Structural drying Chicago
Structural drying in Chicago means running air movers and dehumidifiers until moisture readings return to a documented dry standard. Drying is verified with a meter, not by touch, and insurers expect daily readings.
Why this is different here
Chicago has a hot-summer humid continental climate (Koppen Dfa) with four distinct seasons. That produces two separate seasons of work: winter freeze-thaw pipe failures, and humid-summer basement intrusion, which are different jobs with different drying problems.
What actually happens
- Winter: burst pipes after a hard freeze, often in unheated or exterior runs.
- Summer: humid conditions plus below-grade basements, where drying is slowest.
- Below-grade space is the recurring complication; water collects at the lowest point and stays.