Preventing Mold in Commercial Buildings

“MOLD!!!!!” It’s a word that can turn even the strongest heart into a trembling mess…..and for good reason. A mold problem can be very expensive to remedy and cause a number of health issues for you, your employees and customers. Thermal imaging can help you find out if you have a mold problem or if conditions exist in your building that can lead to mold development.

WHAT CAUSES MOLD TO GROW?

All mold needs to get a foothold on your property is moisture, heat and a dark place to get started. Modern buildings are full of construction materials that can make a wonderful home for mold; drywall, insulation, ceiling tiles and wood products all provide a porous surface for mold to attach.

Now we need a water source. There are two ways for water to get into a building; the most common way is through a roof leak or through gaps in the exterior caulking or chinking around windows or places where different types of building materials meet (i.e. brick and siding). Water can form inside the building itself due to lapses in the insulation blanket around your building or around HVAC ducts.

Moisture is introduced into the inside of every building simply because people are there. As we exhale, moisture is picked up by the air and rises with the heat. If your building is properly insulated that moisture is pulled back through the HVAC system and carried away. The problems start when the insulation has fallen out of place or is torn and the moisture comes into contact with surfaces that are either colder or warmer than the air temperature causing it to condensate and drip on to those building materials that I mentioned earlier.

HOW CAN THERMAL IMAGING HELP?

Thermal Imaging can locate areas that are prone to growing mold or where it may already have started by (1) Spotting the temperature differences caused by weaknesses in the insulation blanket, (2) Locating the temperature differences in wet and dry building materials, or (3) finding the areas where your building is losing conditioned air to the outside.

Remember, when it comes to the health of your building, "What you can't see, can hurt you!" Is it time to schedule your infrared inspection?

Interested in learning more? Call me at 803-328-2889 and let’s talk!

IR Infrared Services provides top quality thermographic service at a competitive price to commercial users in North Carolina and South Carolina. For more information, visit us on the web or follow us on Twitter: www.twitter.com/infraredscans. We are proud to offer the very best thermography services in North Carolina and South Carolina!