Its in the middle of the winter and the humidity is 10% outside. You know that feeling of chapped lips and your sinuses are raw from being too dry. Your asthma and allergies are acting up because of the low level of moisture in the air. This is a common occurrence during the winter months because the dust and allergens in the air are being stirred up because of the low humidity. Dust and allergens tend to fall to the ground when the humidity is slightly higher and become airborne when this moisture is too low. This is when a humidifier come in handy to help raise the moisture level in the air to help your chapped lips, sinuses, asthma and allergies.
The next scenario is the summer time and you are stuffed up because the high humidity is causing mold to grow and the spores become airborne in the air around you. You do not get chapped lips, but you do get sinus problems because of the mold spores that are airborne, along with the pollen from the trees. Your asthma and allergies are bothering you again because of the high humidity. The dust and allergens are not as much a problem because the high moisture levels tend to keep it on the ground but the pollen is now aggravating you. Either summer or winter, the use of a humidifier or a dehumidifier will come in handy for you.
The use of both types of units will bring health benefits. A dehumidifier helps remove the excess humidity, thus not allowing the moisture from accumulating in your home. The other scenario, is when the humidifier adds moisture to the cool dry winter air by restoring moisture to your body. The most important thing about both units is to keep them clean to prevent algae, bacteria and mold from growing in them. Servicing them is important according to the manufacturers recommendations. The one thing to remember is that standing water will allow algae, bacteria and mold to grow if you do not take care of them on a monthly basis.
One last thing, watch these units for leaks, I had one client whose dehumidifier that leaked. The humidifier malfunctioned and it did not stop when the bucket was full. It leaked for one week without anyone noticing it. The end result was mold growth which really aggravated their asthma and allergies. The cost of the leak was approximately 00. to remove the baseboards and drywall. This was an expensive mistake that could have been prevented
In conclusion, these units will help you in the summer and winter months by preventing either too low or high humidity. If you have children, keep them away from these units because of possible injury. Always inspect these units for possible leaks. Do not run them if you cannot check on them for leaks or malfunctioning. If you are concerned about your health, always consult with your Doctor before using these units.
If you have any questions, feel free to call us or visit our website for important information about your home.
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One of the most frustrating things about water restoration is getting a call from the adjuster saying your invoice is too high. During my 14 + years in the water restoration business I have gotten plenty of calls from adjusters saying that my price is too high on this dehumidifier or this fan, etc. This used to bug me until I learned the secret to prevent most of these calls, COMMUNICATION & DOCUMENTATION. Remember that the adjuster has to justify his work to his boss and as long as the price and scope of work can be justified then it will be paid.
Starting off the job on the right foot is important. You should always get a work authorization signed by the insured before starting work. A work authorization will allow some insurance companies to be able to pay you directly or at least get your name on the check.
Then as soon as the initial mitigation is performed, call the adjuster and let him/her know what you did. This can be done on the way back to your office. During this conversation just let the adjuster know what you saw when you arrived and what you decided to do about. During this conversation I generally try to steer away from talking about pricing. If they ask about it then I will talk about it, but for me this is more of an information phone call to the adjuster. At this point, usually the adjuster has not been there and so to call and inform him/her what is going on is my main objective.
Next, you should have an itemized invoice. The invoice should include your company name, address, (so they can send the check) and your Taxpayer Identification Number. Each room that work was performed in should be separate and have measurements down to the nearest inch. Then within each room list each item or piece of equipment. At this point it is good to comment on the items that are most questioned, such as cost of dehumidifiers, number of fans, extraction, etc. Place comments with the items, if your estimating software will let you, justifying why you charge what you do for a dehumidifier or why you had 3 fans in a 6 x 6 room. Anything that could be questioned comment on it. To me this is one of the most important parts of the invoicing process. Yes, it is time consuming but the adjuster will be able to see the reasoning behind the line item. This alone may prevent most calls.
Next include a copy of the signed work authorization and signed certificate of satisfaction. This not only shows that the customer was satisfied but that they authorized you to do the work. Make sure that your work authorization form includes a section in it that would allow the insurance company to be able to pay you directly. I, personally, had my lawyer look over my form to make sure it was accomplishing what I wanted it to accomplish. I would strongly suggest that you do the same no matter whether you got a generic form from somewhere or you came up with your own form.
