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Disaster Advice Glossary
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Disaster recovery and restoration can be veiled in mystery to the many who have not undertaken specific training. This glossary explains technical terms to assist both report writing and the understanding of those technical terms so often misunderstood.
Definition
| Absorb: |
In water damages, the temporary ability of porous building materials and contents to absorb (hold and retain) liquid water and water vapour for periods of time. Education Note:Like a sponge, most absorbent materials are able to give up their water when atmospheric conditions are desirable or when forced to through dynamic pressure. See Absorbant, Air Dynamics |
| Absorbed Moisture: |
Moisture that has been absorbed by a porous or semi-porous solid materialsuch as drywall, wood or masonry. |
| Absorbed water: |
Surface water which is held in place by tension or electrochemical forces. The adhesion of water in the form of mnolecules as a liquid, vapour, or gas as a disssolved substance bound in or on a material. |
| Absorbency: |
The moisture measurement difference between a dry porous material and a saturated material is a weight neasurement of the material's absorbency. Education Note: The ability of a porous building material, like drywall and some insulation, to absorb water, and very high humidity, rapidly. |
| Absorbent: |
Any material that has an affinity for certain substances and attracts these substances from a liquid or gas state with which it is in contract. A substance that attracts and holds quantities of water vapour or a liquid. |
| Absorber: |
A mechanical device such as a dehumidifier which collects and contains liquid from the absorption of water vapour. |
| Absorbtivity: |
The ratio amount of water which is able to absorb in a porous material. |
| Absorption: |
A process whereby a porous material extracts one or more substances present in an atmosphere or a mixture of gases and liquids, accompanied by the material's temporary physical and/or chemical change into another material. Education Note: Absorption in water damage building materials is the temporary entrapment of moisture into porous and semi-porous building materials, such as carpets, pad, drywall, and cellulosic insulation. See Absorb, Absorbency, Absorption |
| Absorption Chiller: |
A heat operated refrigeration unit that uses an absorbent (lithium bromide) as a secondary fluid to absorb the primary fluid (water), which is a gaseous refrigerant in the evaporator. |
| Absorption Rate (Initial Rate of Absorption): |
The weight of water absorbed by a building material that is partially immersed in water for one minute, five minutes or ten minutes. The absorptive weight increase (as compared to dry weight) is expressed in ounces of water weight per minute, five minutes or ten minutes. |
| Acoustic Ceiling: |
A ceiling that has the ability to absorb sound. |
| Acoustic Materials: |
Building materials which absorb sound and noise, such as carpet and acoustic tiles. Education Note: Most sound absorption materials, besides being good sound insulators, are also highly absorbant, and they are capable of retaining unwanted moisture and humidity after a water damage. |
| Acoustical Plaster: |
A plaster finish coat applied on the surface of drywall or button board. Education Note: The plaster is a sound absorptive plaster, that has large cell structures to absorb sound, or it has a texture to break up the sound wave while reducing bounce back. |
| Activated Carbon: |
Carbon charcoal that has an increased absorptive capacity of retaining chemicals, vapours, hydrocarbons, and sometoxins from a contaminated environment. Education Note: Scrubbing contaminated indoor air with an air scrubber having an activated carbon (charcoal-based) filter, are capable of trapping and reducing organic vapours in a building. Activated charcoal is commonly used as a gas vapour absorbent in air-prifying respirators and as a solid sorbent in air-sampling. See Adsorbent, Air Scrubbers, Air Sparging |
| Acute Toxicity: |
a) Toxicity resulting from an acute exposure. The adverse effects closely spaced in time between the absorbed dose and the toxic material. b) A substance sopoisonous as to cause severe biological harm or death soon after a single exposure or dose. |
| Adsorbent: |
The incorporation of a liquid or energy absorbed into another substance. Absorbent of a substance can be a permanent change to the building material, such as sewage contamination, fire, odour or pesticide exposure. Education Note: For example, the rate of absorbency of drywall to absorb a substance or a vapour will, most likely, cause permanent damage to the drywall material. Note: 'Absorbent' means to melecularly bond together. See Absorbent, Absorption |
| Adsorbent Sampling: |
One of a number of absorbent materials used to collect a contaminate. Education Note: Absorbent samopling, such as from a carbon-type of sorbent sample media allows the collection of chemicals, gases and vapours. After collection they (the contaminates) absorbed in a laboratory usually through GC/MS/FID. See Air Sampling, Bulk Material Sampling, Soil Sampling, Surface Sampling, swab Sampling, Wipe Sampling, Vacuum sampling |
