As a manager or commercial property owner, you have a lot to consider when maintaining the premise all year round in Hawaii. The islands have a tropical, humid climate, which greatly impacts commercial buildings and the well-being of its visitors.
From preventing mold growth to landscape management, your hands are full. In this post, we’ll walk you through the unique maintenance processes in Hawaii.
Humidity and Its Impact on Commercial Buildings
The high humidity levels in Hawaii can cause serious structural damage and create an unpleasant environment for building occupants.
Too much moisture in a building, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), can lead to:
- Mold, bacteria, and pests, such as termites and rodents;
- Corroded building components, such as structural fasteners, wiring, metal roofing, and flooring adhesives;
- Dissolved water-soluble building materials;
- Decayed wooden materials;
- Damaged brick and concrete due to salt deposits;
- Damaged paint and varnish;
Environmental conditions within a workplace have a strong impact on employee performance. Many people only consider temperature when it comes to the indoor environment, but humidity also plays an essential part.
Commercial maintenance services in Hawaii should also explore humidity control in the workplace and offers solutions that deliver results and benefits to your organization.
Let’s start with the basics, so you can fully understand the climate impact on your staff members, tenants, and every day activities.
What is the Purpose of Building Humidity Control?
Controlling the moisture and dryness levels in a business can help prevent mold and corrosion while protecting your personnel from harmful health consequences. HVAC equipment is usually more efficient at cooling air than dehumidifying it.
As a result, outside air carried into the building may be cooled to the correct temperature before being fully dehumidified, resulting in elevated relative humidity and microbial development inside the facility.
Furthermore, because HVAC equipment is often controlled by temperature rather than humidity (humidistat), the system never detects and, as a result, never completely removes the elevated moisture level within the space.
HVAC System Requirements
Building mechanical systems are prone to moisture and mold problems if they are not correctly designed, built, and operated. As a result, special care must be taken in the design, equipment selection, installation, and startup of these systems.
The following are major variables you must consider for optimal mechanical systems performance:
- Maintaining building indoor air pressure by controlling exhaust and ventilation;
- Selecting appropriate HVAC and control systems for optimal dehumidification and filtration;
Make sure your commercial building maintenance team has the right set of skills and licenses to perform such services, as they are a must in the tropical climate of Hawaii.
What Is Involved in Commercial Humidity Control?
Controlling high humidity in a commercial space follows three goals:
- Maintaining comfortable working conditions;
- Protecting the health and safety of employees in the facility;
- Protecting the building and its equipment;
Some may be more significant than others depending on the type of facility you run. Precision control, for example, may be needed to maintain effective manufacturing in a facility, whereas comfort will be the primary focus in a retail environment, to keep customers satisfied.
What Causes High Indoor Humidity Levels?
Below you can find the main causes of high indoor humidity levels:
Inadequate Air Conditioning
A common cause is an aging or broken air conditioning system. While ACs are not dehumidifiers on their own, they do have dehumidification properties, and when they begin to malfunction, it can lead to a visible rise in humidity. To address this, you may require AC repair or a replacement system.
HVAC System Design
Even before considering particular dehumidification technologies, the most significant humidity control approach is the architecture of the facility’s HVAC system. For humidity control, air circulation and ventilation are critical. If your business has always had issues with high humidity, malfunctioning or deteriorating ducts could be the cause.
The Sub-Cooling Issue
Sub-cooling is a situation that happens when the indoor temperature falls below conventional cooling, which might occur due to poor circulation or reduced indoor heat (from equipment, process, etc.).
Excess cooling raises relative humidity, causing moisture to accumulate on cooler surfaces. Sub-cooling can be avoided by reheating the airflow, improving building automation, or reconditioning the HVAC system.
Dehumidifiers
Although building dehumidifiers are not an absolute answer to a facility’s high humidity levels, they frequently play a significant role. The commercial maintenance team should approach humidity control from multiple perspectives for their clients – and dehumidifiers can be incredibly effective when utilized as a part of an overall plan for lowering humidity.
Commercial Landscape Maintenance
As a property owner, you realize the importance of maintaining your Hawaii grounds maintained and lush. The beauty of the premise attracts visitors, residents, and customers, so maintaining it in good condition and well maintained is essential.
Because of the environmental conditions in Hawaii, plant health care is mandatory. Unfortunately, some island property managers will spend years dealing with a low-cost landscape provider who does not deliver outstanding results. The maintenance costs are reduced, but the quality of the work is poor.
Lawn and garden care is an important aspect of property maintenance. These actions can increase the curb appeal and value of your office building, shopping center, or facility. They can also affect property conditions, erosion, energy efficiency, water conservation, and other factors.
However, maintaining your landscape features takes a significant amount of time and effort. Most months of the year, lawn mowing services, bed weeding services, and tree and bush trimming services are necessary.
Commercial property maintenance services can usually be tailored to the specific requirements of the facility. Professional services will significantly reduce the amount of time and effort required to keep your landscape in excellent shape all year.
Commercial Roof Maintenance
The presence of dark-colored moss, lichen, and algae causes your roof to become hotter than it was built to handle, reaching extreme temperatures in some circumstances. The biggest impact of all is on your energy bill as your ceiling fans and A/C systems work overtime to compensate for the heat buildup.
The extra heat not only makes your house seem like an oven but also causes petroleum-based asphalt and other roof surfaces to dry up and crack. This allows moisture in, all while draining your financial account to pay for the inevitable roof replacement and other repairs.
The increased heat is not the only issue. Organic growth roots burrow deep into the roof substrate. With rain and sun, the plants will naturally grow over time. This can eventually lead to cracks in your roof, allowing water through and causing damage to the entire structure, among other things.
The dark streaks on your roof are unaesthetic and a clear indication that organic growth is out of control. Unchecked, it can result in leaks, premature roof replacements, increased energy expenses, reduced property values, and higher insurance packages.
Commercial Pest Control Services
In Hawaii, there are numerous pests. There are around 174 distinct types of bugs in the state, which can be found in forests, jungles, gardens, and even on your premise.
Your top priority as a facility manager is to keep all employees, renters, and visitors safe while on your property. Unfortunately, large buildings are more vulnerable to pest infestation since there are more potential entry sites and it is harder to keep a large facility regularly sterilized.
Nobody wants to work in a place where they have to keep an eye out for spiders hiding in corners or cockroaches swarming over their desks. When you use specialized pest control measures to rid your workplace of unwanted insects, your employees will feel safe and welcomed, in an environment that exceeds industry standards. This will allow them to concentrate on their task and be more productive.
Without the right precautions and care from an expert pest control company, you are vulnerable to pest infestations such as rodents, termites, ants, and others.
Pest infestation is more than just an aesthetic issue. They pose a safety risk to everyone in the facility. Many carry diseases that can be transmitted to humans if they come into touch with or are bitten.
Termites, for example, are renowned as silent destroyers. This is because they can do irreversible harm before the site manager discovers any evidence of their presence.
Servi-Tek Facility Solutions in Hawaii
Looking for a top-notch maintenance company in Hawaii that will gladly match your needs and provide exceptional client experience?
Then look no further because Servi-Tek is exactly what you’re looking for. We have years of experience, the right tools, and a team of professionals ready to address all your needs and support you in your daily management activities.
Contact us today for more details!
