Humidity Control & Air Purification

Many of your valuable possessions are likely stored in your basement or crawl space. However, these valuables probably don't react well to constant moisture and humidity. Furthermore, your family doesn't react well to mold spores and foul odors. These problems are most likely due to lack of proper humidity control. ABS Foundation Services can bring all the benefits of dry air to your basement or crawlspace with a whole-house approach to environmental humidity control.

The basement or crawl space is part of the inside of a building as a whole. If there is high humidity and musty odors downstairs, it will affect the upstairs environment. By drying your basement or crawl space, a dehumidifier will help your whole house to be drier and healthier.

Signs and Causes of Poor Air Quality

Condensation occurs inside a home whenever the outside air is warmer and more humid than the inside air. Since basements are under ground, they typically stay much cooler than the rest of a house. This cool air leads to excessive amounts of humidity in the air, which in turn causes condensation to form. This moisture, when allowed to remain, becomes a source of unpleasant musty odors and enables mold and mildew to grow. These factors can lead to harmful toxic spores in the air of your home.

Moisture in basements and crawl spaces can also come from large amounts of rain, recent flooding, or damaged plumbing. It is important to identify the warning signs of harmful mold build up before the air in your house becomes dangerous.

The negative health impacts of the presence of mold in your home can lead to: allergic reactions, asthma, hypersensitivity pneumonitis, irritant effects, and opportunistic infections. When examining your basement or crawl space, watch out for:

• Mold or moisture damage in the crawl space or living area.
• Musty odors in the living area.
• Condensation "sweating" on air conditioning ductwork or equipment.
• Condensation on insulation, water pipes or truss plates in the crawl space.
• Buckled hardwood floors.
• High humidity in the living area.
• Insect infestations.
• Rot in wooden framing members.

The Importance of a Powerful Dehumidifier

Dry air is easier to heat and air condition and also helps reduce mold and allergens. In general, mold will not grow at less than 50% relative humidity. Dust mites absorb moisture out of the air, but typically only in conditions where relative moisture is more than 50%. We recommend the SaniDry Basement Air System, which will reduce relative humidity to less than 50%, where mold struggles to grow and dust mites will die off.

SaniDry has 10 times the cold surface area of an average consumer dehumidifier and a very unique heat exchange core. This makes it ultra efficient. In fact, the SaniDry can remove four times the water, while only using the same amount of energy as a household dehumidifier.

The SaniDry isn't built on hype. It's built to get the job done. Using a standard MERV 11 filter, which is only one step below HEPA, but with increased air flow, it removes particles as small as 2 microns from the air.

So what does that mean for you? The number one allergen in American households, dust mite feces, is 4-6 microns in size, which is easily filtered by the SaniDry. The SaniDry also takes care of standard household dust with ease. Other particles pulled from the air include: mold, bacteria, and smoke particles.

With an optional activated carbon filter, you will actually notice that your air smells cleaner, perfect for that musty smell that's been keeping you out of your basement or crawl space.

We also offer the Santa-Fe System as an alternative to the SaniDry.

Contact us today to learn more about selecting the right dehumidifier to keep your home dry.