If you’ve been in the insurance or catastrophe response business for long, you understand the importance of addressing water loss remediation quickly and effectively. From the moment of the incident, you have about 72 hours to get a team in to assess, plan remediation, and get those materials dry. If it takes longer than that, you’ve got a bigger problem on your hands, thanks to the effects of mold and material deterioration. The last thing you want is a simple drying job to turn into a complete remove and replace job.
Along with getting the team in quickly, it’s also crucial to make sure they address all of the moisture in the building. Unfortunately, it’s too easy for moisture to go undetected only to reveal itself later, after the catastrophe response teams have gone home. At that point, the problem becomes a much more expensive one.
Fortunately, modern tools and techniques make it relatively fast and easy to create an effective moisture map of even the largest facilities. If your remediation consultant follows these five steps, you can be confident that the remediation will be complete and effective.
One: Obtain As-Built Drawings
Especially when the affected facility is large, your remediation consultant will need a way to quickly communicate the remediation plan to the contractor. A moisture map is the answer. Expect your consultant to request as-built drawings, and then to equip their team with these drawings as they work their way through the affected facility. If there are no as-built drawings, the contractor will have to prepare floor plans of the facility in the field.
Two: Conduct a Visual Inspection
Next, your consulting team should walk through the facility, maps in hand, and identify areas of likely impact. This assessment will be made based on visual staining, dripping or standing water, damaged drywall, sagging ceiling tiles, and any other evidence that the building envelope has been breached.
Three: Employ Infrared Imaging
An infrared (IR) camera allows the operator to identify likely areas of moisture penetration that may not be visible to the naked eye. IR works by producing an image that shows warm areas in reds, yellows, and oranges, and cooler areas in blues and greens. Generally speaking, areas that have experienced moisture penetration will be cooler than the surrounding area. Using an IR camera allows the response team to move quickly through the facility, while inspecting every square foot for evidence of moisture, including behind walls and ceilings.
Four: Confirm Moisture with a Moisture Meter
While IR imaging is accurate most of the time, a moisture meter will positively confirm the presence of moisture in building materials. The three-pronged approach of visual, IR, and moisture meter allows the team to move quickly through the building, while still ensuring the accuracy of the data they collect.
Five: Deliver Moisture Map and Remediation Plan to Contractor
By charting the resulting information on the drawings, your planning team creates a moisture map that can then be delivered in real time to the remediation contractor. When you work with an experienced remediation consultant like GLE, they will understand the importance of getting rooms or the facility back in business, and can plan and communicate the remediation plan in such a fashion that contractors can complete areas both quickly and effectively.
As you know, when catastrophe strikes, it’s already too late to find the right consultants and contractors. Reach out to our team right now to gain access to GLE’s expertise and track record on behalf of your customers and clients. Our multiple locations, multi-disciplinary team, and long history of fast and effective response means you can be confident your needs will be met.
