The background and history of the restoration firm may clarify the choices restorers make. Companies with cleaning backgrounds may focus on restoration and repair, as opposed to the replacement of materials. These firms have studied and understand the cleaning, drying, and restoration of contents and structural items, and are motivated to apply this knowledge. Their potential weakness may be that they attempt to clean and restore when it could be more cost-effective to replace damaged materials.

Restoration firms with construction backgrounds may err by replacing items that could be cleaned or restored more cost-effectively. The choice to replace, rather than restore, damaged materials may have expensive consequences. In extreme cases, firms with replacement mentalities have been described as using a bulldozer to level a house because of a small kitchen fire. The results may be excellent, but the cost and time involved far exceed the scope of the job.

As a general rule, it makes sense to attempt restoration on any item if the cost for such restoration is less than 50 percent of replacement costs. Except in unusual circumstances, such as when the item has historical value, replacement may be a better option if cleaning, repair, or restoration is likely to exceed 50 percent of replacement costs. The competent firm will communicate with insureds and insurers to determine proper scopes of work.

Not every restoration firm can handle every restoration job. Some firms specialize in providing emergency services. These have systems in place to respond to crisis situations around the clock, but they may not be able to handle both emergency and repair work. Many firms offer cleaning and restoration only, and do not offer construction-related services. Some of the specialized emergency skills and services offered include extraction, decontamination, and drying; boarding up and packing out; temporary power and heat; mold remediation; and trauma and crime scene aid.

Assess Equipment

Not every company will be able to provide all of these services. Water damage restoration firms will have specialty extraction equipment that is designed for extraction only, and is used in conjunction with truck-mounted or portable extractors.

It is not uncommon for a professional restoration contractor to have more than 50 air movers and eight to 10 dehumidifiers of various types. The mix of dehumidifier types should include low grain refrigerant dehumidifiers and desiccant dehumidifiers. Frequently, it will have wall and hardwood floor drying tools, as well. Other essential equipment includes testing instruments, such as moisture meters (both invasive and non-invasive) and thermo-hygrometers.

Thermal imaging cameras work well when used in conjunction with moisture meters, but they are not definitive moisture measurement devices, as they only detect temperature differences, not water. These cameras have great potential as investigative tools, but their use should not define a quality inspection.

A restoration company should be equipped with a variety of moisture detection meters and be skilled in their use. Otherwise, the firm will be unable to verify the structure's return to a dry standard or the efficient use of its equipment.

The Right Skills

Using modern drying equipment is only one component of producing acceptable results. The incorporation of good drying science with modern equipment is necessary. Usually, this is found among trained and certified technicians and supervisors, and it is a key component of a competent restoration company.

Look for firms with IICRC (Institute of Inspection Cleaning & Restoration Certification) and ASCR (Association of Specialist in Cleaning & Restoration) certifications. The IICRC offers certification courses in a wide variety of trades including cleaning, restoration, and inspection. Find professionals who have been certified by the IICRC in water damage restoration (WRT) and with the advanced designation of applied structural drying (ASD).

IICRC journeyman and master restorers have completed multiple certifications. Technicians with applied microbial remediation training for mold and bacteria control (AMRT and AMRS) will focus on preventing mold problems on water restoration projects. These technicians also understand the complexities of dealing with sewage contamination. Certification in carpet cleaning (CCT), upholstery cleaning (UFT), odor control (OCT), and fire restoration (FST) indicates that a firm has a serious interest in performing competent restoration practices.

The Certified Restorer (CR) designation, offered through the ASCR, is an advanced designation that requires extensive knowledge of both fire- and water-damage restoration. The Water Loss Specialist designation (WLS) focuses on developing the restorer's skills to perform water-damage restoration and structural drying. These advanced designations require years of experience.

Not everyone who attends certification courses will meet the requirements for certification. Those who pass the examination process must maintain their certifications through continuing education. In some programs, the qualifications are expanded and certified technicians must complete additional education to maintain their credentials. Both the IICRC and ASCR web sites allow the verification of contractor certifications.

