InstaScope Blog
Your Roof, Your Air, Your Health: How Roofing Damage May Impact Indoor Air Quality
Feb 7, 2021
According to surveys conducted by the Berkeley Lab, “approximately half of U.S. homes have visible evidence of a dampness problem or mold contamination.”
In that case, can you imagine how many more people must be exposed to mold and other indoor air quality complications when you add commercial contamination to that mix?
What’s more, one of the most common culprits of such contamination? The roof. After all, it only takes a little roofing damage to lead to a largely hazardous problem and adverse effects on indoor air quality. It is difficult to know whether or not mold, bacteria, and/or other outdoor allergens have actually invaded your space via roof damage, which is why InstaScope is the necessary technology needed by service providers to assess indoor air quality after roof repairs and restoration projects.
Raise the Roof(ing Questions)
While your roof is designed to keep you safe from the top down, that doesn’t mean it is without its vulnerabilities. Particularly when it has fallen victim to damage as a result of hazardous weather, moisture will all too easily seep in.
In fact, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) cites melting frost, rain, and general surface runoff as some of the primary sources of outdoor moisture accumulation.
Additionally, with extensive enough damage — such as in the event of a hail storm or a tree falling on your property — the layers beneath your shingles or other outer material may also become susceptible to mold and rot.
For example, roofing felt, also referred to as underlayment, is designed to be a second line of defense against the elements. However, if your roof is damaged and the underlayment is left exposed for too long, even this durable material may begin to accumulate bacteria and deteroriotate.
When Looking Up Just Brings You Down
We’ve said it before, and it bears repeating: Where there is persistent moisture, mold will often follow.
For this reason mitigating mold and moisture should be one of your first plans of action in addressing roof damage. After all, not only will moisture leak into your attic area and weaken other wooden structures, but it puts your entire property at risk of being exposed to toxic spores.
Thus, the best way to prevent indoor air complications as a result of an impaired roof is simply to act as quickly as possible.
“If your home has water damage due to plumbing or roof leaks, mildew and mold will develop within 24-48 hours of water exposure,” according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). “Even worse, it will continue to grow until steps are taken to eliminate the source of moisture, and effectively deal with the mold problem.”
Seeking Certified Answers and Solutions
All that being said, knowing whether or not mold, bacteria, and/or other outdoor allergens have actually invaded your space via roof damage is not always easy — particularly if adverse growth is not in plain sight.
That’s why, to find out whether or not your or your client’s property is at risk of developing further indoor air quality complications, we recommend using the InstaScope.
InstaScope tests and measures the indoor airborne microbiological loading so that service providers can assess whether or not more action needs to be taken to address any mold issues that arise due to roof damage and water leakage. InstaScope also captures whole-area scans so that the entire property’s indoor air quality can be assessed and issues can be addressed based on the instant reports that are generated on-site.
This state-of-the-art technology is designed with user-friendliness in mind, thereby promoting your ability to find the ideal solutions for you, your clients, and your environment. Whether you’re conducting a home or commercial inspection, you deserve the best the indoor air quality industry has to offer.
To learn more about the InstaScope and its innovative capabilities, contact DetectionTek today by calling 720-410-7030 or emailing info@instascope.co.