Water extraction and structural drying in Detroit, MI

What EPA says, material by material

EPA's water damage table, written for clean water and the first 48 hours, is the plan most crews follow:

• Carpet and backing: pull the water out with an extraction vacuum, then dry with fans and dehumidifiers within 48 hours.
• Drywall: dry in place only if it hasn't swollen and the seams are intact. Otherwise cut it out, replace it, and dry the cavity behind it.
• Ceiling tiles and fiberglass or cellulose insulation: throw out and replace.
• Wood framing and trim: get the moisture out right away with dehumidifiers, fans and gentle heat; pry off wet paneling so the wall behind it can dry.
• Concrete and block: extract the water, then dry with dehumidifiers, fans and heaters.
• Tile, vinyl and linoleum: clean with mild detergent and check that the floor underneath is dry.
• Upholstered furniture: may not dry in 48 hours. Valuable pieces may be worth a specialist.
• Books and papers: throw out what isn't valuable; photocopy or freeze the rest.

Those rules are for clean water. For sewage, EPA says don't run fans until the water is known to be clean; see sewer backup cleanup.

How you know it's actually dry

A floor can feel dry while the bottom plate of the wall is still wet. Ask the crew to show you moisture meter readings before the equipment leaves. EPA's target for indoor humidity afterward is below 60 percent, ideally 30 to 50.

Anything still wet past 48 hours, or with mold already on it, moves to mold remediation rules instead.

Where the water came from changes the plan

Clean water from a burst pipe or a water heater can often be dried in place. Water from a flooded basement or a storm usually means more comes out. Tell the crew the source when you call.

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