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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
| Basement: |
A substructure purposely cut or dug out below grade, it typically contains a concrete slab floor and concrete pour or concrete block foundation walls. The basement walls in many mid-west and back-east buildings are the concrete foundation bearing walls supporting the above grade building. |
| Bioremediation: |
The careful and safe removal of harmful microbiological agents. Education and Mitigation Note: a) In sewage damage backflows effecting buildings, bioremediation is the careful and safe removal of all sewage and bacteria under controlled conditions which are associated with sewage effluents. This includes all coliform bacteria, and porous building materials and contents saturated with sewage. If the building materials and contents cannot be cleaned and disinfected to an acceptable level of cleanliness, then the building materials and contents require replacement with new materials. b) In fungi contamination, bioremediation is the careful and safe removal of all contaminated building materials and contents under controlled conditions which are associated with the fungi contamination. c) In ventilation system cleaning and sanitizing, bioremediation is the careful and safe removal of all dusts and debris in the HVAC supply air ducts followed by sanitizing, removal of all contaminated insulation, cleaning and sanitizing of the previously insulated surfaces, cleaning and sanitizing of coils, condensers, drain pans, plenum, mixing boxes and all return air ducts. d) In areas containing water or sewage saturated ground of a soil floor basement or crawl space substructure, bioremediation is the containment and control of all standing water or sewage, providing negative air out of the substructure where contaminated air does not effect the building's interior air space, and appropriate remediation measures in removing potentially harmful pathogens from the air and controlling pathogens in soil. Bioremediation of contaminated ground under a substructure is a complicated issue where each problem must be based on the conditions presented in each case. |
| Crawl Space: |
a) The lower space of a raised foundation - between the ground and the first floor of a building. In a crawl space building code requires a minimum 18" aeration access from the ground and the floor joists. b) Any unfinished interior access and limited space between floors, containing ventilation, ducting, pipes, cables, or wiring of the building. C) A lower elevation of a building that has not been excavated deep enough for a basement. |
| River Flooding, Damage Guidelines |
In water damage remediation, it is the flood water from rivers, streams and lakes which enter into buildings. River flooding brings with it silt, mud and organic matter that become adsorbed into porous building materials. Education Note: Methods of Assessment and Mitigation: 1) Once the flood waters recede, all wet buildings must be checked for safety before entry. Health and Safety Note: Do not use electricity and gas sources until they have been inspected. Keep all power generators outside the building!. 2) Wear a HEPA rated respirator, gloves and protective clothing. 3) After an assessment of the building damage, 4) remove all salvageable contents to a safe place. 5) Wash and rinse, bleach sanitize and rinse salvageable contents, then wipe them down, use wood oils and creams to restore finish and hardware. 6) In the building, remove all standing flood water, silt and mud. 7) Remove effected carpet and pad, drywall and insulation. 8) Pressure wash all subfloors and exposed sill plates and stud bays. 9) For basements, pump out the flood water. 10) For raised foundations, pump out flood water and open skirts and access to the building. 11) Force in fresh air and exhaust out wet air. 12) No building should have new drywall or insulation installed for a minimum of 2 weeks, and only after passing a moisture test survey. 13) Have the building independently inspected by building inspectors before restoration, and by utilities before using gas and electricity. |
| Sediment as Fines: |
In a flooded building, either from a catastrophic flood or a sewer system backflow, sediment is the fines of soil, sand and clay, that could not be removed, and are now an intrinsic part of the building after a thorough cleanup and sanitization. Most sediment can be removed from buildings, but due to the building porosity, design and engineering, some sediment as fines cannot be removed from subfloors, sill plates, and other building materials without dismantling the structure. Sediment may also be found under the building, in crawl spaces and in basements. See Clean-up, Fines |
| Substructural Drying: |
In water damage remediation, substructure drying is the use of mechanical and engineering controls necessary to dry a wet substructure properly. Mitigation Note: a) Unlike wet above-grade structures, wet below-grade substructures are influenced by an increase amount of moisture vapor coming from inside the substructure foundation walls and soil. a1) To dry a wet substructure properly, all contents and wet building materials must be removed from a basement or below-grade structure, including old carpet, cardboard and plastic sheeting. a3) All standing water or sewage must be extracted and appropriately removed. a4) Allow as much fresh air access to the substructure as possible during water/sewage removal. In fact, use an exhaust fan forcing contaminated air outside the substructure, but not in the building. a5) Depending on the soil matrix and amount of saturation, and if there is sewage present, detergent washing the soil may be appropriate before attempting surface drying or tilling the soil. b) If the below grade substructure is large, other engineering controls will be necessary to monitor and dry the environment properly. Dehumidification with air movement is most important in drying a wet substructure properly. c) Unlike above-grade wet buildings, below-grade buildings may take two to three times as long to dry. See High-Rise Drying, Structural Drying |
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Thin set: |
A type of cementitious material used in the installation of ceramic tile, marble and slate. Restorative Drying Note: Thin set is usually very stable when confronted by a water damage. The issues for thin set and other cementitious materials, is not the thin set itself, it is the substrate base material they are placed on. Education Note: In water damaged buildings where the subfloor is wood, and it is not a concrete slab, wood subfloors and underlayments tend to swell, since they cannot easily dry out on their own. Thin set and the tile floor combined, becomes a vapor barrier, that does not allow the subfloor or underlayment to breathe and dry. Hopefully there is a basement or crawlspace, where special techniques for drying and dehumidifying the subfloor and underlayments can be accomplished. If not, quite often the trapped moisture can cause delamination of the plies of plywood or the release of the bond between the thin set and the tile. |
| Vent: |
An opening which air is allowed to pass through freely. Vents are part of a buildings natural air intake and exhaust system. Vents are common to basements, crawlspaces, plumbing, attic and roof. |
| Withdrawal of Water: |
The removal of standing water from substructure soil or a basement, either from evaporization, extraction or sump-pump. |
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