Even the most weatherproof roof can buckle under the pressure of the elements, allowing water to seep into every crack and crevice of your business or home. If left unchecked, that moisture will begin to eat away at beams, struts, and supports, threatening the integrity of your living space and risking disaster.
Unfortunately, most San Francisco business- and homeowners will shell out hundreds to patch up leaky roofs without dehumidifying their properties. That lingering moisture isn’t just destroying your building, but it also could be exposing you and your family or colleagues to serious illness.
Excess moisture can lead to the formation of mold, which releases harmful spores into the air and causes a wide variety of health complications, from respiratory issues to allergies, warns the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Read on to learn why it’s worth investing in commercial dehumidifers following a roof leak:
1. Structural Damage
Moisture can cause devastating damage to the structure of your business or home. According to House Investigations, excess humidity results in $1 billion in damage to homes in the U.S. annually, from relatively minor damage such as peeling wallpaper to potentially lethal damage such as crumbling floor joists.
When your roof fails and water begins to leak into your property, the structural integrity of your framework comes under threat. The earlier you attack moisture damage, the cheaper and easier it is to fix.
2. Health Dangers
Studies have shown that we spend 80% of our days breathing the air inside our homes. That same research has gone on to show that indoor air is often more harmful than the polluted air outside.
What’s going on? Well, mold – which forms in spaces that are too humid – is spreading like wildfire, populating every corner of your business or home and releasing harmful spores into the air you breath.
The National Capital Poison Center concludes that people who live in mold-infested spaces are often more susceptible to a wide range of symptoms such as headaches, shortness of breath, and other physical issues. These same moldy corners will often harbor dust mite populations, harmful bacteria, poisonous gases and dangerous chemicals.
3. Fire Risk
You might be asking, “How does moisture cause a fire?”
Moisture can seep through the smallest cracks in your electrical appliances, causing corrosion inside and leading to your devices short circuiting and potentially bursting into flames. That fire can quickly spread, causing untold damage to your property.
The National Fire Protection Agency reported responding to over 45,000 home structure fires involving electrical failure or malfunction between 2010 and 2014. These fires led to a total of $1.4 billion in direct property damage.
Spending money on a dehumidifier to expel excess moisture now will save you hundreds in damages later down the line.
Dehumidification Rentals in San Francisco
The experienced team at Allied Rental Company will help you resolve your moisture problems and prevent similar issues from arising in the future. Click here to compare desiccant dehumidifier rentals in San Francisco, or call us at 415-644-5792