Serving Alameda
Structural Drying & Dehumidification in Alameda, CA
Commercial dehumidifiers and air movers remove moisture from the structure, with daily readings logged from the material itself for claim documentation. Structural drying brings building materials back to a documented dry standard using air movers and dehumidifiers rather than surface evaporation alone. Moisture readings are logged through the process so the substrate, not just the surface, is confirmed dry before anything is rebuilt.
Frequently asked questions
Which half of the island is this on?
It is the question worth answering first, because the two behave nothing alike. The original ground is firmer, higher and older; the filled portion was placed into shallow water and has been settling ever since. Foundation movement, how close the water sits and what a below-grade space will do all follow from that. City and geological mapping distinguishes them clearly.
The building has settled and it keeps settling.
On filled ground that is expected rather than alarming, though it should be measured rather than judged by eye. Fill consolidates for many decades and it does so unevenly, so one part of a structure drops relative to another. The water consequence is that drains and waste lines crack at their joints as it moves. Repeated failures in the same run usually have movement behind them.
Water appears in the crawl space with no rain.
On an island the level underfoot is held up by the water all around it, so a crawl close to that level takes water on the tide rather than on the weather. It is why the wet appears on a rhythm that has nothing to do with storms. Gutters and grading do not touch it. A sealed ground barrier with a pit and a pump beneath is the arrangement that works.
This FAQ belongs to the Alameda page; it is repeated here.