San Diego Union-Tribune (Sunday)
DAMAGING DAMP
Minimize moisture threats in and around your home
As temperatures increase, so does the need for preventing a destructive intruder from infiltrating your home. However, we’re not talking about ants, termites, mice, or squirrels but moisture, which may do more damage than all of those critters combined.
The threat of moisture in the form of higher humidity and water accumulation often accompanies warmer weather in many parts of the country. That’s why right now is an important time of year to pay more attention to this potential problem. Ignoring or overlooking it can result in devastating financial consequences.
“Moisture is the most persistent and frequent enemy of your home’s structure. In warmer weather, humidity rises, which can cause the perfect environment for mold to take hold in your house,” warned Charles Leduc, chief operations officer for Mold Busters, a mold remediation service based in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
Once humidity climbs higher than 57 percent, “it reaches a point where it’s easy for mold to form,” said Joseph Scaduto, a f loor coating expert with Floor Shields in Boca Raton, Florida. “Often, this occurs in baseboards and air conditioning vents. When it happens in f loors, it can cause the f loors to deteriorate.”
According to Jamie Nichols, senior service center manager for Arrow Exterminators in Marietta, Georgia, excessive moisture in and around your home — including the
foundation — can lead to significant damage over time, including wood rot and decay, warped flooring, fungus spores, mildew and unhealthy air. Additionally, damp, dark areas are the perfect habitat for termite infestations.
“Excessive moisture can also damage electronics and exacerbate allergies and respiratory problems,” noted Tyler Forte, founder and CEO of Felix Holmes in Franklin, Tennessee.
Nichols adds that moisture problems in the home “can occur in areas with poor ventilation, such as a bathroom, crawlspace, kitchen and basement. Even bad or improperly working plumbing can lead to an increase in moisture. Moisture control is particularly difficult in older homes, where poor ventilation and aging windows and infrastructure, as well as other factors, can combine to create common moisture issues.”
Just because your home may not feel humid or damp doesn’t mean you don’t have a moisture hazard lurking. If you notice musty smells, mold, mildew, peeling paint and wallpaper, water stains on your wood or walls, swollen f loorboards, or windows and doors that don’t easily open, the culprit is likely excessive moisture.
Notice any of these red f lags? Don’t panic – instead, take action.
“Run dehumidifiers during the warmer months, and make certain they are powerful enough to service the spaces they are placed in,” Leduc suggested. “If you have a leaky pipe, contact a plumber. If there is structural damage from a leak or moisture problem, contact a carpenter or general contractor. And if you suspect mold problems, purchase a mold test kit and enlist a mold
remediation expert. Mold can spread quickly and lead to a very costly infestation that can compromise your entire house and your health, so take it seriously.”
Also, make sure any ceiling fans you have are set to rotate counterclockwise in warmer months, and install and use bathroom and kitchen ventilation fans to draw humid air out of these spaces.
To more thoroughly safeguard your home, extra measures may be necessary.
“Install automatic vents in your foundation that open and close on their own as temperatures fluctuate, providing an added level of protection from moisture damage and termite infestations and generating savings on energy costs,” Nichols said. “Additionally, be sure any gutters are free of clogs and debris that can trap moisture against your home and prevent proper drainage.”
In your crawlspace, invest in a moisture barrier that can be installed to ensure that wood moisture content levels remain below 20 percent. And evaluate if a crawlspace encapsulation is warranted, which would essentially seal your dirt floor by using a vapor barrier, insulating the walls, and sealing off all vents and outdoor openings.
“Up in your attic, meanwhile, ensure proper ventilation by checking that roof vents, gable vents and soffit vents are unobstructed by insulation, stored items or animal activity,” Nichols advised.
The pros recommend having your home inspected annually for moisture and ventilation problems.
“Most companies are happy to provide free home evaluations,” Nichols added. “Remember that finding potential issues and correcting them early is often more cost-effective than having to fix major problems that can arise down the road.”