Surface water is the visible part of water damage. The rest is inside drywall, under flooring and within framing, where it can sit for weeks if nothing is done. Structural drying removes that hidden moisture on a plan, using equipment sized to the wet area and readings taken until the structure is dry.
How the equipment works
- Air movers sweep dry air over damp surfaces
- Dehumidifiers condense moisture out of the air
- Desiccant units handle cold or tight spaces
- Injection systems dry wall cavities
- Readings and thermal images show the progress
Walls and floors still feel damp after the water is gone? The drying team can measure what is left.
Call about the damp roomsWhy timing matters
Mold can begin to grow on wet material in 24 to 48 hours, which is the reason drying is not left for later. Keeping the humidity down and the air moving removes the conditions that growth needs. Wood framing, drywall and subfloors release moisture at different rates, so the equipment plan changes room by room.
Drying classes
Jobs are rated Class 1 to Class 4 by how much material is wet and how slowly it releases water. A Class 1 or 2 job is one area with light absorption, while Class 4 means dense materials such as slab or block that need specialty drying.
Extraction comes before drying, as described on the water extraction page, and the same equipment is used after the storms covered on the storm damage page.
Structural Drying and Dehumidification in short
Structural drying uses air movers, dehumidifiers and moisture meters to pull water out of walls, floors and framing, with readings repeated until the building matches dry reference areas.