Moisture can be a significant issue on construction sites, especially for interior drywall. In many cases, builders have controlled the problem using dehumidifiers. Without dealing with setbacks caused by moisture, you can stay on schedule and ensure that your project remains on-budget, on-schedule and profitable.
Humidity Levels Impact Paint and Drywall
Many factors impact how quickly drywall and paint dry, including temperature, humidity level and air movement. When drying time is extended, these surfaces become vulnerable to failure, mold growth, cracking and more problems.
High relative humidity levels, lack of ventilation and low temperatures slow down the evaporation of water in paint, which can lead to sagging and bubbling. In scenarios where the surface temperature is too warm, paint may dry too fast and crack.
With drywall, if relative humidity levels are too high during installation, the water in the compound doesn’t evaporate quickly enough. This can lead to starved joints, resulting in shrinking along the joint seems. Prolonged drying can also cause poor bonding, cracking and localized delaminating. Environments that are too dry also cause challenges. The drywall may dry too fast, creating cracks around the tape.
The biggest concern when it comes to humidity levels is the concern for mold growth, which can impact the health of the building’s occupants and require complete remediation, halting projects. Temperature instability can be a catalyst for mold growth and ruin materials, costing time and money.
Take Charge of Your Plan to Manage the Environment
The best way to be proactive in construction is to develop a Temporary Facilities and Control document, which specifies desired temperatures and humidity for the environment. Each material will have ideal environmental conditions, which differ by material.
Generally, the best temperature for drywall application is 55°F (not falling below 50°F or exceeding 95°F). Common industry standards for paint include a temperature of around 77°F and relative humidity levels of 50%.
Without these guidelines, setbacks, unusable material and more issues that cause delays can occur.
Controlling the Environment with High Volume Desiccant Dehumidifiers
To create the ideal environment for drywall interior, construction pros turn to high volume desiccant dehumidifiers, which pump extremely dry air into the work zones. This dry air lowers the vapor pressure and dew point of the space, causing moisture in materials to pass from a level of high pressure to low pressure. Additionally, the precise distribution of dried air is filtered through temporary ducting.
With the placement of the dehumidifier and ducting, materials are dry, and mold doesn’t grow. Instead of leaving it to chance, Polygon’s dehumidifiers can save you time and money and keep your job on track.
Polygon Dehumidifier Benefits: Save Time and Deliver Better Outcomes
Polygon dehumidifiers help control temperature and humidity, reducing condensation and enabling better application and installation of materials. Polygon’s products promote longer coat life and can decrease life-cycle coating costs by as much as 20%. Dehumidifiers stabilize the environment’s temperature and humidity, allowing workers to maximize their time instead of redoing yesterday’s work.
With time-sensitive deadlines, you can’t afford to be even a day behind. Controlling the temperature and humidity helps you stay on time and delivers a professional finished product. Not only will drywall interior and paint dry appropriately, but flooring product installation can be improved, as well, by eliminating moisture from the concrete slab.
Polygon provides superior services and durable, easy-to-install equipment while maintaining safety and staying budget-friendly. To learn how Polygon can help you with construction projects, visit our solutions page here.
