Page 46 - Insurance Times September 2023

protects them from any further damage, expediting the WDR majorly focuses on the drying process. The process
restoration of material to the original state. includes different phases to remove the standing water.
Here, the excess water is eliminated by removing the
But before resorting to the restoration process, it is standing water. After which evaporation is carried out with
important to identify the category of water in order to take the help of air movement and dehumidification. Evaporation
relevant action. Water is categorized into three types initiates the formation of vapor that ensures the elimination
namely Clean Water, Gray Water, and Black Water of saturated water from drywall, wood frame, and subfloors.
depending on its inherent properties. As the name suggests, It is followed by dehumidification which is adept at
Clean Water is less susceptible to trigger contamination and exhausting and removing moisture externally. It forms a very
poses less health risk to humans. It can be a very common crucial stage for protecting the assets from secondary
outcome of broken water supply lines, contaminant-free tub damage as it can pose serious health hazards to the
or sink overflow, or excess rainwater. occupants.

Moving ahead to the next category, in Gray Water there is Throughout the restoration, it is important to regulate the
presence of significant amount of chemical, biological and temperature and humidity of the entire space to amplify the
physical contaminants like fungal, bacterial, and viral algae, drying process. It is recommended to maintain the relative
etc. Substantial exposure to water can lead to discomfort humidity within a very narrow range to avoid things from
or sickness in humans. Considering that dishwasher or getting worse. Failing to dehumidify the space can lead to
washing machine discharge, overflow of toilet bowls a combination of wet and moist conditions giving rise to a
containing urine, slump pump failures, hydrostatic pressure disastrous situation. Considering that warm air has more
causing seepage, etc. could be the reason behind Gray capacity to hold moisture as compared to cold air, a mixture
Water, it requires immediate professional intervention. It of high temperature and low relative humidity forms the
provides an ideal condition for harboring the growth of ideal condition for expediting the evaporation process. Here,
microorganisms that worsens in the presence of moisture reversing the condition slows down the evaporation process
and warm temperature. In case the water is left unattended and can take an alarming turn in case the humidity reaches
for 48 hours, it has the potential to get converted into black 100% capacity. In such a situation, there is condensation
with the ability to pose even higher risk to human health. formation on the surface that encourages the growth of
mold accountable for corrosion, decay, and other moisture-
Out of the three categories, black water is the worst type related deterioration.
of water damage. Containing pathogenic agents arising
from sewage or floodwater, it is highly unsanitary and Understanding that WDR requires specific environmental
unhealthy. The huge financial and health risks it incurs time conditions, maintaining the temperature at 72°F while
must not be wasted in taking restoration services with keeping the RH between the narrow range of 50-55% can
immediate effect. accelerate the evaporation process. Furthermore,
minimizing the RH by less than 40% proves to be even more
favorable for the WDR process. In the entire process, it is
imperative to ensure that the temperature of the affected
space is not increased.

Understanding the significance of evaporation in the WDR
process, deploying dehumidification technology with
advanced and viable solutions can remove the moisture
physically from the air. Opting for TDS can help in escalating
the evaporation process by increasing the airflow which
lowers the moisture content in the air. It harnesses the
benefits of desiccant dehumidification for reducing the
water menace with the help of end-to-end Water Damage
Restoration solutions. In turn, it inhibits secondary and
tertiary damaging effect which is responsible for encouraging
the growth of fungus, mold, and mildew and causes
corrosion, condensation, etc. T

The Insurance Times September 2023 41