| Asphyxiating Atmospheres: |
An atmosphere which a chemical or other substance can absorb the oxygen in air as a result of a chemical reaction or other reaction, including gases that inert the atmosphere, consuming the breathable oxygen. Health and Safety Note: Chemicals used to mist and fog in the atmosphere, chemicals that are allowed to evaporate, and the use of ozone are asphyxiants. As dangerous and seldom recognized as an asphyxiant, are power generators giving off carbon monoxide gas. See Confined Space, Permit Required Confined Space, Toxic Air Contaminates |
| Attenuation: |
The sound reduction process in which sound energy is absorbed or diminished in intensity as the result of energy conversation from sound to motion or heat. |
| Brownian Movement: |
The random movement of particles suspended in motion with air or water. The Brownian movement phenomenon was observed in 1827 by Robert Brown, with the suspension of particles in liquid as observed under a microscope. While Brown theorized his observations had to do with living organisms, it wasn't until the turn of the 20th century kinetic theory was developed helping us to understand, thermal agitation of smaller suspended particles in motion as their mass, compared to true particles of larger surrounding bodies, are effected by kinetic energy. In 1905, Einstein considered the problem which led to an equation connecting the observed motions with the Boltzmann constant. The development being based on the law of equal partition of energy. Education Note: A smoke soot particle for example, is battered about in air on all sides by the high speed movement of air molecules. The soot particle is absorbing kinetic energy from every direction. In this example, the soot particle floating close to cooler surfaces such as a wall, glass window, stud nails to metal, tend to magnetically migrate towards and eventually cling to cooler surfaces. If the whole wall was cooler than the heated indoor air, such as from a fire, the whole wall would be uniformly covered by smoke particles. Quite often on a wall, stud nails or screws are even cooler than the wall surface and smoke particles deposit in a noticeable pattern. In the 1970's, U.S. Steel Corporation conducted a series of experiments to investigate how 'ghost marks' can occur in a building due to dust build up. U. S. Steel determined that a distinguishable particle deposition pattern began to occur on a surface when there was >3.3 degrees F. of difference in surface temperature relative to other parts of the surface. If this temperature varied > 8 degreed F., then surface discoloration by dust through a given time occurred. See Kinetic Energy |
| Capillary Action: |
In water damaged buildings, capillary action is the rate which a building material or content can absorb, hold and retain water. Contractor Note: Capillary action increases as surface tension decreases. The capillary action phenomenon is explained by the movement of water in absorptive materials to levels higher than the surface water or wetness. See Wicking |
| Carpet: |
A fabric material that is generally placed on floors for comfort and appearance, and sometimes on walls for reduction of sound. Carpets as a floorcovering has a limited life expectancy from 7 to 15 years. Usually carpets are replaced before the end of their life expectancy with an average carpet having from 5 to 10 years life-use. Commercial carpets are different than residential carpets both in construction and use. Care and Handling Note: Carpets must be cleaned and sanitized when they are dirty like any fabric. Proper cleaning techniques can extend the life of most carpets. Water Damage Note: Carpet in water damages act like a sponge and absorb and retain large amounts of water and sewage. Carpets if they are stable, can be successfully cleaned and reinstalled after a fresh water flood, but carpets having sewage should be replaced. Totally saturated carpets, if possible, should be removed from a building, since most subfloors and walls will also be saturated. Wet carpet retains sometimes hundreds of gallons of water, increasing its wet weight from its dry weight, up to five times. Restorative Drying Note: Attempting to dry wet carpet in a building where walls and subfloors are also wet, dramatically increases the overall drying time. |
| Chemical Sponge: |
A rubber cleaning sponge that has large cells capable of capturing dry particles from surfaces. As the rubber sponge is being applied on dry surfaces, the surface cleaning action debrides the outer sponge layer, exposing a cleaner surface area for additional cleaning. The chemical sponge picks up soot and captures smoke odor. Mitigation Note: The name chemical sponge, more commonly referred to by industry as a chem-sponge, possesses no special chemicals in the sponge as the name suggests. As a rubber-type sponge, it does not pick up or absorb water or chemicals easily, and it should not be used for wet-side cleaning. |
| Concentration: |
