Whether through a professional service or a DIY attempt, cleaning and repairing a flooded basement will need the use of similar equipment. Sump pumps, Moisture meters, air blowers, air scrubbers, and low-grain refrigerant (LGR) dehumidifiers are used broadly to combat the damage of a flooded area.
Sump pumps are submersible pumps that can drain an area of water where a standard wet/dry vac is unable to address the amount of water.
A moisture meter is a device used to determine the amount of moisture within a solid surface. They commonly use a percentage metric to display how heavily saturated a surface is. Moisture meters prove helpful when determining the extent of moisture within walls or furniture.
Air movers do not disappoint in terms of living up to their name. The primary function of an air mover is to circulate air through a surface and increase the rate of evaporation. The benefits of air movers include their ease of use, low cost of use, and low level of supervision required for use.
Air scrubbers differ from air movers in the sense that they serve as a filtration system for the air. As air particles pass through the scrubber, the contaminants disappear and the cleaned air passes back into the area. Air movers serve to clean the air, rather than moving it and expediting evaporation, like an air mover. This proves useful in situations where harmful chemical exposure occurred to the environment.
Low-grain refrigerant dehumidifiers work by lowering the humidity in the air, making the evaporation process easier. LGR dehumidifiers also cool the air, making it difficult for moisture to remain in the air. LGR dehumidifiers are specialty equipment that differs from a household dehumidifier in it’s capacity to treat larger areas and the cooling effects produced. Regular humidifiers are helpful, but treat smaller spaces and take much longer.