Storms Wreak Havoc in Ipswich, MA

1/24/2018 (Permalink)

After a few back-to-back storms blew through Eastern, MA., several residents and businesses found themselves with frozen and/or burst pipes. 

Such was the case at a historic school building, repurposed to a community arts  center when a pipe burst, allowing 15-20 thousand+ gallons of water to rush through the halls and classrooms.

Since this is an historic structure, tearing down walls was not an option. A delicately balanced process referred to as "dry in place" was employed. This is when dozens of high capacity fans, desiccant dehumidifiers and two, 1-million BTU incandescent heaters blowing 200º were staged throughout the building, circulating dry, warm air.

According to Pat Lavigne, owner of SERVPRO of Danvers/Ipswich, this process requires a balance of the moist air being extracted while the fans continually blow at high pressure to break the vapor barrier so the moisture wicks.

This process also helps reduce the risk of damage to the artwork. Many old buildings needs special care, when a crisis hits, in order to maintain the integrity of the structure. Lucky for this local building, we had a plan!