Restoration Equipment Rentals in Hobe Sound, FL

Commercial equipment for Hobe Sound drying projects

HBS coordinates rental requests for Hobe Sound and southern Martin County properties, including homes and jobsites in and around the Hobe Sound CRA.

Describe the project before equipment is assigned

Tell HBS what happened, which rooms or work areas are affected, the requested dates and whether equipment is already running. Add the exact address and gate or access details so fulfillment can be confirmed. Rental categories include commercial dehumidifiers, industrial air movers and portable or large-capacity HEPA filtration.

Homes that sit empty part of the year

Of Hobe Sound's roughly 7,700 homes, about 1,000 are held for seasonal or occasional use, according to Census Bureau survey estimates for 2020 to 2024. On Jupiter Island the share is closer to 36 percent, and the town itself counts a permanent population of about 820 and a seasonal population of nearly 2,000.

In a closed-up house, a slow leak, a failed water heater or an air conditioner that stops running can go unnoticed for weeks. By the time someone checks, moisture may have spread into walls, cabinets and flooring, and the indoor humidity is high.

A leak that may have sat for more than 48 hours is not a do-it-yourself drying job. Clean water that sits for days can become contaminated, and FEMA and CDC mold cleanup guidance says to assume mold has grown in anything not dried within 24 to 48 hours and not to run fans once it has.

So if the leak may be older than that, or you see mold growing or smell it anywhere in the house, do not run air movers; have the home checked by an appropriate experienced professional first. The EPA recommends professional help for mold covering more than about 10 square feet.

If you know the leak started within the last 48 hours and you see or smell no mold:

• Start with a moisture meter and hygrometer to see how far the moisture reaches and how humid the house is.
• Bring indoor humidity down with one or more commercial dehumidifiers while the air conditioning is repaired.
• Add air movers angled across the wet walls and floors, and a HEPA air scrubber if cleanup will stir up dust.

If you have to leave again before the house is dry, plan around the 1-week or 4-week rental periods and name a local contact who can check the equipment. HBS also offers daily moisture monitoring with drying logs as an add-on to a professional moisture assessment.

Manufactured homes in Hobe Sound

About 28 percent of Hobe Sound's homes are mobile homes, the highest share of the six communities on this site. Their floors are built differently from a house on a slab: below the subfloor, a bottom board, often called the belly, encloses insulation and ductwork.

The FEMA damage guidelines published by the Florida Division of Emergency Management rate floodwater that reaches a manufactured home's floor system, including belly insulation, ductwork and subflooring, as major damage needing extensive repair.

• After a plumbing leak inside, check under the skirting. A sagging or dripping bottom board means water got into the belly, and room fans will not dry it.
• Have wet belly insulation opened up and replaced by someone who works on manufactured homes; then use the moisture meter along the floor to confirm the subfloor is drying.
• Inside, one commercial LGR dehumidifier and the small 1/2 HP air movers often fit the rooms better than a large setup.

Heavy rain and flooding in Hobe Sound

Hobe Sound sits on the Indian River Lagoon, which splits the Hobe Sound National Wildlife Refuge into a Jupiter Island tract and a mainland tract. The National Weather Service documented peak rain totals of 11 to 13 inches at two Hobe Sound gauges on June 2 and 3, 2020.

Two days later, more rain on saturated ground sent floodwater into several homes, mainly in Hobe Heights, and left numerous Hobe Sound roads impassable. The Weather Service's summary of Hurricane Wilma in 2005 lists a 90-knot gust at Hobe Sound.

Water that rose from the ground or came across the yard is not a rental job. Floodwater cleanup is outside what HBS offers, so bring in an appropriate experienced professional. Martin County's flood zone map shows whether a Hobe Sound address sits in a mapped flood area.

Common questions

Do you serve Jupiter Island and gated communities?

Send the exact address and any gate or access instructions with your request. HBS confirms delivery or pickup for each property before anything is reserved.

Can I rent HEPA air scrubbers for a renovation in Hobe Sound?

Yes. HEPA air purifiers and air scrubbers help control airborne dust during renovation and cleanup. HBS confirms the right unit for the space you describe.

I am away for part of the year. Can drying equipment run while I am gone?

Name a local contact who can check the equipment and reach HBS, and plan around the 1-week or 4-week rental periods. If you want readings taken for you, HBS offers daily moisture monitoring with drying logs as an add-on to a professional moisture assessment; both are listed with the rental rates.

Will air movers dry under a manufactured home?

No. Water that reaches the bottom board, or belly, under a manufactured home soaks the insulation and ductwork there, and room fans do not reach it. Have the wet belly insulation opened up and replaced by someone who works on manufactured homes, then use a moisture meter along the floor to confirm the subfloor is drying.