a) An expression of how much (dose) of a material, in a given amount, can be absorbed by the human body, without effecting the body or causing a reaction. b) Concentration of contaminates to humans or atmospheres, is the amount of a contaminate in concentration. Education Note: For example, concentration of contaminates in water are expressed as the mass of a contaminant per given volume, (typically one liter) of water, or as the mass of a contaminant per given mass of water; In the case of aerosols, the concentrations of aerosols (airborne solids and liquids) in air, are expressed as the mass of a substance in a given volume (typically one cubic meter) of air; In the case of vapors and gases in a given volume of air equals (volume/volume), or the mass of a material per given volume of air equals (mass/volume). |
| Condenser: |
The heat exchanger in which the heat absorbed by the evaporator and some of the heat of compression introduced by the compressor are removed from the system. The gaseous refrigerant changes to a liquid, again taking advantage of the relatively large heat transfer by the change of state in the condensing process. |
| Damp-mopping: |
A procedure using a moistened cotton mop over a relatively clean surface, to remove loose dusts and dirt off of a floor surface. Education Note: Damp mopping is used in between cleanings, for the control of dusts and dirt, since this procedure helps control surface tracking of migrant materials while reducing time and money spent on more intensive maintenance procedures. Damp mopping is a process that is often used right before a floor finish is applied. Damp mopping is also a procedure where small spills can be absorbed into a cotton mop having a neutral detergent, allowing for the easy pickup of the spill, and applying a non-residual cleaning agent. |
| Damp-Proofing: |
a) Moisture impervious tar-like materials that are applied to concrete on the outside foundation side protecting the structure from absorbing unwanted moisture and moisture vapor. b) Control measures using chemical treatments on concrete or masonry to retard the absorption or transmission of water and water vapor. Liability Note: Damp-proofing sealers seldom provide the desirable effect for which they are intended, or the results which were contracted. Contact the manufacturer or distributor of the product for written warrantees and guarantees incase the product fails. As a contractor, make sure the products that are used and installed, are installed in strict accordance with product labelling. |
| Dehydration: |
a) The removal of water vapor from air through the use of absorbing or adsorbing materials; b) The removal of water from stored goods. Restorative Drying Note: The process of dehydration is important and must be considered as the preferred process when books, documents, film and other media have been effected by excessive high humidity or a flooding event. |
| Emergency Response, or Respondin to Emergencies: |
Hazardous Materials Management Note: In hazardous materials management of regulated materials or a fire where hazardous materials may be an issue, emergency response is a response effort by employees from outside the immediate release area or by other designated responders (i.e., mutual aid groups, local fire departments, etc.) to an occurrence which results, or is likely to result, in an uncontrolled release, which may cause high levels of exposure to toxic substances, or which poses danger to employees requiring immediate attention. Responses to incidental releases of hazardous substances where the substance can be absorbed, neutralized, or otherwise controlled at the time of release by employees in the immediate release area, or by maintenance personnel are not considered to be emergency responses within the scope of state and federal standards. Responses to releases of hazardous substances where there is no immediate safety or health hazard (i.e., fire, explosion, or chemical exposure) are not considered to be emergency responses. NOTE: The immediate release area can be the entire geographic boundary of the employees assigned work area. |
| Entrainment: |
1. The ability of a foreign substance, liquid or gas to be captured in a media or a building material after enter a media or material. 2. The capture of part of the surrounding air by the airstream discharged from an outlet (sometimes called secondary air motion). Mitigation Note: a) Pertaining to water damages and building flooding; the intrusion of water, soil, silt, sludge and sewage effluents and their toxins to become part of building materials and contents from an outside source. b) The ability of vapour, fumes, gas, mists, microorganisms and solid particles to adsorb in a building material from an outside source. c) The ability of a contaminate to enter into a space and be absorbed or consumed. See Infiltration |
| Entrainment Velocity: |
a) The ability of water, gas, vapour, mist and solid particles to absorb and impact into other materials. b) The gas flow velocity in air, which tends to keep particles suspended and cause deposited particles to become airborne. Mitigation Note: Typically this applies to airflow in ducts carrying airborne particles and other contaminates. Entrainment velocity effects is a concern for water damage mitigation contractors who use 1,000 CFM or greater air movers which transport large amounts of wet-humidified air throughout a building. See Acceleration Velocity, Air Movement, Dynamic Pressure, Turbidity Air Currents |
