Vice President of Facilities and Management Robin Morey announced the installation of new dehumidifiers to combat mold in Henle Village apartments on Monday night at a forum hosted by Residential Living, InterHall, and Georgetown University Student Association .
“Out of all [housing] last year, we thought Henle had the most significant problems [with mold],” Morey said. He attributed the formation of mold in residences last fall to the fact that the current heating, ventilation and air conditioning system “doesn’t remove enough moisture out of the air,” as well as to leaking windows, ventilation fans, and some “restrooms that don’t work” that contribute to an abundance of moisture.
Facilities tested a dehumidifier to combat these mold issues on Henle 83, a pilot unit renovated this summer. “We liked the way [the dehumidifier] worked, and we didn’t like the particular unit that we bought, it had some control issues, so we sent an order for another unit and we have actually procured a specific dehumidifier unit for every unit in Henle. Coupled with some better inspection on our part as we turn the units and clean them, we think that is going to address the mold issues,” Morey said.
Alongside installations of dehumidifiers in all the rooms, Henle will be going through floor scrubs, staircase renovations, new lighting fixtures, and renewed paint, alongside installations of dehumidifiers in all the rooms this summer, according to Stephanie Lynch, the assistant dean for residential living.
The pilot unit that tested the dehumidifiers also had a renovated staircase, newly installed kitchen appliances, paint, and lighting fixtures to test for the feasibility and potential success of future renovations to the Henle Village apartments.
In the following few years, facilities is planning to prioritize renovated kitchen installations over bathroom reconditioning for Henle Village apartments due to a lack of funding, according to Morey.
