Countdown to the bell! By Velvet Cates, Canstar Restorations
As communities prepared their students for September’s return, the schools prepared to receive their student populations back into their halls – not necessarily a simple task for a facility manager, but normally routine, depending on the successful outcome of the summer’s projects and barring any surprises. This scenario changes drastically when a facility is struck with a major water damage loss only a month before school reconvenes. With limited time to repair the damage before the first bell of the new school year, it’s time to bring in
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Ops Talk • Fall 2013
the big equipment and the right professionals: those who are certified in nondestructive structural drying and who are not hesitant to employ creative forensic drying techniques. High on the list of priorities is keeping the facility “healthy” during the mitigation and restoration. Safeguarding the indoor air quality and keeping the facility free from mould growth plays a big part in the decision of how to proceed during the critical first 48 hours. The water damage technician carries out a preliminary inspection in order to
identify safety concerns and determine how to maximize the structural drying capacity of the equipment and the building. It is imperative that fast response to the initial water-damage discovery, extraction and removal of bulk water from the floors and ducts, and stabilization of the building and contents, happen almost simultaneously. Technicians must be trained to properly position the drying equipment in order to facilitate initial stabilization of the building environment, followed by rapid structural drying. Prompt stabilization of the affected