| Flashing: |
Referring to a painted surface, flashing is the uneven gloss on the wall, particularly when viewed at a low angle. Education Note: High and low (sheen) spots (flashing), can be observed as small or large discolored areas on a flat wall surface. Flashing is sometimes caused by the premature painting over a wall that has not fully dried after a water damage, or a wall that has differences in its substrate absorbency. |
| Heat, Latent: |
Change of enthalpy during a change of state, usually expressed in BTUs per pound (BTU/lb). With pure substances, latent heat is absorbed or rejected at constant pressure. |
| Hydrophilic: |
Having an affinity for water. Building materials which are moisture-loving and readily absorb moisture vapour and water, such as drywall. See Hygroscopic |
| Hygroscopic: |
Materials easily absorptive of moisture, readily absorbing and retaining moisture. |
| Hygroscopic Building Materials: |
Building materials which have a natural affinity to hold and retain water and moisture vapour, especially building materials when indoor humidity exceeds 70% for periods of time. Restorative Drying Note: a) Building materials, such as blown acoustic ceilings and acoustic tiles, drywall and wall insulation, which attract, readily absorb, and take up water and moisture vapour. b) Once saturated, hygroscopic building materials will not release their water and moisture vapour as fast as they retained it. c) Hygroscopic building materials when wet or damp, are typically those materials that aid in the distribution of spores. See Bound Water, Moisture Content, Moisture Vapour |
| Kinetic Energy: |
The process which matter in motion produces energy through heat and pressure. Education Note: The most obvious way in which matter can manifest energy is to be in motion. The more the movement, the more energy matter is capable of producing. Kinetic energy is a state of free or bound energy, depending on the its surroundings as well as the state the matter is in to produce movement. During air movement, the more massive the air movement, the faster air moves and the more work or damage it can produce. On the other hand, mechanical or electrical energy (other than thermal or chemical energy) of a system, is always measured as the maximum amount of work that the system can do in coming to static equilibrium. Kinetic energy in a water damaged building, are changes in heat and pressure as exhibited by changes in vapour pressure, evaporation and diffusion of fluids. While part of the reduction of fluids are a result of the standing water extraction process, the remaining absorbed fluids in porous and semi-porous building material, is a direct result of kinetic energy, brought about by forced air movement resulting in changes of vapour pressure, surface tension, heat, evaporation and dehumidification. See Brownian Movement |
| Lethal Dose: |
An absorbed amount of chemical, toxin or other agent, sufficient enough to cause and result in premature death. |
| Moisture Monitoring: |
a) In water damage claims management, during the emergency part of the job, moisture monitoring is an investigative and forensic process determining the exact locations which building's absorbed unwanted moisture and humidity. b) In water damaged buildings during the drydown phase, moisture monitoring is the strict discipline requiring the measurement and recording of wet building materials and the drydown process. Moisture monitoring continues until the restorative drying contractor has determined the wet building materials no longer require drying and dehumidification since they have been returned to an acceptable moisture content |
| Non-Combustible: |
Building materials and contents which have a particular fire rating as being non-combustible when in the presence of a flame. Mitigation Note: Some non-combustible fire rated building materials are highly porous, and they may absorb water easily, and some materials are susceptible to mold and decay. One of these materials include fire-retardant plywood (FRT), a construction material used as roof sheathing, and it is subject to premature deterioration because of its hygroscopic qualities. |
| Odour Counteractant: |
A process by which odor is reduced or eliminated. Some odours can be reduced through aeration or oxidation. Other odours require the cleaning and removal (sanitizing/deodorization) for the odour counteractant to be effective. Chemical odour counteractants (COCs) are meant to penetrate, dissolve and absorb the odor molecule, resulting in the neutralization of the odour. |
| Pressure Washing remediation: |
The equipment most preferred: Education Note: 1) In the removal of flood water, silt and muck in contaminated buildings experiencing catastrophic flooding. a) Pressure washing should only be used once the amount of contaminated building materials, such as drywall, insulation and carpet have been removed and disposed. b) Pressure washing is better when used with warm water and detergents. c) Pressure washing main use is the micro-fine removal of solid and saturated waste which has absorbed into and behind salvageable building material framing. Mitigation Note: 2) In the removal of sewage solids, effluents and bacteria trapped under and inside framing materials, low- pressure washing (warm water [140-F] and liquid detergent) having (60-120 psi) is preferred, followed by immediate water extraction, and turbo-fan drying. |
