So, you found you have a water leak wreaking havoc in your home… and now you’ve got days, if not weeks of work ahead, to try and remedy the situation.
Dehumidifiers work by pulling in humid air, and removing that water from it, which helps to pull water out of the affected areas and evaporate it faster. For one room in your home, 24-48 hours with a household unit should be fine; however, one size does not fit all, and water is a tricky thing.
Before you decide what to do, think through what you are dealing with:
How big is the area that was flooded? If it’s one room in your home, like the kitchen or a corner of the basement, you’re probably not too bad off with a dehumidifier or two to pull the moisture out; however if you have inches of water anywhere in your home, you will have to take some extra steps to ensure you have a dry, mold-free environment. Pumps may be necessary and the sooner the better to start getting that moisture out.
What was damaged by the water? Really what you want to know is how absorbent are the items that were affected by the water and how much did that water penetrate those items. The sneaky thing about water is it creeps into anything. However, it is much quicker to dry out a linoleum floor with some plastic storage bins laying around than wall to wall carpeting with cardboard boxes on the floor. You get the idea.
Is it winter or summertime? In the winter the air tends to be dry and cold, versus in the summer when the air can be very hot and humid.
Is the area open to outside elements or can you seal it off? If you have a room that can be completely closed while you focus on removing it is better. You don’t want to be running the dehumidifier with a lot of outside air coming in or it will take a lot longer to get through the process. Remember, the machine will remove moisture from any air sources, including outside! Seal off the room as best you can and you’ll be glad you did.
If the water damage is significant, you will need a commercial dehumidifier or you’ll need to call someone to help. Our team of specialists will be able to take care of it, even if it’s an emergency! Call us 24/7 at (401) 849-6644 if you feel overwhelmed, we’re here to help.
