Instructor Ed Jones has over 30 years of experience in theindustry, has the title of MasterWater Restorer, is an Institute ofInspection Cleaning andRestoration Certification (IICRC)-approved instructor, and hasserved on the S500-2021consensus body committee todevelop the most recent standard.
All IICRC-approved instructors teach their students how to pass the certification exam. The exam is the same for all students, depending on whether they are taking the WRT or ASD course.
The exams are updated periodically, which means the manuals approved by the IICRC must be modified and annotated to ensure that all exam question answers are included in the manual.
Having said that, not all instructors teach the same way or emphasize the same things in their WRT and ASD classes. This is especially true when it comes to what I call the “nuances” of drying materials and contents.
These nuances can have a huge impact on:
Much of this centers around the amount of demolition that is called for, which is often determined by the category of water, whether certain materials can be dried instead of removed and replaced, and how quickly those materials can be dried.
For example, some WRT instructors teach that a clean water supply line break with a quick response by a professional restorer could deteriorate to Category 2 simply because the water ran through a wall cavity, ceiling cavity, or attic. The explanation often given is that “building soils” would deteriorate the category of water.
I do not agree.
The IICRC S500-2021 is clear that Category 1 water does not have to be sanitary. It only needs to originate from a sanitary source. As the water moves through the structure, such as running through walls, under cabinets, or down through ceilings due to gravity, it does not automatically reach a level of contamination that would rise to “significantly contaminated.”
I tell my students that the word “significant” is significant.
This means the water has to be filthy and reflect a substantial health concern to humans if it is going to be categorized as Category 2.
Even if the water ran over a mouse dropping inside a wall, it would not automatically turn into Category 2 water because that is part of a normal building environment and would not necessarily pose a significant health risk.
Per the S500-2021 Standard, Category 2 water can even encompass toilet overflows as long as there is no significant fecal matter floating through the home. Photos of fecal matter can help determine whether water has deteriorated to Category 3.
I know the Category 2 definition states “no” feces, but we do not live in sterile environments. Water has to rise to a level of significant contamination that would pose a significant health risk.
Another teaching point is the idea that 2-foot flood cuts must be performed on exterior walls if there is insulation in the wall that got wet.
I disagree if the water migrated across the floor, touched the bottom of a wall, and then “wicked” up into the drywall through capillary action.
We have simulated that exact condition many times at our IICRC-approved ASD flood house in Springfield, Ohio. In our family room, we use a concrete slab foundation under Berber carpet with rebond cushion and no vapor barrier.
I run a water hose for hours, with the water running right next to the exterior wall where there is:
And I cannot get the insulation wet.
We have an inspection port on that exterior wall that allows us to open it and inspect inside the wall to confirm. We dry the baseboards, drywall, and inside the wall cavity in place with no demolition in just 3 to 4 days.
After 36 hours of drying, I open up the wall cavity and remove the baseboard to show my students that the insulation never got wet. If it did, it was only very slightly at the bottom. Fiberglass does not absorb moisture and dries easily without opening the walls.
The baseboard also dried fine in 36 hours with no removal.
Of course, if the water came from overhead and the entire wall was wet from top to bottom, that would be different. It would also be different if the wall had a vapor barrier over the drywall, such as vinyl wallpaper, or if the baseboards were made of MDF and had swollen.
I am not saying to never do demolition.
I am saying to stop making demolition the first and only option every time you are faced with that situation.
In the ASD class, I show students how to dry inside wall cavities using Structural Cavity Drying Systems, also known as SCDS.
This is especially useful when there is a vapor barrier, such as vinyl wallpaper, on the wall.
The process may include:
This approach allows restorers to dry the assembly without automatically removing and replacing materials.
Another teaching point where Accuserve is different from most IICRC-approved WRT and ASD schools is that I generally do not think it is necessary to dry ceramic tile, cement board, concrete, stone, brick, marble, and similar materials.
I am not saying you never have to dry them. I am saying that in residential settings, it is usually the exception rather than the rule.
These materials are not organic food sources for mold and will typically acclimate over time with no ill effects from exposure to water. Because of that, why charge to dry them with air movers and dehumidifiers?
In residential settings where the home has wood framing with a concrete slab foundation, the water is rarely in contact with the concrete for more than 1 to 3 days. That usually does not give the water enough time to penetrate the concrete very much, which means special drying may not be needed.
I do recommend extracting any standing water on those materials. After that, the drying focus should be on organic food sources for mold, such as:
We use ceramic tile in showers and tub surrounds because it is so resistant to moisture. I do not dry out my shower because it dries on its own by acclimating with the indoor environment.
At our flood house, we have ceramic tile installed over cement board over a plywood subfloor, and we never bother to dry the ceramic tile. After more than 100 floodings, we had a few cracked tiles from general settling of the floor, so we removed the tile and cement board.
Guess what?
No mold.
We have now flooded that same area more than 150 times with no issues.
We also save the kitchen base cabinet that has been flooded more than 150 times in a row with no issues, along with the hardwood flooring in the kitchen.
It is a very eye-opening experience that I call the WOW Moment for adjusters and technicians in the class.
Many students have only seen those materials removed on a regular basis when wet. They were often told that these materials must be removed because insulation in exterior walls was wet, tile will crack if not dried, or mold will grow under cement board and tile.
But our experience has shown otherwise many times.
Accuserve has positioned itself in this industry as an expert in water damage restoration. We promote the industry standard and focus on drying as many materials in place as possible, as quickly as possible.
The result is:
Of course, the restorer must have strong documentation to prove that all materials being dried were dried properly and left in a state that will inhibit microbial growth.
The industry as a whole has very poor drying records.
I teach restorers how to avoid allegations of incomplete drying, causing mold, or cross-contamination by following the standard and documenting much better.
Many instructors do not spend enough time teaching students how to take proper moisture content readings or how to record them properly in drying logs.
This includes how to create a detailed moisture map showing all moisture points where readings were taken, properly labeled, and supported with photos of all final moisture content readings.
As instructors, we owe our students instruction on more than how to pass the certification exam. We also need to teach them how to survive as professionals.
For restorers, that means understanding how to dry properly, document properly, and support their work.
For adjusters or TPA employees, that means knowing how to hold contractors accountable while protecting the policyholder.
Not all adjusters, contractors, or instructors are alike.
It is important not just to teach students enough to become certified in water damage restoration or applied structural drying. The goal should also be to set them up for success in the industry.
That means teaching them how to dry more materials, dry them quicker, and document the process better.
