Why Humidity Control is Essential After Water Damage

Floods can be a nightmare for any homeowner. Without warning, you're faced with wet carpets, furniture, and even walls. It can be easy to focus on all the problems you can see. Unfortunately, water damage also has an invisible, dangerous partner - humidity.

Even though you can't see it, humidity has a big influence on how your property can be restored. In fact, it is important to address humidity from the beginning of the restoration process. While your property it drying out, the standing water is evaporating into the indoor air, raising the relative humidity. To be successful in drying a property, you need to make sure that the excess moisture is pulled out of the air before it can cause more damage. Controlling humidity is the secret behind water damage restoration activity.

The Role of Humidity in Water Damage Restoration

When water gets into your house, relative humidity within the affected area balloons. It also leaves the air and seeps into porous building materials like wood and drywall. Even if you do not think to check, moisture loves to dwell in carpets and furniture, too. And here's the kicker: it's not always visible.

When humidity levels rise, the drying process slows down significantly. Since the air is saturated, it can't accept any more moisture evaporating. If not well handled, items that have soaked in water will take a long time to dry or may never dry at all. This not only slows down the restoration process but also causes a lot of secondary damage. Occasionally, these parts that take too long to dry will have to be replaced, which adds to the expense and time required.

Thus, controlling humidity is not merely a component of water damage remediation but the one that defines whether your building will ever return to normal or whether you will be dealing with consistent problems in the future.

Consequences of Not Controlling Humidity After Water Damage

Now, let's look at the scene that unfolds when humidity is not regulated after water damage occurs. Picture the air being laden with moisture, without doing anything to mitigate this. You might not even be aware of the problem. Perhaps you are starting to feel that all is well because the visible water is no more. However, there are signs that show up with time when humidity runs out of control.

Mold Growth: Mold grows best when it is moist and damp. Mold grows very fast and poses a health risk to all the inhabitants of the home, particularly to those with breathing difficulties resulting from allergies.
Rotting Wood: Wood is extremely sensitive to humidity. When it remains wet, it starts to decompose and lose its strength. Ceilings, walls, floors, and all wooden structures like beams, furniture, etc. can be affected.
Warps and Cracks: Humidity can cause materials like drywall and wood to warp, crack, or swell. This is bad for your walls, flooring, and other surfaces, potentially causing permanent deformation.
Odor Development: Even after the water has dried, you may still experience unpleasant odors. This musty smell will persist until the root cause - humidity - is properly dealt with.

Feet Up Carpet Cleaning of Towson has seen countless instances where improper humidity control led to extensive damage. This adds weeks to what should have been a quick recovery. This isn't a risk you want to take when time is of the essence.

Effective Humidity Control After Water Damage

How to Manage Humidity After Water Damage

Effective post-flood humidity control starts with not only eliminating the visible water but also addressing the moisture in the air and everything it has come into contact with. The first step is to remove as much water as possible from the affected area. Water can seep into areas you don't imagine, including behind walls and into furniture. After the visible water is removed, it's critical to control the humidity level.

This process requires high-powered fans and dehumidifiers. Fans help circulate the air to prevent moisture from settling, while dehumidifiers extract moisture from the air, reducing humidity levels. Monitoring humidity during restoration with tools like hygrometers is essential for ensuring proper drying.

When to Call a Professional for Humidity Control

Flooding is a drastic experience, and in most cases, homeowners are tempted to manage the process on their own. However, humidity control is not something that can be taken lightly. If you don't have the right equipment or experience, it's best to call a professional.

Significant Water Damage: If your home has been struck by a large flood or leak, DIY measures won't be enough to handle the humidity.
Lingering Odor or Dampness: If the air feels thick or there's a persistent damp smell, humidity is likely still a problem.
Health Concerns: If anyone in your household has respiratory issues or allergies, it's especially important to address humidity properly.

Take Action Now to Protect Your Home

Water damage should be dealt with as early as possible to avoid further damage. You must regulate the humidity in your home to ensure a full recovery without additional expenses. Feet Up Carpet Cleaning of Towson has the equipment, knowledge, and commitment to address water damage scenarios and restore your home to its original state.

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