The NEIRC
6 Boston Road, Suite 201, Chelmsford, MA 01824
Tel: 1-978-250-9847 Fax:
1-978-250-1117
email:
Neircinfo@neirc.org
The NEIRC is a shareholder association of the IICRC.
Connect With Us
|
|
|
ISCT Technical Bulletin
From the Writing of Claude Blackburn
Dri-Eaz
Products in Mount Vernon, Washington
More about Clude Blackburn
Technical Bulletin - Restorative Drying
Claims
This is one of 60 to 70 technical
bulletins that our members receive 10 times a year. ISCT also provides
FAX-on-demand for technical help you may need in an emergency.
Flood claims make headlines after rivers overflow, as they
currently
are in the West. Yet most water damage claims arise from broken pipes or
plumbing connections, appliance failures or leaking roofs. You may need
to evaluate fair service charges for water damage restoration at any
time of the year.
Many line items on a restorative drying contractor's invoice are easy
to understand. But it's sometimes difficult to evaluate daily charges
for specialized drying equipment. Background information on the
equipment, especially dehumidifiers, may help clarify these costs.
Restorative Drying Techniques
The most common unit used by a drying contractor is a special flood
fan called a dryer or airmover, used to speed evaporation. Charges vary
by region and contractor from $12 to $25 per day. The initial cost of
most portable airmovers is under $300, although units vary in their
output of adequate air volume and static pressure capacity. In general,
daily charges for airmovers have not increased since these units were
developed almost twenty years ago.
Fair rates for commercial-grade dehumidifiers are somewhat more
complex. For example, an inexpensive residential or homeowner's
dehumidifier could rent for $25 per day. Commercial dehumidifiers,
specifically designed for restorative drying work, are available in
various sizes with different water removal capacities. These various
units may rent for $40 to $200 per day. Large commercial trailer-mounted
dehumidifiers, which can create a desert-like drying environment inside
an entire building, may rent for $800 or more a day.
Airmover and dehumidifier rates may seem high compared to the rates
at general rental outlets. However, the restorative drying contractor
and the rental store provide different services. The contractor
purchases specialized drying equipment specifically for restoration, and
inventories it for emergency use. This contractor is qualified by his
use of special skills, technical instruments, and industry procedures.
You can compare his costs to what a general rental outlet charges, but
remember that the contractor's charge usually includes not only his
expertise, but also the added values of delivery, installation, and
pickup.
The Necessity of Dehumidifiers
Dehumidifiers are needed to properly dry most jobs. Excessive
humidity in a structure is typical after water intrusion. Then, as the
contractor uses rapid and massive airflow to evaporate moisture from
materials, much more water vapor is added to the air. Evaporation will
slow and materials will not dry quickly unless the humidity is reduced.
High humidity must not be allowed to continue, for two reasons.
First, sensitive contents and materials run the risk of absorption,
delaminating, swelling, and so on. Second, indoor air quality is
threatened by mold and other biologicals, which grow best when moisture
levels are abnormally high. Microbial growth is the number one indoor
air quality problem in the nation, according to a 10 year study by
Healthy Buildings International (Indoor Air Review, July, 1994). And the
primary cause of excessive microbial growth is abnormal moisture -
excess moisture content in materials, and excess humidity in the air.
Just as mold can grow in a shower stall that never dries out thoroughly,
it can grow explosively after a water damage situation if the humidity
is not controlled.
While the issue is complex, several criteria help determine when
dehumidifiers are required.
-
Whenever the indoor humidity exceeds or will exceed 60% Rh,
dehumidifiers are required for rapid drying, for mold reduction, and
for indoor air quality. The Environmental Protection Agency, the
Hardwood Flooring Association, and the Institute of Inspection,
Cleaning and Restoration all recommend that indoor humidity should
never exceed 60% Rh.
-
When porous materials like carpet and carpet cushion are wet, the
most cost effective indoor humidity for drying is 40-50% Rh.
-
When structural materials like walls and floors are wet, the most
effective humidity for drying is below 45% Rh, and a target of 25-45%
Rh is helpful. In many cases, dry air is extremely beneficial in
reducing the need for reconstruction costs, or for mold problems days
or weeks after the job is apparently complete.
It is true that not every job requires dehumidifiers during water
damage restoration. For example, when the outdoor humidity is below 40%
and the temperature is above 60 F, dehumidifiers may not be necessary if
doors and windows can be left open safely.
Three Limits to Dehumidifiers Use
-
It is not necessary to maintain humidity below 40% for drying only
porous materials like carpet, cushion, and surface moisture. When the
loss is less than 24 hours old and structural soaking is not great,
40-50% Rh is adequate.
-
Many carpets can be dried in three days. Even flooring and walls
dry out within seven days on most straight-forward jobs. If not, the
contractor may not be qualified, or may not have the appropriate
drying equipment. Many exceptions exist to this rule.
-
On longer jobs, some dehumidification can often be removed as the
highly porous materials become drier and the rate of evaporation
slows. For example, during the initial drying stages, massive
evaporation from carpet and surface water may call for more equipment.
During the last days of drying some equipment can often be removed.
Fair Rates For Dehumidifiers
Given that dehumidifiers are necessary in most cases, what is a fair
rental rate? Ten years ago, small residential or homeowner-type
dehumidifiers were in general usage for water damage restoration, and a
going rate of $25 a day was typical. However, since then two changes
have occurred. First, the scientific and restoration communities have
better realized the importance of thorough and complete dehumidification
after water intrusion, for safeguarding both materials and human health.
