Lower Chaska has homes dating to the 1850s and many brick buildings from the city's brickmaking years, and in the April 1965 flood the water rose above the second floors of many homes. Materials like those hold water differently, so the drying plan has to follow what is actually wet.
Sizing the equipment
Air movers and dehumidifiers are chosen from room volume, the type of material that is wet and how much surface is affected. Classes run from 1 to 4, from a small area of low-absorbing material to dense materials that release water slowly.
- Class 1 and 2: a few air movers and one dehumidifier
- Class 3: ceilings, walls and insulation soaked from above
- Class 4: dense materials such as hardwood, plaster or masonry
Reading the numbers
Moisture content is checked in framing, subfloor and concrete, and temperature and humidity are logged in the air. Falling readings mean the drying is working, while a stall means the equipment has to change. A stalled reading often means a wet material has been missed, such as a sill plate or a cavity behind a cabinet, and the equipment is moved to reach it.
Cold lower levels and dense walls
Cold slows evaporation, so lower levels often need heat. Brick and other dense masonry can take longer than drywall, and the plan leans on repeated readings rather than a fixed number of days. See basement flooding cleanup for the lower level version.