Fans can dry a small surface spill on a hard floor. They cannot properly dry water inside walls, under flooring, in carpet pad or in plaster, because a fan only moves air: it does not take the moisture out of it. In a closed room the air just gets more humid and drying stalls. Real drying needs dehumidifiers and moisture readings. Bigger than a spill? Call (413) 603-1274.
When fans are enough
- A small spill on tile, vinyl or sealed concrete, wiped up right away
- Nothing soaked into carpet, walls or the floor below
- The room can be ventilated to dry outside air
When they are not
- Water from a burst pipe that ran more than a few minutes
- Wet carpet and pad. See wet carpet drying
- Water inside walls, ceilings or under hardwood
- Plaster walls, which hold water deep inside
- A basement with block or fieldstone walls
- A musty smell starting
What professional drying adds
- Dehumidifiers that pull gallons of water out of the air each day
- Air movers aimed to push dry air across wet surfaces and into cavities
- Moisture readings that show what is still wet and when it is truly dry
- Removal of what will never dry, like soaked pad and insulation
See structural drying and how to tell if water is still in your walls.
Why a room can get worse with fans
Fans pull water off wet surfaces into the air. In a closed room, that air quickly fills up with moisture. Once the air is saturated, water stops leaving the wet materials and may even settle back onto cooler surfaces like windows and outside walls. You may see fogged windows or feel the room get muggy. That is the sign the moisture has nowhere to go. A dehumidifier removes that water from the air so drying can continue. Commercial dehumidifiers used in water damage can remove much more water per day than most home units.
Fan placement if you are using your own
- Point fans across the wet floor or along the bottom of wet walls, not at the ceiling
- Run a dehumidifier in the same room with the doors closed
- Empty the dehumidifier tank often, or run a hose to a drain
- Pull carpet back and lift area rugs so air reaches the floor
- Open cabinet doors and drawers in wet kitchens and bathrooms
If the area is still damp after two days, it is time for professional equipment and readings.
Heat helps, within reason
Warm air holds more moisture and speeds drying, so keeping a room at normal living temperature or a little warmer helps dehumidifiers work. Very high heat from space heaters, however, can dry the surface of wood and plaster too fast, causing cracks, while the inside stays wet. Steady, moderate warmth combined with dehumidification and moving air is what works. In winter, that also keeps the rest of the plumbing from freezing while windows stay closed.
Questions
Should I open windows?
In dry, mild weather it helps. In winter it can freeze more pipes, and in humid summer weather it adds moisture.
Can a home dehumidifier do it?
It helps a little in a small area. It is usually too small for a soaked room or basement.
Need it dried properly? Call
Call (413) 603-1274 now. Locally owned in Chicopee.