Another tool that helps justify your bill to the adjuster is your daily humidity readings. You should be keeping the temperature, relative humidity, and grains (gpp) inside, outside, unaffected area, dehumidifier(s), and the HVAC. By doing this you will be able to learn about what is going on during the job. For example, several years ago we opened up a new refrigerant dehumidifier and took it straight to a job. When we got there and turned it on we started running our pshychrometric readings and discovered that there was a problem with the dehumidifier. It was great to find that out then and not the next day when we would have had a lot of evaporation and no dehumidification. Using the grain readings can also help you prove that the equipment was off, a door was opened that you wanted closed, a window got opened, etc. When this is used correctly then you can prove to the adjuster why you needed an extra day. Also make sure to include plenty of comments to go with your readings to help explain what you saw.
To go along with your daily humidity readings try including a graph from a data logger. Data loggers can be set to record the temperature and relative humidity as often as you would like. I like to set ours to record every minute and this gives you a good graph of what is happening on the job. When the job is complete then print the graph and turn it in with your invoice. Just like with your daily readings a graph will help prove what you saw happening on the job. (i.e. door left open, window open, equipment turned off, etc.) Taking an hour meter reading off your equipment at several points in the job can also help prove when things were not running and should be turned in as part of your documentation.
Kevin Pearson is a partner in Pearson Carpet Care. He has over 17 years experience in the cleaning and restoration business. He serves on several committees with the IICRC (Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification) and is on the board of directors of the PCRA (Professional Cleaning and Restoration Alliance). Kevin has dried building in Texas, Oklahoma, and Louisiana. He has extensive experience drying residential homes but has also dried office buildings, chemical plants, historical homes, Southern Methodist University, Stephen F. Austin State University, The Toyota Center (where the Houston Rockets play) and more.
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Standing water or wet soil in your home's crawlspace can come from a variety of sources. These may include but are certainly not limited to the following.
(1) A leaking freshwater supply line, usually galvanized, copper, pvc or pex.
(2) A leaking sewer drain line, usually cast iron, galvanized, clay or ABS.
(3) Naturally high groundwater table.
(4) Over watering of plants around your home (creating a man made high water table).
(5) Sprinklers spraying through the crawlspace vents.
(6) Leaking swimming pools (this is rare).
(7) Improperly directed gutter downspouts.
(8) Stream or river flooding.
Standing water or extremely damp soil in your home's crawlspace (under house) can cause a variety of structural problems and health concerns. Excess humidity caused by the evaporation of standing water or wet soil in your crawlspace can cause mold growth on the wooden foundation and the bottom of sub flooring. It can also cause warping or buckling of sub flooring and mold growth in the living area of the building. If your home has H.V.A.C. (heating , ventilation, air conditioning) ducting in the crawlspace and the system is compromised with excess moisture, microbial amplification may result. All of these issues can possibly create unhealthy indoor air quality. A broken sewer line in your crawlspace and the subsequent release of raw sewage onto your crawlspace soil can create an awful odor problem in your home. Also there are possible health concerns to the constant inhalation of sewer gas from an open or broken sewer line.
Some solutions to the problems mentioned above. Try to determine the source of the water intrusion and correct it yourself. This may be as simple as redirecting sprinkler heads, fixing leaky outdoor faucets or redirecting gutter downspouts. If you suspect plumbing problems, you should call a licensed plumber.
Often, there is too much water under your house for a plumber to properly inspect the pipes, you may need to call a Water Damage Restoration company. Many water damage companies offer crawlspace de-flooding and or sewage cleanup, should the leak be from a sewer drain line. After the water is removed and the crawlspace made accessible a plumber can check for leaky pipes. If your foundation is wet you may need a water damage restoration company to dry it for you, in order to prevent mold growth.
If you have over watering problems or a high water table you may need to contact a landscape engineer or a water proofing contractor to design a French drain system or other remedy to keep water from accumulating under your home. Many plumbing companies or water proofing contractors will also install sump pump systems in the low area of your crawlspace to help combat water pooling. You may also want to consider having a crawlspace dehumidifier installed to regulate the relative humidity to a level that will inhibit structural damage or mold growth. Another way to keep air flowing through the crawlspace (and thereby promoting evaporation) is by installing crawlspace ventilation fans over your existing crawlspace vents. There are also companies who can completely encapsulate your crawlspace with thick plastic, thereby effectively sealing your home off from the ground.
As you can see there are many problems that can arise from excessive water or moisture in your home or buildings crawlspace and just as many solutions. Should you suspect a problem that may need a professional solution, a good place to start is on the internet with your favorite search engine and a search for "crawlspace". This should get you started in the right direction with any crawlspace (under house) issues you may have.
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