Flood and Fire Damage
Restoration with Ozone
Flood waters filling basements and higher floors will soak walls, support
beams and especially the basement concrete ground support walls and
basement floors. These are usually not sealed from the inside. To make
matters worse, these waters likely contain raw sewage and result in severe
contamination of the structure.
The usual restoration methods of drywall removal, pressure washing and
drying out of the building may or may not work. Even the most perfect
bone-drying process does not kill the pathogens. Pathogens protect
themselves with a hard shell called a spore, in which they wait for the
next opportunity to flourish. Basements are usually damp to begin with,
and a proper permanent drying process may be nearly impossible. As soon as
normal relative humidity is re-established, the pathogen micro-organisms
start to flourish, and people get sick. Even after going through all the
emotional struggles dealing with the flooding, the whole building may
sometimes be condemned and destroyed. The economical and emotional trauma
Fortunately, there is a solution available through ozone disinfection.
Ozone is a triatomic form of oxygen. It disintegrates spontaneously into
regular diatomic oxygen — certainly the least toxic gas known. In its
triatomic formation, oxygen is about 3500 times stronger as a disinfectant
than diatomic oxygen and leaves no toxic residuals. Ozone is made from
extremely dry oxygen having a dew point well below -88°C (-100°F). This
low dew point also adds to the drying process.
Ozone is the perfect solution for flood damage restoration because it has
the ability to penetrate deep into the treated building. The ozone unit
produces very powerful and highly concentrated ozone. While normally we
measure ozone levels using increments of 0.01 mg/L in the air, M20G
produces up to 20,000 mg/h of ozone in its purest form from its own source
of pure oxygen.
The M20G is portable, easy to handle by one person, and requires standard
line voltage to operate (only 5A at 120V). Normal humidity in the air is
measured between 60 to 100% R.H. — the M20G supplies dry ozone well below
Smaller air treatment ozone generators make ozone by using ambient air.
Ozone for flood restoration services must be made from extremely dry
oxygen to be acceptable and must produce extremely high concentrations to
be effective. ECO-TEC meets these requirements with a variety of systems
producing the highest possible concentrations of ozone.
The application of
treatment is simple:
After all damaged walls and insulation is removed, the affected areas
pressure-washed and dried, the ozonation process may start. All external
windows closed and all internal doors open to connect the rooms to be
treated so that ozone can flow freely.
Install a minimum 500-CFM fan anywhere inside to establish the air
movement required for the proper distribution of the ozone. Any common
portable fan will do.
Place the M20G outside the treated room or building, preferably in a dry,
dust free environment without the possibility of ozone exposure. It could
be in a dry, upper floor of the house or inside a van. Do not leave the
machine in the treated rooms — ozone levels will be too strong and
destructive to the ozone generator (as prescribed in the instruction
Set the timer for approximately 1 hour for each 1000 square feet of floor
space. For example, if the floor size of the treated space is 3,000 square
feet — 3000/1000 = 3h — thus the timer would be set for 3 hours. Remove
all rubber and other corrodible valuables from the treatment space.
Place the tubing from the M20G under the door, aiming towards the fan
inside. During treatment, secure the doors to prevent entry and post a "DO
NOT ENTER" sign — then START the ozone machine. Within 20 seconds ozone
will be pumping into the house at full concentration. Large gaps under the
doors should be sealed with a masking tape.
The timer will automatically stop the ozone generator. When the process is
complete, pull out the tubing but do not open the door. Let the ozone sit
inside for another 24 hours. This time span is required for the ozone to
penetrate deep into the concrete, wood, ceilings, and other affected
areas. Unused ozone will slowly convert back from its triatomic form to
its diatomic form (oxygen) at the rate of 50% about every 17 hours. This
is why ozone is most active for the first 24 hours.
Once this first cycle is completed, enter the area with a carbon mask and
open all the windows and doors for quick ventilation. If the concrete is
extremely soaked and you notice the moisture is returning, an intensive
air drying cycle could be repeated followed by another ozonation cycle as
the final shot.
The M20G Ozone generator is portable and easy to utilize single-handedly.
Much larger ozone units are available for industrial applications and
suitable for permanent installation into a van. For larger systems, we
will size and engineer an ozone generation system most suitable for your
restoration services. The advantage of the M20G is that one unit can be
left at every business or house throughout the flooded area, and it can be
easily transported from house to business to shed.