Water Damage - what equipment do you use?

[Scott S.]

I'm looking into getting into small water damage jobs, just the drying part,
what equipment do you use?
what products do you use?
what things do you do for the customer to make it easier on them?

Im looking at buying a couple large dehumidifiers to start with, just bought a revolution dehumidifier from pembertons along with some measurement tools.

looking at doing an advanced drying course this fall then get started.

 

[Desk Jockey]

Drieaz but I know many guys that buy Phoenix and love them. Other like the B-Air line.
I have found for us it works best to buy the best and you get the best value. I'd suggest doing the same, buy the best you can afford, not the cheapest.

Buy just enough to process a couple of jobs and as you start getting them reinvest some of the money, building up your drying fleet.

Training is a great idea. You're lucky having the Pemberton's there for you. They will walk you though the process and be there to assist you when needed.

Here is a list of items to consider for WDR:

Hydrosensor & Moisture meters. Intrusive & Non Destructive

Briefcase- Additional paperwork, camera, flashlight, hygrometer

Harbor Freight aluminum cases the look very professional for $23.00 http://www.harborfreight.com/18-x-13-x-6-aluminum-case-69315.html

PPE Bag –Each tech “On Call” has their personal bags that week The bag could include: Tyveks Suits, Bump Hat, Ear Plugs, Safety glasses, Goggles, Full Face Respirator , Half Face Respirator , P-100 Organic Vapor/Acid gas, N-95 disposable Respirator, Dust Mask, Box Nitrile Gloves, Leather Gloves , Band-Aids, Hand Cleaner packets, Alcohol Wipes for Cleaning PPE, Zip lock baggies (respirators, open cartridges), 3-M tape (tape wrists, tears in tyvek)

Extraction Tools –Carpet Wand, Stair Tool, Vacuum Claw or ride on extractor like the Rover or Xtreme Xtractor

Floor Squeegee Vacuum tool

Floor Squeegee pole & blade

Hard Surface Wand w/brush

Pressure Washing Gun

Rubber Boots

Ladder

6-Mil Trash Bags

6-Mil Sheeting

3-M Tape

Tool Box

Large plastic Scoop Shovel

Big Mutt Floor Scraper

Extension Cords

Extension Cord Three way Splitters

Bag of Blocks & Sticky tabs

Latex Gloves

Shoe Covers

Door Guard

Floor mat

MultiSprayer

Antimicrobial

Biocide

Tool Box-Hammer, stair tool, door tool, Awl, knee kicker, staple gun, staples, carpet knife, large scissors, pry bar, nail puller, nail tap, baseboard putty

(12) Airmovers Sahara X3 or equivalent, Enough to do 2-small jobs or 1-medium size loss.

(3) Dehumidifiers Drieaz Evolution or Phoenix 175

 

[Scott S.]

my revolution is on its way, ill probably buy a 7000i next. Jim Pemberton is and has been a huge help with it comes to my endless questions on a wide variety of subjects. I've been buying from him from the beginning of my professional career as a carpet cleaner.

 

[Scott S.]

Drieaz but I know many guys that buy Phoenix and love them. Other like the B-Air line.
I have found for us it works best to buy the best and you get the best value. I'd suggest doing the same, buy the best you can afford, not the cheapest.
Buy just enough to process a couple of jobs and as you start getting them reinvest some of the money, building up your drying fleet.
Training is a great idea. You're lucky having the Pemberton's there for you. They will walk you though the process and be there to assist you when needed.
Here is a list of items to consider for WDR:
Hydrosensor & Moisture meters. Intrusive & Non Destructive
Briefcase- Additional paperwork, camera, flashlight, hygrometer
Harbor Freight alminum cases the look very professional for $23.00 http://www.harborfreight.com/18-x-13-x-6-aluminum-case-69315.html
PPE Bag –Each tech “On Call” has their personal bags that week The bag could include: Tyveks Suits, Bump Hat, Ear Plugs, Safety glasses, Goggles, Full Face Respirator , Half Face Respirator , P-100 Organic Vapor/Acid gas, N-95 disposable Respirator, Dust Mask, Box Nitrile Gloves, Leather Gloves , Band-Aids, Hand Cleaner packets, Alcohol Wipes for Cleaning PPE, Zip lock baggies (respirators, open cartridges), 3-M tape (tape wrists, tears in
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Tool Box-Hammer, stair tool, door tool, Awl, knee kicker, staple gun, staples, carpet knife, large scissors, pry bar, nail puller, nail tap, baseboard putty
(12) Airmovers Sahara X3 or equivalent, Enough to do 2-small jobs or 1-medium size loss.
(3) Dehumidifiers Drieaz Evolution or Phoenix 175

are you doing sewage water losses also?

i think ill just start out with catagory 1 and 2 losses. and be selective on the 2's.

