercial dehumidifier. You can access a vast range of options, and the results as a whole will be second to none. The Guardian SN55 model is great for small-scale or single-room floods. If you have something more problematic and at a larger scale, you can go with the AirWerx 90X or the 120X models, depending on the situation. Then, there’s the Hurricane series from Abestorm which is the ultimate solution for the heavy-duty situations, as those can be inherently challenging in their own right, something to consider here. Conclusion Clearly, it’s a very good idea to focus on water damage drying the best way that you can. Getting a residential or commercial dehumidifier will help quite a lot, since it streamlines the process, it makes things easier, while eliminating a lot of potential challenges. And in the end, it comes as highly recommended to just avoid any rush and focus on results. The faster you remove any standing water, the easier it can be to avoid dealing with mold or any similar issues down the line. Installing an Abestorm dehumidifier and setting it up correctly can help solve most of these issues quickly, so use it to your advantage!

New Homes & Renovations: Moisture Control Before Problems Begin

Moisture is always an issue in the case of any house. And while you will encounter moisture in older homes, there’s new home moisture as well. It might seem uncomprehensible in the beginning, but the truth is that you will need to keep the moisture levels under control as much as possible. That’s why it makes sense to figure out how to start building moisture control, and doing that accordingly is going to be a crucial aspect. But as expected, it’s totally worth considering, and you will surely appreciate the results.  Why new builds often suffer from high humidity? There are many reasons why you encounter high humidity levels in new buildings. For example, there’s moisture in building materials, which might not seem problematic at first, but it does add up. Also, construction workers focus on energy efficiency and modern homes have all kinds of things like weather barriers, air sealing and so on. Those things help save energy, but the downside is that you are trapping humidity inside, which could end up being problematic.  Additionally, you could have a HVAC system that’s not yet optimized, and that means the humidity is quite high and it can be rather difficult to keep that under control. Plus, the landscaping and exterior grading could still be settling, in which case water is not draining properly. Needless to say, there can be a whole lot of reasons why you are dealing with moisture problems. Whether it’s a new home or you have post-renovation humidity, clearly you have to tackle those things early on and manage them the best way that you possibly can. How to monitor humidity after construction? The great thing here is that you can indeed monitor humidity after construction with pretty good results. With that being said, there are different methods you can use in here, and you can obtain some excellent results when doing so.  Using a digital hygrometer is a good idea, because it can monitor the humidity levels in a variety of places. You can also track the RH levels daily for the first 90 days, as humidity spikes can appear during the night, after rain or when the HVAC unit is out of its regular cycle. Then, there are smart home monitoring solutions that include Wi-Fi humidity sensors.  And of course, you can also check for some early warning signs, as even the mild symptoms can indicate humidity problems. Condensation on windows, musty smells, hardwood cupping, peeling paint, creaking, all of those can be inherently important and a thing to consider.  Early-stage prevention During the early stages, it can be a very good idea to find effective ways of preventing the moisture buildup, and there are plenty of methods to consider here. A very good option is controlled ventilation, where you can use heat recovery ventilation, energy recovery ventilation or even exhaust fans. Additionally, you can go the accelerated drying route. You can run the HVAC all the time for around 2-3 weeks, and also use portable fans in the closed-off rooms. Plus, keeping the interiors dry to help with air circulation is important. You should also focus on sealing the moisture entry points. These can be gaps around the plumbing penetrations, air leaks near the windows, missing exterior caulking or even slab edges that were not sealed.  With that in mind, you can also use vapor barriers as well as good insulation. All these things help immensely, and they will provide a more consistent result, along with extraordinary value every single time. They are great for laundry rooms, bathrooms, crawl spaces or basements as well. Choosing dehumidifiers for post-renovation drying Dehumidifiers are the best option you can use to deal with the post-renovation humidity. As we can imagine, humidity levels can be on the high side, so you must find a way of handling that process and make it as cohesive as it can be. Which is where the need for a good dehumidifier comes into play. In order to find the right dehumidifier, it makes sense to determine the space size and also the moisture load, where possible. You should also consider features like automatic defrost, integrated humidity control, low temperature operation or continual drainage. Needless to say, a high extraction rate is very much necessary here. And of course, it also makes sense to have adequate placement, you should have it 12 inches away from the wall or other obstructions, if possible.  Common mistakes  A lot of people make mistakes when it comes to humidity in new homes. And these will vary quite a lot, based on the situation at hand. Over-ventilation is an issue, mainly because opening the windows during humid days will bring in even more moisture. Also, undersizing the equipment is also a problem, instead you want to size up, just to be on the safe side as much as possible. Another mistake you can make is to ignore basement moisture, which is going to become quite the issue in the long run.  And to that we can also add other mistakes like turning off the HVAC way too soon, not to mention assuming that the moisture will just go away. It doesn’t. It will still be there in the long run and it can lead to mold, blistering paint, damaged floors, warped wood and many other things similar to that. It just makes more sense to approach this with a true focus on quality and avoiding mistakes is always going to make things better than expected. Cost-benefit of proactive moisture management Does it matter if you eliminate new home moisture? Yes, because you can end up saving a lot of money. For example, mold remediation is well over $1500, then we have floor replacement, drywall repairs, cabinet replacement and many others, all of which add up. Preventing these problems by getting a dehumidifier, hygrometer and performing some ventilation upgrades is much cheaper. You will spend around 10 times more for repairs, maybe even more so. That’s why you have to be very careful when it comes to how you manage moisture. Invest in a dehumidifier and the right equipment, as it conveys a much better return on investment!