Protect Your Property from Mold | Building Moisture Control

UPDATED: December 15, 2021

The Negative Effect of Excess Moisture Trapped Indoors

As the demand for multifamily housing steadily grows, construction and building regulations have become tighter in an effort to create sustainable and energy-efficient housing. The article, Mold Susceptibility of Rapidly Renewable Materials Used in Wall Construction, explains that “tighter building construction practices save energy, they also can create an environment of stagnant air that is highly hospitable to mold.”¹ As an architect, engineer, developer, or general contractor, you understand the importance of removing moisture generated indoors. According to Kathleen Parrot, Ph.D. “a well-planned home can reduce the chance of water problems, and thus mold problems. Attention to detail in planning the building site, foundation, construction techniques, mechanical systems, and choice of materials reduces the risk of water and mold problems.”²

Removing moisture trapped indoors is essential to help protect your property from the costs associated with high indoor humidity. As an architect, engineer, developer, or general contractor it is important to anticipate moisture issues before they occur. Introducing a dehumidification system in the initial stages of property development can help avoid the potential costs and headaches associated with high humidity. The wall-mounted IW-25 Dehumidifier will help reduce indoor humidity levels year-round with a tamper-proof lock-out cover. The ENERGY STAR® certified IW25-4 is the best dehumidifier for apartments. It can be easily set to a desired relative humidity to condense and remove moisture trapped indoors. Lowering indoor relative humidity can help protect your property against:

Structural Damage: David Jones’ article explains how “mold causes property damage” that can affect the structural integrity of a building, commonly referred to as “Building Cancer”³. In reference to the EPA “molds are organisms that may be found indoors and outdoors. They are part of the natural environment and play an important role in the environment by breaking down and digesting organic material, such as dead leaves.”⁴ Although a serious issue if found growing indoors, damages caused by moisture are manageable if addressed properly and in a timely manner.

Timely Litigation: According to the International Risk Management Institute, “over the past decade, the frequency of mold litigation has skyrocketed.”⁵ Moisture trapped indoors can cause complicated and time-consuming lawsuits, involving a range of issues including medical, structural, and related losses. The most common threat of liability includes negligence and failure to disclose. The ultimate goal of litigation is to determine the party responsible for damages from construction defects, faulty materials, poor design, or the previous owner’s failure to disclose known problems.

Stressful Remediation/Cleanup: Remediation is the process of finding and eliminating mold within a property while preventing it from spreading. The Insurance Information Institutes article Protecting your home from mold states “mold is a home maintenance issue and these are generally not covered by standard insurance policies”⁶and removal can be costly. Mold remediation costs can vary from $500 to $6,000 and even upwards depending on the severity and spread of the mold. “Remediation, or the task of eliminating a mold problem, in your building will require an arsenal of methods: an understanding of mold and its hazards, identification procedures, scrupulous planning and ongoing preventative measures,”⁷ as explained in the Journal of Property Management.

Health Hazards: Richard F. Progovitz states, “molds spores are everywhere”.⁸ “Mold can cause many health effects. For some people, mold can cause a stuffy nose, sore, throat, coughing or wheezing, burning eyes, or skin rash. People with asthma or who are allergic to mold may have severe reactions”,⁹ according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Allergic reactions are the most common side effect and can lead to asthma attacks in certain individuals. Unfortunately, many symptoms are easily overlooked due to their likeness to other illnesses.

Humidity Management is all about Moisture Removal

Avoid the headaches and hassles caused by high indoor humidity with the IW25-4 fixed dehumidifier. Designed and engineered specifically for multi-family housing, by Brian Smith, the owner of Innovative Dehumidifier Systems. Brain Smith is a developer and general contractor working in the multi-family industry, for years he searched for the best dehumidifier for apartments, that would not only remove moisture trapped indoors but required no effort from tenants. His goal was to combat the moisture issues that were leading to high humidity indoors, occurring in his own apartment developments. After years of research and testing, Innovative Dehumidifiers Systems was created to remove moisture generated by tenants, lower indoor humidity, and protect properties from mold.

The ENERGY STAR® certified IW25-4 dehumidifier provides hands-free moisture removal to condense and remove moisture in the air, independently of HVAC systems. Even though the IW-25-4 offers hands-free moisture removal, our team is always available with hands-on customer service. The IDS team works to build partnerships to help protect properties against the issues associated with high humidity indoors. As the pioneers of IN Wall/ On Wall Dehumidifiers, Innovative Dehumidifier Systems has continued to innovate our product to help better serve our customers.