Flood damage restoration has come a long way since 1982 when I started in the Water Damage Restoration field. Back then, the majority of the restoration companies were really just “wet carpet drying services”. These companies did not concern themselves with the structure or its contents. Today carpet drying is a small aspect of the restoration process. Carpets typically can now be dried in one or two days, whereas the structure and its contents can typically take three to four days to dry depending on the structural materials affected.
Some of the innovative tools introduced over the years to assist us in drying homes and businesses are the low grain dehumidifier (LGR), heat drying systems, low amperage air movers, and wall cavity drying systems to name a few.
With all these tools for us to use now, there are still instances where I come across jobs where a “flood company” had been called in to dry out a flooded home, only to find that the Technician was drying wet carpets and not the walls. I’m amazed that after twenty-seven years in this industry there are still those companies out there who are still just “carpet drying companies”. Thankfully these companies are now few in numbers, thanks to the Institute of Inspection Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC) our industry’s governing body. The IICRC puts Water Damage Technicians thru a rigorous course where we are then tested to ensure that the Water Damage Technician who is certified by the IICRC knows how to use the most up-to-date equipment and is well versed in the technical side of drying.
Therefore, unless you want history to repeat itself, make sure that when you hire a water damage restoration firm, they are in fact certified by the IICRC and you will know that your walls will be dried as well as your carpeting.
