Parkfest Blogging

You might have used a humidifier in your room or your child’s room during sickness at one time, but what exactly does a dehumidifier do and in what circumstances do you need to have one in your home?

Dehumidifiers are often used in damp areas of the home to keep the humidity down; this reduces the chances that mold will begin to grow in that area of the house. 

There are a few different kinds of dehumidifiers and if you are intending on purchasing one, them you might want to familiarize yourself with each kind and purchase one depending on your own situation.  These types include chemical absorbent dehumidifiers, dehumidifying ventilators, and heat pump dehumidifiers.

A heat pump dehumidifier extracts water from the air utilizing a heat pump.  This is somewhat similar to the pump that you find in an air conditioner.  The fan inside the dehumidifier brings the air inside the unit and a coil inside it is kept very cold so that the moisture in the air being drawn across it condenses.  This water drops into a bucket that fits into the bottom of it.  A second coil that is heated brings the cold air back up to room temperature and pushed back out into the home.  This is the most efficient type of dehumidifier for use in private residences. 

The type that works the best in warm climates is the chemical absorbent type.  This kind of dehumidifier uses a desiccant (a drying chemical) to absorb the water from the air that is pulled inside the humidifier by a fan.  It is also expensive to operate and so this kind of dehumidifier is much more efficient for large business buildings and industry complexes.  Homeowners should not purchase one of these.

A dehumidifying ventilator has what is called a sensor controller and what most other humidifiers have, an exhaust fan.  What the sensor controller does is turn the unit on when the humidity in the home or office building reaches a certain level.  These are not very efficient in homes that are located in humid environments because they bring air from outside the house to the inside.  These are most often used in basements and cellars.  Unfortunately, these can also depressurize whatever room they are located in and this can cause the spilling of gas.  Any gas furnaces near by should be properly vented.

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One of the worst things that can happen to someone who’s building a brand new home is discovering after the construction is completed that mold has been growing within his new haven.  It is indeed a problem and it might be more common than you would think.  

Mold can and does get built into new homes and a lot of the time, it’s the fault of the contractor for not properly inspecting or storing his building materials and by allowing the site to get wet from rain before the roof and walls are completed.  Sometimes what is supposed to be the interior of the home is left uncovered and when it rains, the building materials get soaked and are allowed to dry this way.  In warm, humid weather, this can allow mold to get a grip on the structure and begin to grow.  You’ll not only have the possibility of mold, but you’ll also put your home at risk of water damage.  Covering the building site with tarps or plastic sheeting should keep the rain, snow, (and the mold) out. 

You should make sure that the contractor and his/her workers are using good quality materials to build your new home with.  Testing the building materials for mold is one thing that you can do to make certain that it stays out of your home’s foundation.  If you go to the building site and you see building materials like wood and sheetrock being stored directly on the ground, tell your contractor that they need to be raised up to aid in the prevention of mold growth.  Your contractor should already know this, but irresponsible ones or those that are trying to make the process as easy as possible are the ones that you should worry about.  Check your contractor’s references and make sure they’ve done a good job for others in the past. 

The home should also be periodically checked for mold as it’s being built and after the building is completed.  No one wants to go to the trouble of building a home that will be worth quite a lot of money if it’s only going to have to be gutted to remove mold a few months later, right?

If you’re careful and you keep an eye on your home’s construction, you can prevent most kinds of mold and water damage.  If you’re not, you’re asking for quite a headache and the loss of a lot of funds.

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