Second, portable and powerful commercial dehumidifiers have replaced
homeowner-type units as the industry standard. Specifically designed for
restoration work, they do rent for more than $25 per day. But they save
money by operating at a lower cost per pint of water removed. This fact
suggests that perhaps the old system of the daily rental rate should be
re-examined.
A more equitable method is a pint-per-day method. Using this method
should reduce the problem that arises when contractors purchase the
least expensive dehumidifiers, with the poorest performance-to-cost
ratio, and charge the "going" daily rate that the adjuster will readily
pay. Instead, contractors would be able to use more powerful commercial
equipment. And adjusters would receive better value by paying only for
actual water removed in a timely fashion.
The pint-per-day rate is dependent on factors such as compressor and
coil size. Generally, the larger the compressor the greater the water
removal. Rental rates are also based on initial equipment cost,
anticipated annual use, and supply and demand.
If you want to get the best value, negotiate the cost per rated pint,
not the cost per day. For example, you could offer to pay 63" per rated
pint each day. Then a 35-pint residential unit would rent for $21 per
day, a 150-pint commercial unit would rent for $95 per day, and so on.
Or agree to pay 75" per pint for more powerful dehumidification when
drying the structure faster is cost justifiable. This method will help
insure that you are paying a fair daily rate for dehumidifiers.
Larger dehumidifiers sometimes give better value when materials must
be dried during a critical window of time. Material damage and mold
growth can occur when restorative drying is not thorough enough, or when
the job is not finished quickly enough. An obvious example is a very
expensive material, such as a hardwood floor that must be dried before
warping and buckling cause irreversible damage. Larger or multiple
dehumidifiers are needed to reduce humidity quickly enough in this kind
of situation.
Larger or multiple dehumidifiers also may be necessary to return
occupants to structures quickly. Added dehumidifier costs leading to
more rapid job completion can more than offset costs incurred when homes
cannot be occupied or businesses cannot re-open.
Dehumidifiers Cost Comparison
|
Dehumidifier |
Type Compressor |
Rating Water Re-movable (Pints per
Day) |
Typical Daily Rental Rate |
Actual Cost Per Pint |
|
Residential/Homeowner, manual
water dumping. |
3000 BTU |
35 ppd. |
$25 |
$.71 |
|
Small Commercial, manual water
dumping. |
5000 BTU |
80 ppd. |
$40 |
$.50 |
|
Small Commercial, auto pump
system. |
6000 BTU |
120 ppd. |
$75 |
$.63 |
|
Medium Commercial, auto pump
system. |
9000 BTU |
150 ppd. |
$90 |
$.60 |
|
Large Commercial, auto pump
system. |
12,000 BTU |
200 ppd. |
$115 |
$.58 |
Dehumidifier "A" has the lowest daily rate, but is the most expensive
overall.
Dehumidifier "B" is an excellent choice. However, without an
automatic pump-out and other features, its low water removal cost may be
offset by additional labor costs.
Dehumidifiers "C, D, E" are usually the best choice when quick job
completion will save money for the owner and the insurance company.
Dealing With a Contractor
One way to help keep contractors honest is to insist on an equipment
log and a daily humidity record. Many reliable restorers maintain a
daily log of the indoor and outdoor humidity. It takes them only a few
moments to measure and record the humidity and temperature with a
thermo-hygrometer. Request this documentation after each job. You can
check if indoor humidity has been maintained between 40 - 50% Rh for
drying most porous materials or 25-40% Rh for drying structural
materials like floors and walls. If it is not within these ranges, the
contractor may be under-dehumidifying, and increasing your costs due to
longer drying times and greater reconstruction costs.
A restoration contractor with appropriate training and business
ethics is most qualified to determine the dehumidification capacity
required to maintain the appropriate conditions. One way to determine
whether technicians are technically qualified is to ask to see their
IICRC certification card. The Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and
Restoration Certification is a non-profit organization that provides
testing in a number of categories. As a minimum, contractors should have
earned IICRC Certification for water damage restoration.
In Summary
The daily rates for restorative drying equipment often differ from
those charged by a general rental outlet, partly because the equipment
is purchased and maintained only for emergency use, and because the
contractor's acquired skills are value added.
An insurance adjuster may apply some of the principles of restorative
drying to better evaluate the need for dehumidifiers. For example,
different drying jobs call for different cost-effective humidity's. Some
jobs may be done with very little dehumidification equipment, while
others can in high reconstruction costs or IAQ problems if sufficient
and timely dehumidification is not provided.
Fair rental rates for dehumidifiers should take into account the
water removal rate of the equipment. A rate can be negotiated on the
unit's pint-per-day water removal capacity. This may help ensure that a
job will be dried completely and on time.
A restorative drying contractor should be able to provide the
adjuster with documentation confirming the benefits of the equipment
being used. Industry certification is good evidence of the technical
competence of a contractor.
Claude Blackburn is chairman
of the Water Damage Technician Technical Advisor Board for the IICRC
(Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification), and
author of the book Restorative Drying. Mr. Blackburn is president of
Dri-Eaz Products in Mount Vernon, Washington, This article first
appeared in the November 1994 issue of Claims Magazine and is reprinted
with permission. February, 1995
Return to Top
|
|
|
|
 |
|
The 2008 Connections Conference and Exhibition will be in Orlando -
May 15, 16 & 17, 2008!
|
|
