The science of hiring a contractor for sublimation

The weather has been strange this winter; first it’s very cold and then it warms up to almost 40 degrees.

Unfortunately, some of our county residents have suffered through fires and floods. Those who have been affected by a fire or flood are probably working with a restoration contractor to restore their property.

Many of my clients have had concerns and probably doubts about my ability to re-store their property to its pre-loss condition because the home’s interior is covered with ice. This usually happens when the occupant leaves for several days and the propane tank runs out of propane.

Temperatures inside of the home drop to freezing levels and pipes rupture flooding the home. Because of the reduced internal temperatures that water now freezes creating a sheet of ice throughout the home.

Restoration contractors are a unique breed of contractor, primarily because not only do they have to understand the construction side but also the environmental side of the business as well.

I know; for example, even though I have a thoroughly wet and frozen environment I must use a process called “sublimation” to dry out the home or building.

Energy is measured in something called british thermal units (BTU or Kw). A BTU is the amount of energy necessary to raise one pound of water one degree. Melting is a process that takes a solid and changes it to a liquid. That process takes place at about 144 BTUs. Evaporation is a process that takes a liquid and changes it to vapor at 940 BTUs.

To some, the above information may seem useless; however, to the home or building owner knowing that your restoration contractor understands the science and can apply that information correctly is essential for the restoration of your property.

The contractor that you hired must be able to take a frozen and wet environment from that state to a vapor state and then extract the accumulated moisture in a safe and sanitary way. Once that process is done, then and only then can the building be reconstructed to its pre-loss condition.

The contractor not only has to know how to apply the sublimation process, he/she must also know how relative humidity, dew point temperature, vapor pressure, and grain depression works, otherwise he/she will create a grossly unhealthy environment that will feed fungal growth (mold).

Of all of the restoration contractors out there, the fire & flood restoration contractor’s job is probably the most demanding.

Folks, fires and floods are serious issues and should not be taken lightly.

Finding the right contractor that fully understands the situation is imperative. The contractor should be fully certified in his/her field.

Don’t be afraid or embarrassed to ask the contractor you are interviewing for his or her for their certification credentials. Also when talking to the insurance adjuster, make sure they understand you only want to do business with a certified firm that specializes in that field.

If you would like to share a cleaning idea or concept with the reading audience, call Ed at NWES (255-2266), e-mail them to nwees@hughes.net or send them to Bonner County Daily Bee, 310 Church St., Sandpoint, ID 83864, Attn: What Would Ed do?

For more information about Ed, go online to www.nwees.com.

Copy written by Edmond E. Madan, certified indoor environmental professional, forensic, fire, flood, mold Inspection and remediation/restoration contractor. Ed is the president of Northwest Environmental Services, Inc.