It’s a fact that most people don’t give a second thought to indoor humidity. Temperature is by far the main concern of most homeowners, but humidity can be critical to the health of your home as well as the health of your family.
Many people develop allergies to organisms growing in humid environments
Essentially, humidity is the amount of water vapor in the air. Many people develop allergies to organisms that grow in humid environments and contrary to what you may have been taught, it isn’t being outside in the cold that causes most people to get sick, but rather spending winter indoors with the heat cranked up causing humidity to rise making an ideal breeding ground where germs and bacteria thrive. In addition to colds and other sickness, a humid environment can trigger rhinitis and even asthma. Warm, humid temperatures help these organisms to live and grow and that’s why keeping humidity low is vital to your health and the health of your family. A humid environment is bad for your home’s physical structure as well. High humidity causes rot and in warm climates, draws pests looking for water.
Lack of humidity also has potential to wreak havoc in your home. Dry air inside causes skin irritation, difficulty breathing and undue amounts of static electricity. Many older homes are typically too dry inside as they’re not as tight and energy efficient as newer homes, however houses with good insulation often pay for it by maintaining high humidity levels.
What’s the ideal amount of humidity?
So, what’s the ideal amount of humidity? This can vary upon several factors, but typically humidity in the 40% range is acceptable. If humidity should drop below 30% you run the risk of damage to wood floors, furniture and anything else made of wood. Static electricity builds up and causes damage to electronic equipment like computers and an environment that is too dry causes respiratory, throat and skin irritations. Once humidity levels go above 50% insects like termites and cockroaches come calling. Condensation on walls and ceilings leaves stains and damages paint and wallpaper. Also humid environments provide fertile breeding ground for mold, mildew, dust mites and other organisms that cause allergic reactions.
Challenge – Regulating humidity
Regulating humidity can be a challenge depending on the type of home you have and whether you need to decrease or increase humidity. More often than not, upping the humidity in your home is easier with the use of a humidifier. Getting rid of moisture is a bit more tricky. The key is to ventilate as much as possible. Use bathroom and kitchen fans during those times when you’re adding moisture to the air. If your house is so equipped, you can add an air to air heat exchanger to vent the house and bring in fresh air. Sealing out moisture, particularly coming from a crawlspace with a dirt floor, with 6 mil poly plastic will help in reducing the humidity in your home. And it’s always a good idea to run a dehumidifier especially in a damp basement to control the growth of mold and mildew.
Purchasing an inexpensive indoor temperature/humidity monitor and following these simple tips will help your family and your home to remain healthy no matter what the weather is like outside.
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