Now that summer is finally here and students and staff are away from the summer, it’s time for schools to begin summer maintenance projects. For facilities managers, this can present a challenge when it comes to maintaining the indoor climate of the school through the summer months. This becomes particularly difficult when the nature of certain projects leads to increased moisture levels.
One of the biggest issues we see when schools begin to conduct summer work is a rise in humidity. Unless your school is equipped with a central air conditioning system, this spike in humidity can occur.
This process introduces moisture into the air during prep as well as when the finish product dries.
Paint is made up of nearly 90% water to allow the user to spread it more easily. The water in paint must evaporate in order for the paint to cure. Large painting projects can produce an excess of moisture in the work area.
As we all know, the dog days of summer produce high heat and humidity. This moisture can build up in closed classrooms and offices without proper conditioning.
You may think about structural drying companies when you need assistance repairing damage from a flood or burst pipe, but you should also talk to drying experts about how to maintain the indoor climate in your school during summer. Structural drying companies have the ability to help schools combat these moisture issues by using their experience and equipment to implement a climate control plan. They first assess the building by taking temperature and relative humidity measurements to determine a drying plan that will best counteract the moisture issue.
Then the structural drying team lowers the moisture in the air, using dehumidifiers and other state of the art equipment to maintain the levels through the summer months until the projects are completed and the school reopens.
Summer is a great time to get loads of work completed while the students are away. However, without the proper controls in place, these projects have the potential to do more harm than good. High moisture in a closed area for even a few weeks can degrade the air quality and, in extreme cases, cause a mold issue.
