Getting stuck in high humidity can be incredibly uncomfortable on a hot summer day. Just imagine having that sticky and murky feeling inside your household. A high indoor humidity level will not only keep you sweating, but it could also lead to potential health problems down the line for you and your loved ones. Here are a few things to consider about your home’s humidity and how you can combat that discomfort.
Knowing Your Home’s Humidity Levels
One of the main reasons to control your home’s humidity is to assure home comfort. The average indoor humidity for a home should hover anywhere between 30 to 50 percent. With high levels of humidity, you’ll notice more condensation on windows and toilet tanks.
On the other hand, inadequate humidity can result in sinus issues and increased static electricity. Excessively dry air can even cause wallpaper to peel away, and building materials to warp or crack. There are humidity gauges that homeowners can invest in to get an idea of their indoor levels.
Gauges should be positioned throughout the home, as humidity levels vary in each room. A basement is often more humid than other rooms because of moisture from soil seeping through basement walls. A dehumidifier can help to remove moisture from spaces to reach an ideal humidity level. If your entire household is too humid, you may want to consider investing in a whole-house dehumidifier.
Controlling Moisture
Regulating humidity levels is especially important in preventing moisture buildup throughout your living space. High humidity levels can lead to a moisture problem that not only can warp building materials, but create a breeding growth for mold and mildew.
The buildup of these spores on walls, fixtures, and even in HVAC ductwork, directly impacts your indoor air quality. This can exacerbate allergies and asthma symptoms, as well as cause potentially more harmful diseases with each breath you take.
Moisture condenses into water droplets when humid air contacts a cool surface. Cooking, bathing, and even heating appliances increase the moisture levels in your household.
There is a multitude of ways that a homeowner can combat the moisture levels in their household. Storm doors minimize cool surfaces in the winter by separating the interior of your house from the elements outside. This also can help you on the energy efficiency front.
Insulating cold-water pipes eliminates a common cool surface during the summer. Insulation sleeves for your pipes are easy to slide on and can prevent humidity levels from increasing near your plumbing. Bathroom and multi-use exhaust fans will also help to eliminate allergens from the air that can become grounds for bacteria to grow when helped by moisture.
Home Repairs and Maintenance
Humid conditions in your household can have impacts on residents, visitors, furniture, and even your energy bills. The truth is your humidity levels can be adjusted by the presence of a dehumidifier if your levels run too high, or a humidifier if they are too low. If you are still finding excess moisture or buildup of other debris, you may want to call in a professional HVAC technician to assess your home’s conditions. This will give you a better idea of how to maintain the humidity of your home, while not sacrificing comfort and safety.
The addition of insulation in certain parts of the home, such as the attic, can also help to maintain better internal temperatures. This will help you get an assessment of the comfort level of your household in comparison to the humidity. Be sure to also assess your HVAC unit size-wise. If you have an oversized AC, you could be fighting a losing battle in creating condensation. Speak with a technician about finding the unit that’s right for your home.