Many firms fail to train their front-line employees because of the expense involved. Subsequently, it is not uncommon for employers to gain this training and fail to pass it on to their employees. It is reasonable to expect to have at least one certified technician on the job. Competent firms should be pleased to provide copies of certifications and designations of their employees, and you should feel comfortable requesting to see this information.

Examine Experience

For all of the positives of certification, there is little substitute for experience. Experience is the result of refining and polishing restoration skills on job after job. With any restoration project, there could be a number of “correct” ways to approach the task. The most competent restorers will complete a job in the most effective way possible while using labor, materials, and equipment efficiently.

In some rare situations (as in an historic structure with antique furniture or artwork), drying more slowly may prove to be the most prudent and responsible restoration choice. In most situations, however, drying quickly is the preferred and cost-effective choice. Using more drying equipment frequently results in less damage, lower replacement costs, closing the file more quickly, and reducing additional living expenses. An experienced firm will know how to organize and process the job, and which path to take.

Interpersonal relationship skills are important. The best way to determine whether a firm performs well in this area is by contacting your customer, the homeowner. Follow-up after a claim can reveal a great deal about the professionalism and communicative abilities of a firm.

Obtain Documentation

Documentation is a critical component of successful communication. The restoration firm should provide accurate scopes of work and invoices. The scope should include floor diagrams with measurements, and should be easy to understand. Documentation should include moisture mapping and psychrometric readings that will verify the return to original moisture conditions, known as the dry standard.

Moisture mapping comes in many forms. One method includes the use of photographs of walls with a colored-dot system that indicates the levels of moisture in the affected areas. Colors are used to indicate the degree of water absorption. These dots can be partially overlaid to indicate drying progress. An example would be red going to yellow and yellow going to green as the job progresses.

Another method is to use an accurate moisture meter and record the moisture content on a map or floor plan of the job. Daily readings can be recorded and the drying progress can be documented. Regardless of the method, progress should be documented and reported daily.

Moisture trapped in difficult areas still must be inspected. Failure to do so may result in microbial growth. The well equipped restorer has specialized equipment to locate this trapped moisture. Moisture conditions can be measured and recorded behind and below cabinets using insulated probes.

Moisture mapping also is used to record the moisture content of sub-flooring. The readings usually are taken at three levels, top, middle, and bottom, and averaged. Measurements can be taken through carpets and pads when necessary. Moisture reading in finished wood flooring involves four measurements: top, middle, bottom, and underlay or sub-flooring.

It is inappropriate for drying to be declared complete if the structure and contents have not been documented to show pre-loss moisture conditions. This is determined through a comparison between unaffected materials and suspect materials. There also are mathematical formulas available that help in calculating the moisture content expected to be found in materials that have resided in “normal” environments.

Documentation should demonstrate that the structure and contents have, indeed, returned to a dry standard. Such documentation may protect all parties involved if there are future accusations of improper workmanship.

Psychrometric readings should be taken of the affected areas, unaffected areas, and outdoor conditions. These readings should be presented with graphics that easily demonstrate drying progress. Various plot points on the graph may indicate interference in the drying progress, such as equipment that had been shut off by an occupant or power failures. Some firms will include measurements of the humidity entering and leaving their dehumidification equipment. Check to ensure that these readings are expressed in grains per pound (GPP), a critical measurement in verifying that dehumidifiers are, indeed, removing water vapor from the air.

Finally, documentation should include certificates of completion and satisfaction, and should be signed by the insureds. Competent restoration companies are not only good at starting the job, they are good at finishing the job.

Many competent restoration firms in the restorative drying industry are ready to serve your customers when they suffer losses due to water. Employing these firms will ensure your customers' satisfaction, properly mitigate loss severity, and dramatically shorten the time necessary to close files.

David Oakes owns and operates a cleaning and restoration firm. He is a Certified Restorer affiliated with ASCR, and teaches various Dri-Eaz courses.