What to do if my home has gotten wet on account of a storm or hurricane?
We know that the coastal area of practically all the state of Florida can be left flooded due to the pounding of hurricanes and storms. When a climatic phenomenon of this nature occurs, material losses become a nightmare difficult to face for most house owners. Many people, in face of the impossibility to pay for a contractor and companies specialized in repairing services; find themselves nearly forced to face said tasks with their own resources and means.
One of the most common damages in flooded houses is wet insulation. INSULATION MASTERS offers some useful advices for those house owners who are going through this situation.
Should I replace my insulation? Should you have flood, the answer is definitely YES. Any part of the insulation that may have gotten wet should be changed (with the possible exception of modern houses where flood resistant spray foam may have been used). Otherwise, its growing mold would be most likely, so you would be putting under a health risk those residing in the house.
To begin with, avoid any potential danger involving electrical outlets and prepare for repair safely. Protect yourself by using a helmet, glasses, a mask, gloves, and waterproof boots.
Next, wall paneling must be removed to get to your insulation. Discard the entire interior surface of the walls to a point just above where the water reached. The easiest way to toss out the insulation material is by working from the bottom up, carefully putting out batt rolls.
After having removed the damaged insulation material, the walls should be carefully disinfected and dried out. An effective and cheap choice is using a cup of chlorine diluted in a gallon of water and spraying this solution on the space. Open all doors and windows, and then add fans and dehumidifiers in order to accelerate the drying process. To be sure that the inner spaces of the walls have dried correctly, use a wooden humidity gauge. When the result of the gauge is lower than 15%, now it’s ready! Prepare to place the new material following the indications of the manufacturer and remember that the best solution with a view to the future would be to installing flood resistant spray foam.
Other Topics:
• History of thermal insulation
• Adequate insulation
• Wet insulation
