Water damage from leaking pipes and
floods cause a lot of damage to every part of your building. Allowing moisture
to remain in the building leads to even more complications, including health
problems and expensive repairs. If you would like to know more about the
dangers of moisture inside your business, keep reading.
1. Mold and Mildew
Mold and mildew are fungi, and
mildew is basically a mild mold. Both need four conditions to grow: air, water,
food and a comfortable temperature (41 to 104 degrees Fahrenheit). Mildew often has an unpleasant
odor and looks greyish and powdery.
Other forms of mold are more
invasive. They may have a strong, musty odor, and a lot of mold looks fuzzy.
Mold can look red, black, brown or green. Mold spores may cause breathing
complications, skin itching, eye itching, etc., and toxic black mold can cause
more serious long-term complications.
2. Indoor Air Pollutants
Thanks to humidity in the air, air
pollutants are also more prevalent in a business with too much moisture. The
irritants stick to these moisture particles, staying in the air for longer
periods of time. This can impact employees with allergies or breathing
complications, making them call in sick more often.
Common air pollutants include
pollen, pet dander, carbon monoxide, radon, secondhand smoke, volatile organic
compounds, and asbestos. You can reduce some of these naturally, such as
secondhand smoke, but many are going to get into the air whether you like it or
not.
3. Rot and Decay
Water may be necessary for life, but
it is also destructive, especially when exposed to porous materials like wood
and carpet. Wood, in particular, is susceptible to moisture because it expands
when exposed to water. This can cause flooring and furniture to crack or become
stuck. Drywall exposed to moisture may also become soft or brittle.
Moisture under carpets can even
cause the carpet to start rotting, regardless of the material. If left exposed,
the carpet develops dry rot, which causes it to become stiff, and when bent or
rolled, the underside of the carpet may crack. For this reason, you must dry
any moist rugs or carpets ASAP.
4. Pest Invasion
Mold isn't the only thing that likes
water; pests do too. Specific pests that are attracted to moisture include
cockroaches, silverfish, centipedes, and earwigs. Cockroaches, in particular,
can be problematic because they may spread disease. All pests leave behind
waste, which may also cause irritation if it gets into your breathing air.
If you also have wood rot from too
much moisture, it can further attract pests like termites. Termites burrow into
wood, and rotting wood is easy to dig into. Plus, the rot lets the pests know
there is also water present.
5. Heat Exhaustion
Finally, too much moisture can
actually cause you or your employees to overheat. Normally, when you get hot,
your body sweats. When the sweat evaporates, it cools you. If there is too much
moisture in the air, however, the sweat doesn't dry fast enough. Therefore, the
sweat and moisture stays on your skin for a longer period of time, which makes
you hotter.
In fact, if it is 96 degrees Fahrenheit outside with a humidity level of 65
percent. Your body actually feels like it is closer to 121 degrees Fahrenheit.
If you do get too hot because of humidity, you may experience dehydration,
fatigue, muscle cramps, and fainting.
Flood damage can be detrimental, but even a
little water can lead to expensive complications. Don't let moisture destroy your
business and affect the health of you and your employees. If you need help
after a flood or with too much moisture in your home,
contact us at C and Z Construction today.
