Has Winter Flooding Affected Your Granby Home? Call SERVPRO for Fast Remediation

1/8/2020 (Permalink)

This homeowner called SERVPRO when flooding occurred. We removed the flooring and baseboards to restore this flood damaged home.

Drying Adaptations Are Why SERVPRO Succeeds After Cold Weather Flood Damage Granby

Most people think that flooding is a warmer weather type of crisis, homeowners in Granby rarely worry about a flooded basement or crawlspace in the winter. Floods, unfortunately, do not respect the season. Water can collect in your home because of a blocked drain, a freak rainstorm, or mixed precipitation that sends ice-laden power lines or tree limbs through your roof or siding. Meltwater that diverts into your house because the ground is too saturated or frozen to absorb moisture creates a flooding scenario. Drying out your structure after extraction might present challenges when temperatures are low, why working with our experts is an excellent approach.

The “Cold Weather” Problem

Flood damage affecting your Granby foundation level does not get the “bump” in evaporation efficiency available on warm or hot days. The higher the interior temperature, the more water vapor that air can hold. When flooded spaces in a crawl space or unheated basement have temperatures below 70 degrees, quite typical in the winter, the relationship among the critical drying factors is out of balance. Excellent training, experience, and creativity are why SERVPRO can work to adjust:

• Temperature
• Humidity
• Air movement

These adjustments reduce the quantity of excess water in the flooded space even under less than optimal conditions.

Equipment Options

We want to overcome all barriers for fast drying without delay. SERVPRO service vehicles stock different types of air movers, heaters, and dehumidification equipment. Dehumidification options include evaporative, low grain, and desiccant machines. During drying, best practices mandate that relative humidity (RH) remains between 30 and 60 percent. Achieving a balanced drying system positions the appropriate type of dehumidifier to remove as much water vapor as the heaters and air movers create. We must use a closed system when outdoor temperatures are below 60 degrees to avoid wasting effort because the air intake is too cold. Evaporative or refrigerant dehumidifiers have limited application when residual moisture in a foundation or crawl space must need removing with temperatures below 50 degrees.

No one can predict flooding events with complete accuracy, which is why SERVPRO of Hampshire County ensures our team has strategies to dry out structures under any condition. Call us at (413) 324-1300 to consult about the best approach for wintertime flooding.

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