Water Restoration Basics II: Standard Procedures by Loss Category

Safety is job #1 on any water loss, so it’s critical for a restoration contractor to start every job with a safety hazard assessment, including determining the water damage category. With that in mind, the project leader then needs to prepare and equip the team appropriately for the procedures required, given the materials involved and whether the job is Category 1, 2 or 3.

Personal protective equipment needs will vary, depending on the category of water, level of demolition and other hazards unique to the building damage site.

Demolition Criteria

Few water damage projects are processed without some level of demolition – often not specifically related to the water category but instead to the level of absorption and water movement through, into, and under finishing layers (floor coverings, wall assemblies and ceiling systems).

In general, fewer materials need to be removed when the water is Category 1 while far more materials must be removed with Category 3 water. (See “Identifying Categories of Loss” for category descriptions.) But many Category 1 water losses may still require substantial demolition, material removal and cleanup before the drying process begins.

Here are three key factors that drive demolition of a building’s finishing layers:

1. Inferior materials:
Inferior materials are permanently degraded by water absorption and cannot be restored to usefulness by drying, so they need to be removed, regardless of category. Such materials include:

• MDF (medium density fiberboard) products Including millwork, baseboard, door jambs, doors, cabinets, laminate flooring and furniture.
• Particle board products, typically as flooring underlayment panels, structural subflooring in manufactured homes and certain inexpensive pieces of furniture, bathroom vanities and other cabinetry.

2. Flooring layers that lock in water and/or contamination:

• Category 1 - Hard floor coverings are usually removed so that water that has seeped and absorbed underneath can be effectively dried out. One classic example is luxury vinyl plank (LVP) flooring, a “floating” floor installation, where water from the flooding event migrates below the vinyl/PVC panels and foam underlayment, directly contacting and absorbing into the structural subfloor. Even though the vinyl/PVC panels themselves cannot absorb water, they will prevent the drying of the structure. Therefore, the panels are removed so that structural drying can proceed.
• Categories 2 and 3 (contaminated water) - Hard floor coverings as well as carpet and pad must be removed so that the structure can be exposed for cleaning and decontamination, followed by aggressive drying.

3. Wall assemblies, ceiling assemblies and cavities:

• Sagging ceilings holding water and/or soggy insulation need to be dismantled with controlled demolition.
• Sections of wall assemblies that contain flooded out, compacted insulation will have to be demolished.
• Other structural voids must be stripped of their finishing layer(s) if materials are oversaturated and disintegrating or if the materials of the assembly are concealing standing water and preventing water extraction.

Specific Procedures by Category

Category 1 (clean) water loss: After careful inspection and any appropriate demolition and cleanup, there’s potential to restore many wet finishing layers along with the structure itself.

Here are some examples of finishing materials that skilled restorative drying contractors can effectively dry as part of drying the structure:

• Wood flooring
• Some tile assemblies
• Extractable carpet installations
• Gypsum wallboard ceiling, wall and soffit assemblies
• Multi-layer construction
• Solid wood cabinetry

Category 2 and 3 (contaminated) water losses: These jobs do not offer the same potential to restore finishing layers. Materials must be demolished: the building is stripped down to the structure itself. No amount of contamination may be left in the affected space. Here are the accepted treatments for various materials:

• Flooring is evaluated as described above.
• All highly porous materials that have absorbed contaminated water are demolished and removed: gypsum wallboard, insulation, carpet pad, soft furniture and rugs.
  Exception: Carpet that has absorbed Category 2 water has the option to be salvaged by doing thorough cleaning by hot water extraction, according to the IICRC S500 Standard.

Cleaning Processes

Structural materials that had contact with contaminated water must be thoroughly decontaminated by wet washing with detergent and rinsing. For most effective and efficient structural washing and rinsing, use truckmounted or portable water extraction/recovery equipment, along with jetted hard surface cleaning tools.

After cleaning, using a commercial hospital-grade disinfectant such as Mediclean Disinfectant Spray Plus is advisable for Category 2 water and standard practice for Category 3.

Following controlled demolition, wet cleaning and proper disinfection, the risk from contaminated water is no longer present. The restorer can then start an aggressive drying system with commercial dehumidifiers and air movers for drying out the structure.

Conclusion

Through careful inspection, discovery and decision-making per the IICRC S500 Standard, restoration contractors both maximize the client experience and minimize their company’s risk. This achieves the restorer’s and client’s “clean and dry” goal: Leaving the building extremely clean, thoroughly dried, properly prepared for any level of rebuild and free of risk.

Reference: IICRC S500 Standard for Water Damage Restoration, Fifth Edition (2021)

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