After a water damage or mold cleanup, you'll need to be on the lookout for any dampness or moisture problems in your home that could require additional restoration. However, damp air isn't always immediately obvious, and sometimes mold-supporting conditions can spring up unnoticed if you aren't monitoring for them specifically.
Here are a few tools you can use to help you keep an eye on the air quality, humidity levels, and general dampness in your home.
1. Air Cleaning Machines
While an air cleaning machine is typically used to remove dirt, smells, and germs from the air, it can also help you monitor the air quality in your home. This is especially the case if you have an air cleaning machine with a smart component that will allow you to monitor the contaminants the unit is catching as it cycles air through its filters.
If you notice that the unit is detecting more pollutants than normal, you'll know that you should check your home for a potential source of contaminated air. This could be something such as dust from cleaning, or it may be mold spores from a nearby mold infestation growing on a damp wall.
2. Hygrometers
A hygrometer is designed to measure the amount of water in the air. Typically, you'll find that a hygrometer will show you a readout of humidity as a percentage, and may also have a temperature reading. That's because humidity is relative to temperature,
The same humidity reading at a low temperature will indicate a lower overall volume of water in the air than the same percentage reading at a higher temperature. But no matter the temperature, when your humidity is extremely high, you may have a moisture problem. If the humidity spikes, check for a water leak or damp area nearby.
3. Moisture Absorbers
Moisture absorbers can help you monitor how much water is in the air, similar to a hygrometer but less specific and more localized. The hygrometer typically measures the humidity at some convenient central location in your home, whereas you can place moisture absorbers in any spot where you're concerned humidity levels could spike.
If you have large moisture absorbers that catch water in a container, you can place one under your bathroom sink, one in the basement, and one anywhere else you may have had moisture problems in the past. Then, monitor the rate at which they fill up. If the area has a recurring moisture problem, the moisture absorber will have more water to absorb and fill more quickly.
These tools will help you monitor for damp conditions in your home after a water damage restoration so you can catch any future water damage issues quickly. Talk to a water damage service about the best way to use these and other tools for monitoring and controlling air quality.
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