It is easy to ignore what you cannot see, assuming everything will be fine because you’ve closed the basement door or patched that hole in the siding. Even though you may have fixed the immediate water damage causing the problem, it may not have solved the problem entirely. That’s because it doesn’t take wood long to soak in water. Soaking in water doesn’t just cause the wood to warp and bend as it drys out, leading to a structurally unsound building framework, it also causes some much more sinister problems.
Water Logging Problems
- Fungi – Did you know wood rot isn't caused by water? It’s actually caused by a fungus. Unfortunately, that fungus really likes wood with high moisture content, roughly 27 to 30% but it can grow on wood with moisture content as low as 16%. When wood soaks from flooding, it can have a moisture content as high as 40%. This can take weeks or months to dry out naturally, and in that time fungus may have already begun going to work. That can cause wood rot at the foundation of your property, and if you have a cement foundation nothing cracks and wears it quicker than water.
- Termites – One of the most common types of termites in the Northwest is the subterranean termite. These insects are attracted to wet wood, and often burrow up from under the ground moving from one location to the next this way. When you allow your basement or crawl space to dry on its own the weakening wooden structure is particularly delicious for termites. They have an easier time both consuming and navigating wet wood, so allowing it to rot is like hanging out an invitation sign for termites.
- Instability – Water can also cause extensive problems to the foundation of your home. As the earth becomes waterlogged its ability to hold up your house becomes greatly compromised. Though home builders take precautions against flooding, the materials that keep your basement and crawl space contained during a floodage just like your house does. If they haven’t been re-done in 30 + years they may not provide adequate protection. This can cause the beginning of a sinkhole or future collapse of your home.
Professional crawl space dry-outs are designed to take care of the greatest threat first. We’ll shut down the water source if you have not done so before we arrive, and use specialized equipment to swiftly and correctly remove standing water. We then create major air flow in order to air dry the basement as well as dehumidifying the air. Temperature control is performed by carefully sectioning off the area that needs drying. After your basement is dry we can restore any damaged areas.
When you need professional crawl space and basement dry-outs in Renton call (206) 823-2252 or contact AWR Restoration & Cleaning.
