Condensation
is a natural process that you likely remember from schools. Water evaporates
and turns from its liquid form into its gaseous form. When water goes from its
gaseous form back to its liquid form, condensation occurs. You can see
evaporation and condensation in action each morning when you take a shower. The
hot water from the shower head feels great and helps you get your day off to a
nice, clean start. Some of the water goes down the drain while some of it
evaporates into steam. When the steam cools and lands on a surface, it
condenses back into its liquid form. Look closely at that fogged up mirror and
you will see millions of tiny water droplets. If you wipe your hand along the
walls, you’ll likely feel the water on the walls.
The
kitchen is another place where evaporation and condensation take place such as
when you’re cooking on the stovetop. The same is true of your laundry room
where your hot dryer works hard at evaporating the water out of your clothes.
If your
home is equipped with an appropriate amount of vents, evaporated water is
swiftly vented outdoors and water damage and mold do not appear. However, if
your bathroom or kitchen lack exhaust vents or your dryer vent is clogged with
lint, the evaporated water has nowhere to go. When it condenses, water droplets
cling to surfaces of your home. Over time, water damage occurs. Baseboards may
warp, windows may fog between the panes, carpets may be soggy, wallpaper may
peel, rust may appear, drywall may soften and crumble, and so on. And you know
who always shows up when water is persistently present: mold.
In
addition to natural condensation occurring in your home, condensation also
occurs in or around the home’s appliances particularly those that have
compressors of some sort as compression can cause condensation. Pay close
attention to refrigerators, air conditioners, furnaces, and water heaters. Many
of these appliances have drip pans designed to collect condensate or leaks
while others will have hoses that whisk away any overflowing condensate to a
drain. These pans should be inspected regularly and drained to ensure that mold
is not present and that they are not overflowing and causing water damage to
the surfaces below. If hoses are involved, inspect the hoses for leaks to make
sure that no condensate is escaping the hose on its way to the drain.
Whether
condensation originates in a room such as the bathroom or laundry room or is
due to condensation that has collected from an appliance, controlling the
moisture is the key to ensuring that condensation’s friends, water damage and
mold, do not join the party. Start by considering the source of the moisture
and then addressing that source to ensure that condensed water no longer forms
or is properly whisked away. For example, if the laundry room is moister than
expected, your dryer’s vent may be clogged. Another sign of a clogged dryer
vent is an excessively long drying cycle. Have your dryer vent cleaned and
allow the moisture to move outdoors instead of in your home. If your kitchen
has problems with condensation, use the exhaust vent and check to make sure
that the vent grill is not clogged with grease. Use the bathroom exhaust vent
every time you take a shower.
Controlling
hidden condensation is a preventative step that must be taken to prevent water
damage and mold.
By: Mr.
Mark Decherd
For more information and other articles by Mark Decherd go to:
Dryout® Inc.
http://www.dryout.net
239-437-7100
Dryout Inc
Emergency water damage restoration, drying,
deodorization, decontamination, disinfection, mold removal, water damage repair,
restoration and reconstruction of commercial and residential properties damaged
by fire, water and other disasters by a network of trained specialists,
technicians and restoration professionals across the USA and Canada.
