Dehumidifiers are electrical appliances that are now commonly used in homes for the benefits that they provide. Their primary function is to remove moisture from the air. Dehumidifiers will bring humidity levels in the air to 30% to 50%. Many dehumidifiers come with a meter that allows you to set the humidity to the level you desire to achieve in your home.

Where there are several benefits of dehumidifiers, there may be certain drawbacks as this appliance may make the air drier than desired. However, they can be very useful when we talk about the three main threats in every home, including mold damage, water damage and fire damage. Let’s look at each of these in detail.

Mold Damage

Mold requires moisture and humidity to grow and thrive. Mold spores will quickly begin to form within 48 to 72 hours in these conditions and quickly spread to other parts of the house. Mold will eat away at organic materials like wood and incur high repair and maintenance expenses for homeowners.

Mold is often a side effect of water damage. If you detect mold in your house, you can use dehumidifiers to mitigate its spread. While dehumidifiers cannot kill mold that is already present, they will surely prevent its expansion to other parts of the house and also halt further mold growth.

How Can Dehumidifiers Help Against Mold Damage?

Dehumidifiers remove excess moisture from the environment and also bring down humidity levels. It is believed that humidity levels of 30% are ideal for preventing mold growth, which s why dehumidifiers can come in handy. Reducing moisture levels will reduce the intensity of mold growth in homes, limiting the extent of damage done.

You can benefit from adding a small dehumidifier to closets or basements where mold is most likely to form. Even if dehumidifiers do not undo the damage done by mold, they prevent it from spreading to other parts of the house.

Water Damage

Water damage is common in houses. It may result from a roof leak, pipe burst or flooding. Water will ruin and warp wood, and if left unattended, moisture will lead to mold growth. The problem with water damage is that its destruction goes beyond what is visible to the eye.

After a flood or seepage, your walls and floor may look dry, but moisture will still likely linger. This will cause mold formation and also release a horrible stench in the house. For this reason, dehumidifiers can be of immense use to protect your home and belongings from extensive water damage.

How Can Dehumidifiers Help Against Water Damage?

Dehumidifiers remove excess moisture and also dry the structure of the house that has retained water. Dehumidifiers are most useful as they are able to get rid of hard-to-access moisture from upholstery, walls, carpets and floors. Moreover, standing water will also raise humidity levels, which will create the perfect breeding ground for mold.

Dehumidifiers can help remove excess moisture and also bring down humidity levels to below 50%, thereby removing the conditions that could exacerbate water damage and cause mold growth. Dehumidifiers are more effective for water damage as compared to fans as they only work to remove moisture instead of circulating it.

Fire Damage

Fire damage is not only extensive; it is quite dangerous as well. Fires lead to the release of smoke, which also incurs the risk of smoke damage. Even if the fire is extinguished, water may linger in crevices that could lead to water and mold damage, and smoke will seep into walls and upholstery, leading to allergies and respiratory issues.

After a fire, the damage to your belongings may not be salvaged, but the lingering smoke particles in the house and the water from hose pipes to extinguish the fire may lead to different forms of destruction. For this reason, dehumidifiers can be of good use.

How Can Dehumidifiers Help Against Fire Damage?

Long after a fire has been extinguished, toxic smoke and soot particles will continue to float inside. This will pose a serious health risk to inhabitants. This is why it is important to get rid of smoke following a fire. Dehumidifiers are a great way to do that, and mitigate the extent of fire damage. Since dehumidifiers do not circulate smoke and moisture, they are very effective.

Another way dehumidifiers can help mitigate fire damage is by drying items that have been soaked after the fire extinguishing process. This way, you can save these items like carpets and upholstery from water damage as well as mold growth that may render these things useless. Dehumidifiers along with ventilation will also balance the high humidity levels inside the house following a fire and the presence of water.

911 Restoration of West Los Angeles

Mold, water and fire damage are common threats inside homes. If your property has suffered any of these, you can contact 911 Restoration of West Los Angeles for their mold removal and remediation, sanitization and disinfection, water damage restoration, and fire and smoke damage restoration services with an emergency response time of just 45 minutes or less.