Drying science has advanced to the point where nearly any material item in a structure can be dried. Since everything can be dried, the critical question in restorative drying is: "Should it be dried?"

When determining if a wet material or item should be dried, restorers consider three factors:

• Contamination. This must always be the first consideration. Porous items that are affected by Category 3 water, for example, must be removed.
• Damage. If a material or item is damaged beyond economical repair, it is removed from the structure.
• Cost. It must cost less to dry an item than to replace it.

Restorers use the information obtained during evaluation of materials to help select the best drying method for the job. Generally, there are two primary approaches to promote drying affected structures:

• Disruptive drying methods involve removing wet items, injecting air to speed drying, or perforating surfaces to allow water to evaporate. Use disruptive methods when contamination, damage, cost or customer concerns require removal or manipulation of the affected material.
• Aggressive or "in place" drying methods involve leaving wet items in the structure and drying them in place using warm, dry, direct airflow. Use aggressive methods when contamination and damage are not concerns, and when it is cost effective to dry an item instead of replacing it.

Both methods (disruptive and aggressive) are viable ways to reach the desired goal: returning a structure to pre-loss condition. In nearly every structural drying project, both methods are used. The following are common ways both methods are typically employed:

• Remove wet underlay (pad, cushion), but dry carpets.
• Remove baseboards, but dry wallboard.
• Remove vinyl flooring, but dry wet underlayment.