Structural drying occurs when there is a discovered intrusion, or a state where the facilities have gained excessive moisture that is not typical of the environment within the building, structural materials and contents that require the need for remediation. It’s at this point the client needs to react as quickly as possible to prevent or reduce further damage by returning the environment to a dry standard by achieving agreed-upon drying goals. Ken Larsen puts it, “Restorative drying is the result of producing an imbalanced vapor pressure between the wet materials and the adjacent environment so as to encourage the release of excess moisture to the environment.”
While we learn to perform the initial inspection, we gain the ability to document and note what is no longer restorable and what can be restored. Additionally, we need to undertake specific tasks to protect the environment within the building, the structural materials and contents. That awareness makes us competent remediators. We are aware that drying standards and drying goals should be designed for each facility. If not, we are to use similar facilities within the area or rely on our understanding of the composition of the materials affected.