 

[Desk Jockey]

are you doing sewage water losses also?

Yes. We do anything they will pay us for.

Year to date WDR is 41.32% of sales and sewage only 3.73%
It doesn't happen as frequently but it will happen. Sewage are usually bigger tickets, a lot more physical work and less drying oriented. Clean water is easier and happened more frequently.

 

[Scott S.]

how do you get into doing insurance jobs?

 

[Scott S.]

Desk, are you doing the remodeling also or are you hiring out for that?

 

[Desk Jockey]

how do you get into doing insurance jobs?

I'd suggest marketing your clientele first. Everyone tries to get insurance work, where your clients already know you and trust you.

 

[Desk Jockey]

Desk, are you doing the remodeling also or are you hiring out for that?

Neither. We are mitigation only. Extract, dry & clean...bill them.

 

[kmdineen]

I am a big believer in heat drying and use the E TES often. I can dry regular jobs faster and difficult jobs that I may not be able to dry with air movers and dehumidifiers in a reasonable amount of time. They cost about as much as a large LGR dehumidifier.

You being inPennsylvania may want to consider buying an ELE or ETES to get hot dry air to cold wet areas.

An Injectidry with vacuum mats will allow you to dry wood floors and pay for its self quickly.

 

[Scott S.]

yeah as i add more equipment i already discussed and e tes with jim pemberton. it gets brutally cold here and would help alot. how do you explain to the customer about their super high electric bill from the e tes?

 

[Desk Jockey]

how do you explain to the customer about their super high electric bill from the e tes?

You can tell them heat dries faster so while it may initially look like more, conventional drying is slower and would cost more in the end.

Although electricity consumption rarely comes up.

 

[kmdineen]

Scott, Richard makes a good point; the etes cost approximately $18 to $20 per day to run. I will give my customers a (cost of electricity to dry their home) statement if they tell me what their kilowatt rate is. This should be on their electric bill. The insurance companies will reimburse them for this expense and customers appreciate it.

Amps x volts x 24hrs / 1000 watts x cost per kw = cost of equipment operation per day.

Example: 4.7 amps x 115 volts x 24hrs = 12,972 / 1000 watts = (12.972) 13kw x 10 cents = $1.30/day

 

[Desk Jockey]

Here Scott start with your clients.


How do I get the work? WDR Marketing

Unlike carpet cleaning where your marketing can translate into direct responses, clients for water damage don’t know they need you until the need arises.

Triggered events stimulate the need (pipe breaks, washer hose burst, toilet overflows) BUT who will they chose when the need arises? They will choose those they are familiar with and that should be you! Your data base of clients is a gold mine of potential work.

These people have trusted you with the care of their home furnishing, they know you and will trust you vs a stranger to dry their home. You’re the logical choice.

So how do I get them to call me? You must tell them, over and over again. Include it on every piece of material that contacts them. Leave and emergency magnet with you emergency contact info. Mention it on you website, social media, mention it frequently on your facebook page, include a picture, put it on your business card (use the back for an emergency message.

It’s all about planting seeds, you need to constantly remind them so when the day comes that an emergency finally does arise, you are the one that they remember.

Pick & Choose

You don’t have to go at this full bore if you don’t want to be in the WDR business. You can pick and choose. I would suggest you have the training and enough equipment to take care of a job or two at a time. Why? Because your customer is going to have an issue at some point in time. Why not be the one to come to the rescue rather than pass that off to a competitor that might steal your customer.

 

[Nate The Great]

Scott, Richard makes a good point; the etes cost approximately $18 to $20 per day to run. I will give my customers a (cost of electricity to dry their home) statement if they tell me what their kilowatt rate is. This should be on their electric bill. The insurance companies will reimburse them for this expense and customers appreciate it.

Amps x volts x 24hrs / 1000 watts x cost per kw = cost of equipment operation per day.

Example: 4.7 amps x 115 volts x 24hrs = 12,972 / 1000 watts = (12.972) 13kw x 10 cents = $1.30/day

Over the years, I've always enjoyed reading your posts..... Very informative!