Humidity Problems on an Access Floor

Access Floors

• Within a business or office environment, access flooring creates an under-floor space or compartment. This space provides room for utility service lines and ducts, such as computer data lines, heating and cooling ducts and electrical lines. Access floors consist of raised floor panels supported by adjustable vertical pedestals or beams. In effect, these floors provide access to building systems in reachable areas for office workers and technicians alike. Much like other areas within a building’s space, temperature controls play an important role in maintaining suitable conditions within access flooring spaces.

Flooring Materials

• As humidity problems can develop within a range of different temperature or climate conditions, the materials used in the construction of an access floor can have an impact on how humid an access area gets. The space created by an access floor may or may not lie beneath ground level, which can have significant effects on the moisture levels within an access space. Materials used to construct access floors may consist of organic, mineral-based, metals or synthetic-based materials, each of which reacts differently in different climate settings. In effect, humidity problems on an access floor may result because of the physical properties inherent in the materials used to construct an access floor.

Air Leaks

• Access floor areas must maintain a certain climate condition to prevent humidity from forming on walls and surfaces. During the design process for an access floor, floor panel layouts should form a snug fit to prevent air leaks from occurring. Gaps between flooring materials and ground floor levels can create areas for air to move between an access space and the work or office environment. Air leaks can also occur in places where data or power lines enter and exit the access space. In effect, humidity build-up can appear on access floor surfaces when air leaks disrupt the climate condition within an access space.

Effects

• Humidity problems on an access floor can impact how a building’s heating and cooling system performs. Workers stationed near access floor air leaks may experience cold air flows around the feet and legs during cold or winter months when heating systems run. When this happens, air from the access area has moved into the work environment’s conditioned, or heated air space. As a result, a building’s heating system has to work harder to maintain desired temperatures within the work environment, which results in higher energy costs. Humidity problems on access floors can also cause mold and mildew to form and spread within the access area.