IAQ Radio Features GHP on Why IAQ Should be Proactive
The Consensus: It’s Better for Your Time and Bottomline to Be Proactive About IAQ
When it comes to maintaining proper indoor air quality (IAQ), an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. It’s better to be proactive than reactive.
That is the main message that GHP communicated during an interview with IAQ Radio+, a weekly podcast all about issues related to IAQ. The episode features Ken Garza, Vice President of Industrial Hygiene and Director of Texas Operations and Rich Crim, Vice President of Project Operations. Check it out below:
IAQ discussions often surface in buildings serving the hospitality and healthcare industries. Many times, building owners contact GHP when they already have an IAQ problem, potentially resulting in health issues and/or building systems damage from mold growth. Reacting to these IAQ issues is quite often an expensive venture. Owners can face costs of cleanup and full remediation, plus the need to navigate negative relations with building occupants and other stakeholders.
It’s less expensive to be proactive rather than reactive. That means assessing a building and searching for preliminary indicators that could spiral into IAQ trouble in the future.
GHP emphasizes this proactive approach. Addressing symptom issues before they become a problem, costing building owners less time and money in the long run.
Assessing IAQ in a building
When building owner work with GHP proactively about IAQ, an assessor would visit a building(s) and look for poor IAQ symptom indicators such as:
Water and drainage issues, façade, roof
Condensation issues resulting from deficient air-handling systems
Penetrations, cracks, air flow, resulting in moisture intrusion
Maintenance deficiencies
The hospitality industry needs to pay particular attention to maintaining good IAQ that preserves the health and contentment of guests, staff, and other hotel users. Guestrooms can get the most attention for obvious reasons: high rate of use and occupancy over time.
When evaluating guestrooms, assessors can look for:
Musty odors or air fresheners masking odor
Moisture percentage in the air that’s greater than what’s appropriate
Evidence of condensation and mold growth
Discoloration and staining behind vinyl wall coverings
Maintenance deficiencies
GHP conducts these proactive IAQ assessments year-round and in close collaboration with facility managers.
Hotel upgrades could reveal more than expected
Every 10 to 15 years, many hotels upgrade their finishes to keep the aesthetics fresh and up to date; also known as “soft good refinishes”. But this process can reveal hidden issues with IAQ.
Vinyl wallcoverings may become a factor, as it relates to other building systems, when considering moisture movement in and out of wall systems. Moisture can get trapped behind these vinyl wall covering surfaces, increasing percent moisture content and potentially causing problems. During some soft good refinishes, these problems are typically discovered when visible mold growth is observed.
IAQ impacts during construction of a building
Owners can start considering pre/during IAQ impacts before a building is even finished and ready for occupancy.
GHP offers third-party waterproofing consulting. During the design stage, we review the appropriateness of drawings and specifications with an emphasis on windows, roofs and façade systems. This review work continues throughout construction. GHP recommends site visits every few weeks that may include the following:
Ensure the proper installation of waterproofing features
Conduct water testing on windows
Check moisture content before drywall is fully installed
Top 10 Questions to Identify Indoor Air Quality Concerns
Download our checklist here that walks you through the top 10 questions to identify any potential IAQ concerns in your building.
