Water damage demolition

12/20/2018 (Permalink)

Wet carpeted in a home

When a water damage happens, there are a lot of people who panic and start tearing out carpet and drywall. When a homeowner calls and asks if they should start tearing out wet materials, we typically tell them not to, because we may be able to save the materials.

Of the many factors that are in play on a water damage, one of the important ones is can we save and restore the wet materials?  In most cases, materials can be saved. When we enter a water-damaged home or office, we start evaluating: what is the source of the water intrusion? Is the carpet holding together, or is it beginning to delaminate? Is the drywall falling apart? Are there wet ceilings that may collapse? Is it a safety risk?

If the carpet can be saved, we remove the pad from underneath, extract any standing water on the ground, and extract the carpet. We often “float” the carpet, by attaching the carpet to an air mover and blowing air under it.  After the entire structure is dry, we replace the pad and re-stretch and reinstall the carpet.

If the carpet is not salvageable, we promptly remove the carpet and pad, and focus on drying the remaining wet materials.

If the drywall if shows significant weakness, especially the ceiling, we do need to remove it for safety reasons. Also, if there is a vapor barrier present behind the drywall, we may need to remove some of the drywall to effectively dry the framing and substructure.

When attempting to dry out wet drywall, there are many different methods that can be used. We detach baseboards and drill holes in the drywall below the baseboard line. This allows for easy airflow into the drywall, as well as the wall cavities. We also have an injection drying system, which allows us to directly inject dry air into the walls. This is a highly-effective method of addressing “hidden” water inside the walls and framing. It can also be used for hard-to-reach areas, such as the space under kitchen cabinets.

Before you start demolishing wet carpeting and walls in your home or commercial building, call the professionals at SERVPRO of Casper. Our restorative drying techniques can save a lot of your materials, and get you put back together more quickly!