What’s The Difference Between Extracting Water and Drying It Up?
If you’ve experienced water damage, basement flooding, or a sewage backup in your home, you may have contacted a water damage restoration company (like Constructeam). To restore your home, this company will extract the standing water, and then setup drying equipment to finish the drying. However, some people wonder why the property needs to be dried as well, if the water has already been extracted.
What Is Extraction?
The process of removing standing water involves using some type of portable or truck mounted extraction unit to suck up excess water from carpet, tile, or other flooring. The extraction unit is essentially a big water vacuum, and the water is either pumped outside to a suitable location, or stored in the unit so it can be drained off-site.
What Is Drying?
Drying a basement, home, or business comes AFTER extraction. This is where drying equipment such as air movers, commercial dehumidifiers, and floor drying mats are utilized to remove the excess moisture after extraction is complete. Extraction typically doesn’t dry flooring completely, but there may also be excess moisture in the walls and air. Drying removes that excess moisture until they come back down to normal levels.
Why Don’t You Skip Extraction And Setup Drying Equipment Right Away?
There are three major reasons extraction comes before drying. First and foremost, you don’t want to set electrical devices like air movers in a puddle of standing water, so you get rid of the puddles first! Also, many “water losses” consist of category 2 or category 3 water, which is unclean and unsanitary, and it’s good to extract the majority of the water (or sewage!) first, then apply an anti-microbial solution, BEFORE setting up air movers which will circulate air all throughout the room.
Finally, drying just takes a lot longer than extraction. It’s similar to how your washing machine spins your freshly washed clothes to remove excess water before you put them in the dryer . Mechanically removing that water via spinning removes a lot more water much quicker than the dryer would – the dryer just puts on the finishing touch.
Imagine having a glass of half full of water. If your goal was to dry it, would you immediately start the drying process while it’s still half full of water, or would you dump the excess water out in the sink first, leaving just minor water droplets behind to be dried?
If you’re experiencing water damage in your home or business, it’s important to act fast to prevent odors, microbial growth, and secondary damage. If there’s too much water for you to take care of it yourself, or if you think water may be hidden behind walls or under cabinetry, give us a call. We’re a professional water damage restoration service in Fraser, MI who will respond quickly and make sure your home, business or other property is well taken care of.