What is ‘arresting moisture’?

The phrase ‘arrest moisture’ expresses how well a given surface or material handles the passage of water.  It includes measuring if it absorbs moisture and holds it, or if it resists moisture so that it simply bounces off the surfaces and moves elsewhere as liquid does. For places where water movement is imminent like kitchens, bathrooms, and laundry rooms, it’s an important measurement.  For a laundromat in particular, where gallons upon gallons of water are moved about every day by machines and their users, an environment with moisture-arresting materials isn’t just smart; it’s a requirement if you want to avoid challenges that threaten the continued existence of your business. 

Choosing the Right Material

Wood is not good for arresting moisture, since it likes to absorb liquids.  This is why natural wood is susceptible to rot, and why we must apply finish to wooden constructs. Materials like concrete, stone, or drywall vary, but each material is porous, meaning its surface has tiny holes that allow water to get inside. This is perhaps less of a problem than wood since rock-like materials don’t rot or get mold, but they can erode. In cold climates, water seeping into hard materials and freezing breaks it apart much faster than its natural life cycle. 

Materials like FRP(fiberglass) and PVC(vinyl) are the natural evolution of materials used in environments that deal with high-volume liquids, and it will ultimately be a choice between them as far as which is best for your business. PVC lasts for decades longer than fiberglass, and the process by which it’s created makes for stronger bonds. This means that PVC consistently performs as expected, where fiberglass could be enduring or brittle based on the manufacturer.  It is also possible to add different alloys to the creation of polyvinyls, which means PVC can be reinforced with materials like liquid metals to make it even more durable.  FRP garners some popularity among people looking for cheaper solutions, but it pales in comparison to PVC in terms of arresting moisture, so the long-term risk is much higher.