How Do You Know If You Need a Wet Check Inspection?
If you’ve recently had a water damage event in your home then you should definitely have a secondary inspection done.
We’ve put together a few questions as guidelines to help:
How many days did the equipment stay in place for? If it’s the “typical 3-5 days” – please call. 3- 5 days drying is a myth.
3-5 days is not enough time to dry a structure in almost every scenario. Insurance carriers like to use this timeframe to keep the claims costs low, which is generally not based on science and/or data. Again, this can lead to mold issues down the road.
How did the restoration contractor ensure and show you that the structure is dry?
Have you noticed a smell in your home after the structure was “dried”. Is it a moldy, mildew smell? Worse?
If you notice a smell after the work has been completed, that should be a red flag. More than likely the moisture is still trapped somewhere and this will lead to future problems.
D.A.M.P. (Deep Assembly Moisture Profiling)
We use a method to get deep into the building materials to ensure that the moisture has been brought back to the Dry Standard of the home. Most restoration “professionals” do not know how to check for moisture using this method.
How Does D.A.M.P Work?
We use some old basic ideas coupled with technology to take the guess work out of drying. By using a method to get to the center of the wall, insulation or framing, we can collect the temperature, relative humidity, & moisture content. By connecting electronic sensors that can be monitored from anywhere in the world in real-time by the contractor, homeowner, or insurance carrier we can determine when Dry Standard has been accomplished. Everything is run through a third-party software taking bias out of the process. All data can be collected and put into a report with the results.
Contrast the D.A.M.P. method to a company that shows up with a non-penetrating meter that only reports an average moisture reading about ½ inch deep. The results will be VERY different, and more than likely the company with the ½ inch method missed quite a bit of moisture.
Testing!
Did you know that your contractor is supposed to test for asbestos, silica, lead, and mold prior to removing any materials? OSHA, and the IICRC are VERY clear on this in the form of laws and Standards of Care. This ensures that the workers and occupants of the home are kept safe from potential hazardous materials.
Health issues?
After the work was completed, has anyone in the home experienced a new health issue?
Water/moisture that is missed can easily lead to mold. If mold is given an opportunity to grow, the health effects can be very few to devastating.
Here is the CDC FAQ page around mold – https://www.cdc.gov/mold/faqs.htm
To keep this from occurring, be sure to hire a professional restoration company that understands the methods to ensure that moisture levels are at the Dry Standard of your home. This is generally a contractor that YOU hire, not your insurance carrier.
Reporting?
When your loss took place – were you provided with the following reports, or something similar?
Initial Scope of Work
Moisture Map – where the moisture is plotted on a floorplan.
Initial Moisture Testing Report
Initial Surface Sample Report
Initial Air Sample Report
Daily Moisture Report – Drying Status
Daily Equipment Monitoring Report
Typically Preferred Vendors do not supply this type of data to you, the homeowner. They generally will only supply it to the carrier. This type of information should be transparent to all parties involved.
