Question: I am trying to establish a baseline to monitor my employee's performance on the job to make sure it is going right - atmospheric conditions and moisture content depression. I am also trying to set some acceptable parameters to watch for red flags on their drying jobs on a daily basis. Ultimately I am looking to take a real time snapshot of the job and determine everything is on point based on such parameters. Is this something you can help with?
Also, I am looking to find an easy reference list for my employees to use to determine an insurable loss. I want to make sure they can determine which job to walk away from based on the likelihood that the insurance company would deny the claim while being able to justify their reasoning. Common exclusions include age of the structure (I have heard that structures over 30 years old may not be covered), the loss must be sudden and accidental, etc. but I know there are more and I would appreciate your experience in this. I know that things inside the house are usually covered but what, in your experience, are the exceptions?
I know that much of this may be in the individual policy but do you have a policy reference/coverage summary? My experience is that the insurance company does NOT want to release this information until they have completed their investigation which makes emergency remediation difficult and risky.
We live in NE Florida and per the S500 our wood dry standard is 12% - which makes 12% my drying goal; although, most of the unaffected sill plate readings I come across are 7 - 9%. We measure the mass of the sill plate with non-insulated hammer probe pins; therefore, we feel that 12% is an acceptable dry standard. As such, I will not leave a structure wet (above 12%) with the hopes of moisture equilibrium as, in my eyes, this leaves a wet structure and leaves me open to negligence and liability litigation.
Answer: by Jeff Bishop, SCRT Technical Director
We have restoration firms located in Albany and Valdosta, GA – a few short miles from your location in N. Florida, so I have an idea about your drying conditions. We have a number of IICRC Master Restorers on staff, some dating back to the days when the master program was first devised.
Our sole means of documenting successful completion of jobs consists of three documents:
- moisture map
- daily humidity record
- structural materials MC record – if it’s dry, it’s dry and no one should be able to argue with
We use the same instruments you do, as well as an IR camera.
We have no problem with multiple insurance professionals accepting our paperwork and pricing based on our documentation (and Completion Certificate), supported by verbal explanation, as required. I require the same paperwork in litigation work, or we construct these documents for our clients, whether they are a contractor or insurance company.
Atmospheric drying goals for our area are 45% RH at 75F or SH of 45 gpp. For structural wood, our goal is 11% MC with no more than a 2% deviation between finished wood floor and wood subflooring. Drying goals can vary based on outside atmospheric conditions as well. As you know on hot humid days, infiltration of outside air through penetration points can make goals challenging to say the least. Still with judicious use of air movement, dehumidification and heat, we still can reach reasonable goals within a reasonable period.
Of course, our moisture map tracks and illustrates progressive drying. These documents are discussed in IICRC S500 and are acceptable to insurance companies. What insurance companies use internally – if anything – is a matter you’ll have to take up with them. Certainly, if you’re familiar with Excel programs, you can come up with something that fits your specific needs, or you can hire an IT person to create something that meets your specifications. You may even want to consider purchasing the Moisture Mapper program that provides remote monitoring.
Most insurance companies are not knowledgeable about proper drying procedures or even tracking a job. I teach hundreds of adjusters annually and serve as an expert witness in major litigation cases (i.e., multi-million dollar dry downs). Most of them accept S500 as the industry standard of care and they have no problem with contractors who follow it.
