continued from page 9 dation, Smith said. A drainage basin provides a large space into which that water can pool and a sump pump will pump the water through hoses or pipes to a place away from the home, such as a lower level of the property, the curb, a dry well or a containment field. Older homes with city services often had the sumps drain into the municipal sewer system, but this is no longer allowed. Home owners can have installed manually activated or automatic sumps, and ones that run on a battery backup so the water drains even if the power is out, an all-too-common occurrence in flooding situations, though homes situated on a hillside have the best safe guard because a line of drain tiles, much like a sewer drain field, can be graded away from the house to allow gravity, which always works without electricity, to pull the water away from the foundation. Lotton said that often people wait until fall to call contractors to get the work done before winter hits, and this could be a problem because fall is the time that contractors are working hard to wrap up contracts booked earlier in the year. This summer’s record amounts of moisture put many contractors behind, Lotton said, though an easy winter could allow for work to continue for a few months longer than average. The sooner homeowners call a contractor, the higher they will be on a waiting list, so the work may yet be done this year. And, Smith said, waiting until the ground dries or freezes at the surface with colder temperatures has its advantages. Heavy equipment is hard on landscaping, but if the ground is firmer, Smith said, it is betterprotected from the strain of the equipment weight and operation, and the drier dirt is more easily contained and cleaned up than mud. If landscaping or space are big issues on a project both contractors recommended finding a contractor with smaller-sized equipment called mini-excavators or mini-backhoes. Or if drain tile is already installed and all that is needed is a sump pump, then sometimes contractors can bring a jack hammer into a home’s basement and dig through the cement floor to retrofit the sump pump on the interior of the home. This, of course, is messy in the house and, Smith said, it can be expensive, but having the sump pump inside helps ward against freezing.
basc.pnnl.gov A properly sealed sump pump. Sump pumps must be covered or they will be a source for introducing moisture into the home. Sumps usually have standing water, and when that water evaporates into the air, it raises the relative humidity inside the home. High relative humidity leads to higher moisture content of wood framing, which can lead to fungal decay. From an air quality perspective, water that wets susceptible building materials and furnishings can also promote the growth of mold that can make the home's occupants sick. Moist environments also provide an attractive environment for
said. First, Evens said, remove the standing water and as much of the trapped moisture as possible, pull up the carpets, and turn on heaters and fans to start the drying process. If possible, opening windows and using a dehumidifier will also speed drying time. Restoration is simply bringing the area and materials back to a dry state, and it’s best to do this before the mold starts growing, he said. People who do not have large fans and heaters can contact their local equipment rental business for rental units, or even call restoration businesses which may have extra heaters and fans to rent out. Once heat and air circulation have been established, the key is knowing how long to keep up the drying efforts. Getting flood-damaged areas and materials 100 percent dry usually takes longer than people think, Evens said, but technicians in the restoration business can test the moisture continued on page 11
But the flood water came and left No matter what the cause of the water damage, the big thing is to get everything dried as quickly as possible, said Evens, adding that too often people end up with mold because they “don’t realize how wet walls get.” They peel up the carpet, he said, but they don’t do anything, or enough, to dry out the walls which can get wet up to 2 to 4 feet from the floor without even looking water-damaged. Evens said that one day this summer, when extensive flooding hit the area, he received more than 100 calls. “I just got to where I didn’t even answer the phone or return all the calls,” he said, because he wouldn’t have had enough time to do restoration basc.pnnl.gov work after talking to so many people. Sump pump functions. The image shows the components that make up a successful Homeowners faced with flooding and wasump pump installation. ter damage can do a lot on their own, though, he 10 LIVING MAGAZINE October 2013 H AV R E D A I LY N E W S