| Saturation: |
a) A level at which a material or air can no longer absorb or hold liquids or a vapour. b) The condition of an atmosphere when the amount of water vapour present is the maximum amount possible at the existing vapor. |
| Shrinkage: |
The loss of size and shape due to decreased moisture. Education Note: Shrinkage commonly occurs with natural materials, including wood, wool rugs, drapes, skirts on upholstery, and jute backed-carpets or upholstery. Shrinkage in water damages or from over-wetting from cleaning, occurs when materials are allowed to absorb water, and as they dried, the material shrank in size, resulting in the decreased dimensions of the material. Restoration Note: In the case of draperies that are wet at the bottom from a flood, consider calling your local drapery company, they may advise you to lightly spray water on all of the drape panel, front and back, reducing the chance of permanent water marks. Carefully fold the top of the drape first, and fold the drape into itself. Do not remove drapery pins, before you marked the location and position of the pins with a permanent ink marker. If you have never done this before, call the drapery company to immediately send out a service truck to mark and pick up the drapes. |
| Specific Humidity: |
A more absolute measurement than relative humidity. Specific humidity is a direct ration of the weight of water vapor to the total weight of the air in a given area or sample. The pound weight of water that a pound of air can absorb. Restorative Drying Note: Along with psychometric charting and moisture monitoring, the GPP of moisture is another important tool to know to dry out and dehumidify a wet building properly. But do not loose focus on the relative humidity measurements, since the relative humidity indicates how close the ambient air is close to being saturated. It is a better measurement to help the restoration technician. Knowing the specific humidity alone, will not provide the degree or percentage of saturation. See Grains of Moisture, Relative Humidity |
| Vapourization of Fire Department Water: |
During a building fire event, the fire department uses large amounts of water from fire hoses to reduce and eliminate the flame and the flammable source. Contractor Note: The heat from a fire in an enclosed atmosphere, will allow a stream or spray (fog) of water to expand up to 1,700 times its mass from the waters original dispersion size. This results in liquid water to turn into steam water droplets, then the droplets are changed into a moisture vapour state. (With extremely hot-heat, water from a fire hose immediately goes to the vapour state). With heat, vapourized water and cooler building material surfaces, the building materials absorb the water vapour rapidly, and often the water vapour is actually forced into porous cells of the building matrix through advection and conduction. Dehumidification of a wet building from a hot-fire is complicated by the radical dispersion of vapourized moisture molecules in building materials, along with the atmospheric stresses brought about from heated forces of increased air volume. See Absorption, Advection |
| Water Stains: |
In water damage mitigation, it is the permanent damage condition brought about from surface water as its move upward into a material. Education Note: Through capillary action, once the material has absorbed surface moisture, the spot where absorption stops, results in a water mark, if the building material or fabric is allowed to dry. Some fresh water marks can be eliminated if the material, typically a fabric, is immersed in water, or it becomes totally wet on all sides. For example, the lower wet portion of a drape which can be completely removed and immersed in water, then carefully rung out and placed and sealed in a plastic bag. The drape must be immediately sent to a dry cleaner. Liability Note: Make sure you have the customers written permission and they understand up-front, this method is only an attempt to salvage the material from permanent water staining, and you have determined the fabric material is structurally sound and worth attempting salvage. See Capillary Action, Wicking |
| Wicking: |
a) The upper movement of water in a water damage building that is absorbed by capillary action. b) A condition caused by surface water as it moves upward into a porous building material through absorption and capillary action. See Capillary Action, Water Stains |
| Wipe Sampling: |
One of several types of collection materials including cotton balls, swabs to specially prepared wipes that absorb and collect and retain surface matter for laboratory identification. Wipe sampling can be used to collect toxic materials and with satisfactory result, it may be used as a method to remove toxic substances with larger pads or special material diapers. See Adsorbent Sampling, Air Sampling, Bulk Material Sampling, Soil Sampling, Surface Sampling, Swab Sampling, Tape Lift Sampling, Water Sampling, Vacuum Sampling |
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