Site Assessment: Moisture Mapping

Aspects of a Good 3rd Party Event Assessment:

• Qualified, Experienced, Insured, & Unbiased Investigator
• Moisture Assessment (via IR cameras and non-penetrating & penetrating moisture meters)
• Field marking of wet materials (Generally with painters tape)
• Moisture mapping (Diagram of wet building material locations & key observations)
• Identification & documentation of pre-existing conditions (digital photos)
• Compliance sampling for asbestos (3 hour turn around time available)
• Determination of Category of Water (I, II, or III)
• Identification of drying trouble spots
• Verification of dryness at projects end (closure)
• Available 24/7
• Day1 and subsequent days as needed

Finding the Water

Typical Unaided View of Wet Building Materials

Typical Infrared View of Wet Building Materials

 

The Invisible Made Visible (Ceiling)

• No signs of moisture
• IR denotes suspect area & moisture meter confirms the ceiling is wet.
• IR image is put in report, location is mapped for the restoration contractor and the owner.
• Wet areas are marked to visualize the area needing attention for the restoration firm and the owner

 

The Invisible Made Visible (Floor)

What’s Wet in this Bathroom?

• The IR image on the right shows an area of cooler wall surface temperatures.
• The non-penetrating moisture meter beeps when placed on the cool spot.
• The penetrating moisture meter beeps when placed on the cool spot.
• A monkey can be trained to put a moisture meter on a wall or to operate and IR camera.
• A professional knows the limitations of the tools, understands building materials, has working knowledge of applicable rules and regulations, & understands the pros and cons of available corrective options.

Document Conditions Encountered

Document Convoluting Conditions

Wet Building Materials Field-marked With Red Painters Tape

Diagram of Key Observations

“See” the Progress Day 1 (hour 0) & Day 2 (hour 35.5) 2nd Floor

“See” the Progress Day 1 (hour 0) & Day 2 (hour 35.5) 1st Floor

Verify We Are Dry Day 1 & Day 6

Three Categories of Water

1. Clean water: does not pose substantial harm to humans
   • Can be dried in place
2. Gray water: containing a significant degree of chemical, biological, and/or physical contamination
   • Can be judged on a case by case basis (padding MUST be removed)
3. Black water: grossly unsanitary water, containing pathogenic agents &/or chemicals of concern
   • Remove affected porous contents and structure

What is Category 3 Water?

• Water from beyond the trap (sewage)
• Water that came in contact with soil
• Category 3 water can sewage can contain a wide variety of chemical contaminants and/or pathogenic organisms including
• Pathogenic organisms associated with sewage include:
• Bacteria such as Salmonellaa, Shigella and Clostiduium difficile
• Unicellular parasites such as Giardia and Cyptosporidium
• Multi-cellular parasites such as tape worms and liver flukes
• Viruses such as HIV, polio and the viruses that causes hepatitis.
• Testing impossible/impractical
• Must presume the presence of the full spectrum of both viable and non-viable pathogenic organisms (virus, bacteria, fungi) and chemicals of concern in all category III water
• Disinfection alone is not enough
• Many disinfectants are not effective in “killing” the entire array of potential pathogens
• Many of the organisms fund in sewage water are toxic even when those organisms are killed (i.e. bacterial endotoxins)
• Disinfection is ineffective against chemical contaminants
• Use special handling and training

Sewage (Anything from beyond the trap is Category 3)

• Not all sewage looks unclean
• Sewage can contain biological and chemical contaminants
• Sewage can contain body fluids
• Body fluids should be considered and handled as contaminated with blood borne pathogens
• Bloodborne pathogens require special handling and training

Flood Waters (Any water that comes in contact with soil is Category 3)

Soil can contain biological and chemical contaminants.

Category 1 and 2 Water Degrades to Category 3 Water

Factors influencing the degradation of clean water to category 3

• What the water contacts
• Temperature
• Passage of Time (7 days, IICRC S500)

Handling Emergency Responses to Cat 3 Floods

• Cross Contamination
• Walking from the loss area into clean areas
• Yes you carry germs on your shoes too
• Moving contents from unclean areas to clean areas
• Moving unclean tools to clean areas
• Keep bad stuff outside your body
• Beware hand to mouth transfer
• Don’t bring it home to your family

Avoid getting harmful germs inside your body

• Practice good personal hygiene
• Keep your hands out of your:
• Nose
• Eyes
• Mouth
• Sores (cuts, pimples, rashes)
• Wash your hands often and well
• Restroom
• Before Meals/Snacks/Smoking
• After Skin Contact
• Before & After Wound Care

Protect Yourself

• Train and protect your team
• Vaccinate your team (HEP A-B, Tetanus, Etc.)
• Presume Category 3 water until otherwise proven
• Document the water source (personally or via a qualified expert such as a plumber and get a copy of their opinion in writing)
• Document pre-existing conditions
• Presume asbestos until proven otherwise

Why use a 3rd Party?

If you don’t use a 3rd party Consultant…

• The proverbial “Fox” is watching the “Henhouse”
• Smacks of conflict of interest
• Weakens your position in litigation

If you don’t use a 3rd party Laboratory

• Your particular contaminant may not be their specialty
• They may not hold consensus accreditation for your contaminant