Why Does Water Mitigation Depend on the Materials in Los Angeles Properties?

12/7/2021 (Permalink)

Water damages areas far from the leak. SERVPRO's training allows our techs to handle any unexpected outcomes.

SERVPRO Looks Out for Materials That Exhibit Peculiar Water Damage Signs

You may notice many peculiar things in the aftermath of water intrusion in your home. A wet ceiling when the leak is at the floor level is puzzling. Wet wall materials might take longer than you expect to dry, which frustrates you. Such cases require unique water damage mitigation approaches.

Before attempting water damage mitigation in your Los Angeles property, understanding the characteristics of different materials in the house is crucial. That way, it is possible to direct the appropriate efforts towards specific restoration tasks. 

SERVPRO's training allows our techs to handle any unexpected outcomes. The instruction psychrometry, which explains how water, air, and temperatures interrelate with wet materials.

Some of the unique characteristics in materials that cause the unusual outcomes include:

• Vapor barriers
• Hygroscopic properties
• Permeance

A vapor barrier occurs when a material with low permeance covers a porous material. You may notice the impact of vapor barriers if some of your walls are covered in gloss paint or wallpaper. While the bare walls dry faster, drying those with the gloss paint layer or wallpaper can take too long. Our SERVPRO teams find ways to neutralize the barrier, such as perforation or stripping off.

Another noticeable aspect of permeance is the changes to the affected materials. While carpets and wood are all porous materials, wood tends to exhibit physical changes such as swelling and warping, but carpets retain their physical form. Carpets have higher permeance and thus release water fast. Wood, on the other hand, tends to accumulate water, thus leading to swelling. When wood no longer absorbs water, different sections on the same piece may release moisture at varying rates unless drying is controlled, thus leading to warping.

SERVPRO of Marina Del Rey / Westchester / El Segundo provides trained technicians to handle any unexpected water damage outcomes. Call us at (310) 333-0654 for solutions that manage the loss, "Like it never even happened."