…how to dry out?
while the kids were gone, the radiators on the first floor of the house they stay at froze and broke, flooding the first floor and basement – I’ll post the details later if there’s interest –
there is no central heat in the house (~1900 victorian) now and won’t be for a number of days – they’ve got the loose water sucked out – it’s record warm (65*) and we have a monsoon currently falling (3″+) – gonna get down to freezing within 48 hours – it’s nasty soggy –
I need suggestions for drying this place out over the next few days while minimizing the damage – the basement is concrete floored with painted CMU walls, unfinished ceiling so no sodden drywall/suspended ceiling to deal with –
dehumidifier? what could be used as heat?
thanks –
D
Replies
Dehumidifiers, commercial duty from a rental and those large fans - shrouded, look like squirrel cage, blow in one direction out the bottom.
Heat? electric if it'll handle it so you don't introduce more moisture into the house.
All the stuff can be had from a rental.
Or, a flood abatement (emergency) contractor-they'll have it all-insurance (renters) should cover it I would hope.
A Great Place for Information, Comraderie, and a Sucker Punch.
Remodeling Contractor just outside the Glass City.
http://www.quittintime.com/
don't know how big a service - I'll make a call or two tonight for more info - the house is a 'frat' house - owned by AXE, the professional (as opposed to a 'social' fraternity) chemisty fraternity - it's basically a party house that rents out 4 rooms to members - good location - classic student ghetto - the kids personal property was not affected as rooms are on the second floor - I don't know the insurance situation - wouldn't surprise me if there were none on the house - this could be the end of the house - developers would love the space for apartments - Mike is off to Scotland now, but poor daughter T is there, living in her room with a space heater - one semester to go, she doesn't need the hassle of moving - argh - more later -
d"there's enough for everyone"
I know that it does not sound like it appropriate from this application, but I will pass it one for lurkers.But on Bob Vila I saw them bring in a truck with a "dehumidifier" to dry out new construction. Not something that was needed, but more of a way to show off some equipment or service.Anyway it was a company that had a truck (or trailer) mounted "furnace" with large ducts that they could blast hot "relatively" dry air into flooded house to dry them out.But any kind of electrical heat, if there is the wiring for it, will greatly help dry it out along with the fans..
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A-holes. Hey every group has to have one. And I have been elected to be the one. I should make that my tagline.
Edited 1/8/2008 5:51 pm by BillHartmann
thanks, Bill - I've made another phone call - there is 200 amp service - unfortunately, there is no one associated with the house that is knowledgable/experienced with this kind of adversity - there is also no significant amount of $ - so we'll see - really, as floods go, this isn't too bad - 5 radiators cracked and leaked, dribbleing onto the floor and on to the basement, where there is a floor drain - the question is how far the water spread between the floor and subfloor - shouldn't take heroic efforts to dry out - if the heat was working it would be straight forward - pros quoted $1000/radiator to replace - "there's enough for everyone"
got carpet???
air circulation across the wet/damp areas and dry heat..
don't use portable fuel fired heaters... elctric heaters (in XXXL) would give you very dry heat...
there are heater/fan combos for this occasion... most all rental outfits carry them...
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming
WOW!!! What a Ride!
Forget the primal scream, just ROAR!!!
no carpet, mercifully - I'll be checking rental places tomorrow - thanks - "there's enough for everyone"