Technical Innovation

Our services extend well beyond dealing with fires and floods to a host of technical and specialist cleaning services including.

Ultrasonic Cleaning
Drying Equipment, Injection, Target & Rapid Drying
High Access Restoration

Ultrasonic Cleaning

Ultrasonic Cleaning is one of the most advanced and effective cleaning systems available. The systems will clean almost any type of material highly efficiently and is safe to use with no or little chemicals involved. High frequency sound waves agitate contamination away from every part of the item. Once dried the item is clean and ready to work as it did before the water, fire or dirt contamination occurred.

Ultrasonics will clean & restore computers/ TV's, sports equipment, window blinds, small white goods, wheelchairs, jewellery, glass & porcelain, metal tools, CD players, silverware, toys, kitchen utensils & appliances, light fixtures/chandeliers to name but a few.

Drying Equipment, Injection, Target & Rapid Drying

Since 2011 a myriad of methodologies and equipment have emerged and become available to dry buildings more quickly, efficiently and reduce strip out work wherever possible.

Technical drying methods such as Rapid, Injection and Targeted drying now sit alongside more traditional methods and the DR&R technician's training and expertise combined with building construction and drying goal needs will determine the bespoke & optimum method needed for a Flood or Escape of water situation.

What's important is that ISS Restoration have and continue to invest in the skills and equipment to deploy all such technologies, to provide the optimum drying time, cost and solution. Some of the new solutions are explained in more detail below.


Modern (A4ESX) Drying Equipment

ISS were the first company to invest and secure volumes of these latest desiccant driers for the UK DR&R market in 2015 and has continued its investment since, including the complimentary remote monitoring and control technology processes.

These modern dryers 'pack a punch' with desiccant (low humidity) technology, twin heaters, efficient electrical usage and the capability to do the same job as multiple pieces of more traditional equipment. Also with compact size, quiet modes and efficiency that reduces drying days they provide a massively enhanced customer experience for policyholders remaining in a property.

The case study below highlights the benefits of costs and drying times typical of these latest units.

A4 drying at Suffolk Recruitment

Target Drying

Target drying utilises tenting and mats to direct and focus the drying effort specifically where it's needed, post moisture profiling. Drying whole rooms only partly effected is inefficient. For example a horizontal escape of water may result in a wet concrete slab but only minimal impact on walls and ceilings. Therefore reducing the volume of the area where the drying equipment is focused by tenting off just above the floor (as pictured) ensures a much more effective, efficient and quicker drying solution. Even in wider spread water incidents the main bulk of equipment can be reduced as the bulk of the property is dry and remaining equipment 'targeted' on area's that may just need a little extra focus to finish the task.

Injection drying

The drying process is accelerated by introducing a flow of dry air directly into wet cavities behind walls, floors, ceilings or any other areas where moisture is trapped and inaccessible.

During Injection Drying, holes are drilled to enable pipes to target dry air into wet cavities, collecting moisture & venting it out of the construction, then dry air is forced down into the building construction via a hose system connected to pre drilled holes.

Rapid Drying (also known as Speed or Convection drying)

Rapid drying has potential to vastly reduce drying times of properties and therefore claim cycle and cost.

A Rapid Drying System (RDS) is any piece of drying equipment that works on the following principal. A system that draws in air, dry's and/or heats it (which increases the moisture content each cubic meter of air can hold) and injects it into a building to be dried. The building is therefore both heated and pressurised. The hot air chamber created within the building absorbs moisture like a sponge from the wet building structure and moisture is drawn from materials. The water saturated air is then removed from the building by a method of venting to the outside. Air movers or heat exchangers circulate a large volume airflow throughout the building. Heat is normally generated by a fuel such as diesel or gas so electrical supply requirements are low. Equipment utilising this principle can vary in size from trailer mounted to portable units.

Rapid drying diagram courtesy of Dryair

ISS's 6 Rapid Drying Systems consists of a diesel fuelled, trailer mounted boiler which heats a glycol and water solution between 60°C and 92°C and pumps it to up to 10, 30 or 60KW heat exchangers strategically positioned within the property. Each system has two heating loops, which can be 150m long. Therefore if multiple smaller properties in close vicinity are affected, one trailer can dry multiple properties with each property having between 2 and 5 heat exchangers within. This approach makes RDS an even more cost effective drying solution with its costs split over multiple properties/claims. Also with a lift of 40m multiple storey properties such as flats can be dried.


There are four main reasons why RDS can save time and money:

1. Significantly reduced drying times : Drying times are reduced from weeks to days. In our experience drying times can been reduced by about 70% compared to using traditional drying methods.
2. Reduced stripping out. The need to 'strip out' is often reduced when using RDS, especially the sooner it is applied to the property.
3. Controlled (in and out) drying. RDS drying is a short and tightly controlled method. The property must be vacated and therefore equipment is not switched off. Diesel fuelled the system does not rely on the capacity of the property's electrical supply (often a limiting factor) and skilled technicians monitor drying progress daily for optimum performance and progress.
4. Claim Cost savings: Reducing drying time has huge capability to translate into significant overall claim cost savings in terms of drying costs, business interruption, loss of rent and alternative accommodation.

Rapid drying has huge potential to save money on drying projects and claims however will not always be the 'right tool' for the job.

The cost and investment in RDS systems is high and therefore hire and running costs of a system are higher too, this can make RDS prohibitive in terms of sums insured. There are practical reasons too. Properties must be vacated due to the heat involved which is not always desirable or practical and the impact of rapid drying on building materials must be considered. Some buildings need to be dried more sensitively and slowly for optimum results or a combination of RDS and traditional methods used. The application of the system by trained restoration professionals is vitally important to a project's success; this equipment can damage properties if applied incorrectly. Physical or practical limitations can also sometimes apply, building design, layout and security are some examples.

In summary, the Insurer, Loss Adjuster, Surveyor and DR company should always consider the benefits of RDS when scoping a project. A good DR company should give instructing principles options and costs for RDS and of alternative drying methods when assessing a loss, so the wider team can make an informed decision.

High Access Restoration

Internal high level or external cleaning of building fabric, fascia, cladding/masonry and windows. ISS staff are trained to the correct & highest (IPAF or PASMA) industry standards, supplied with the best high access equipment and fully compliant with the latest Health and Safety regulations for working at height. A variety of high level access equipment can be used to suit the building height, access and floor load bearing. Powered access solutions are often more flexible and less costly than scaffolding and work can often be completed around business operations.