But just because we offered an acceptable service in 1975, doesn't mean that that same service is acceptable today. A doctor in 1935 offered a service which may have been the finest available. He saved lives and reduced suffering. He was highly respected for his skills and he built a substantial patient following. Yet if the same procedures were used today, the doctor would be jailed for medical malpractice.

If you had a serious medical emergency today would you visit a doctor that practiced the finest medicine of 1935? Not likely, since you would be putting your life into the hands of an incompetent doctor with an extremely poor ability to diagnose and treat your illness. Remember, in 1935 there was no x-ray machines, no urine analysis, no cat scan equipment, no ultrasound and the list goes on and on. It becomes quite evident that todays doctor with his superior technology can do a better job of diagnosis and treatment.

Likewise, todays professional restorer needs to offer better diagnosis and restoration than available fifteen years ago. Today we have highly accurate, non-destructive moisture meters which can determine the moisture content of hardwood floors, plywood, particle board, framing, drywall, plaster and even insulation. We have accurate thermo-hygrometers which allow us to easily evaluate the relative and specific humidity.

We need to monitor and record both humidity and moisture content levels on almost every job for best results. Many of the materials we deal with are hygroscopic & they absorb water vapor from the environment.



These materials seek moisture equilibrium with the environment. The more humid the air, the slower these materials release abnormal moisture.

The job isn't done unitl all the materials are dried and an individual cannot determine moisture content by "feel". The only way of determining humidity and moisture content levels is with knowledge and the appropriate instruments. We need to challenge ourselves to learn and use the latest moisture monitoring methods available today. A powerful quote may be appropriate. "CHANGE IS INEVITABLE, GROWTH IS OPTIONAL."

Dehumidification

Humidity is the water vapor in the air. The ability of the air to carry water vapor increases with an increase in air temperature. In water damage restoration, we are most concerned with the relative humidity. The relative humidity will help determine how fast materials dry. It relates to how much more water the air can hold at a given temperature. Warm air will hold more moisture than cold air. If we take a volume of the air that has a relative humidity of 50% , and raise the temperature of the air 10 degrees, the relative humidity will decrease. More than any other factor, the relative humidity helps control the rate of evaporation. Because relative humidity increases as the air temperature decreases, a low temperature will result in less evaporation. In cold environment, evaporation will be low.

A flooded room with 100% relative humidity will never dry, no matter how many dryers you have running. When the air is 100% humidity, the same amount of water that evaporates from the carpet will fall into the carpet. In order to dry materials in this enviorment, we must reduce the relative humidity. There are several methods to remove the water vapor from the air. If you live in an area where the humidity is extremely low, you just open all the windows. Since humidity always seeks to balance itself, it will leave the building. If you don't live in a low humidity environment, you use a dehumidifier. A dehumidifier is a machine that removes moisture from the air. As it reduces the humidity, The walls, floors, carpet and pad dry at a much faster rate. In basements or natural floor situations, it is a must, for without one, the dryers merely circulate warm, moist air, and little or no drying takes place. Dehumidifiers remove high humidity from the room, and the dry air will pull moisture from the floors, pad, walls, and carpet.