Like most people, you probably want to make sure your home is as comfortable as possible throughout the winter. Among the most efficient methods to accomplish this is to manage the quantity of moisture within your house.
Some of the perspectives on this issue will be considered in the context of the blog post we'll be discussing today. Don't get too cold or wet.
Enhance the Ventilation in Your House
Ventilation may help you manage the humidity levels within your home. Close all windows and doors and rely on your HVAC system's mechanical ventilation to reduce the effects of excessive outdoor humidity inside your home.
Always use ventilation fans when taking a hot shower or cooking with a hot stove.
If you regularly turn them off when you're done with an activity, try leaving them on for a little while longer. It will be quite helpful in reducing the relative humidity inside the house.
Make sure the vents in your bathroom, laundry, or range hood all function and lead outside. Such ventilation systems will dry the air after you use it to take a shower, wash clothes, or cook.
They need to keep going till they're out in the open air. If that happens, they'll just put back the moisture that has been taken out of your home.
Mould will form in your home's kitchen and bathroom, on the ceilings, and in any other dark, poorly ventilated areas of your home when you are not able to keep the humidity levels in your house under control from the usual, day-to-day activities with your family.
Make Use of the Air Conditioner
If it gets hot enough around, you can lower the relative humidity inside your home by turning on the air conditioner.
Humidity refers to the amount of water vapour in the atmosphere. Humidity also has the ability to latently store heat; the higher the relative humidity, the more heat the water vapour can potentially store.
Dehumidification is the process through which an air conditioner eliminates the ability of water vapour in the air to absorb and hold thermal energy. This eliminates any remaining moisture.
A house air conditioner can assist in reducing humidity levels by bringing inside cooler air and venting out warmer, more muggy air.
You can maintain a comfortable relative humidity level by having the air conditioner maintained on a regular basis and by having the filter changed. There is nothing on your side if it inhibits cool air from entering your home or if your air conditioner breaks down.
Please turn the thermostat down several degrees to dry the air out a bit. If it gets too cold inside the house, raise the thermostat a few notches. In a similar vein, a dehumidifier removes moisture from the air by cooling it first, making water molecules condense, but then heating it to dry it.
Think About Getting A Humidifier Or Dehumidifier
The humidifier or dehumidifier purchase could be the last resort if you've exhausted all other possibilities without success.
A portable device may be all that's needed to solve the humidity issue in a single room, such as a child's bedroom or a basement. However, if humidity is an issue throughout the house, you may want to consider installing a whole-house humidifier or dehumidifier that works with your HVAC system.
The best way to reduce indoor relative humidity is to buy a dehumidifier. It is possible to place a dehumidifier inside the air handler for your furnace, where it will work on drying the air as it passes through.
The dry, chilly air that blows in from there is exactly what most people need during the hot summer months.
What's the most riveting bit? You may find that you can use your air conditioner less frequently if it helps to keep humidity levels low. The cooling system's energy consumption will thereafter decrease.
Fix Serious Water Problems
Excessive moisture in the air could be a sign of a more significant structural issue, such as a leaking roof, a basement that frequently floods, or water gathering around the foundation of the building. If you wish to fix any of these problems, you need to locate the point of entry for the water and then take measures to prevent further damage.
Make sure your roof is secure and in good condition by fixing any damage, replacing worn shingles, and keeping an eye out for potential problems. Another possible source of basement flooding or moisture is rainfall that continually flows towards the home and collects around the foundation.
When it rains, make sure the ground is sloped away from your home's foundation and that the downspouts are pointing in the opposite direction by a few feet with correct landscaping. See our list of available builder services melbourne to help you make an informed decision for your treatment.
Try Taking Cooler Showers
When the temperature inside a bathroom rises, stuffiness ensues.
While we appreciate a hot shower as much as the next person, in this case, it may seriously disrupt the peaceful atmosphere we've worked so hard to create.
If you set down the thermostat on your showers by a few degrees, you'll cut down on the quantity of steam you add to the air, which will help the humidity levels.
Repair All Dripping Faucets
No amount of additional water should be added to a building whose humidity level is being lowered. The terrible truth, however, is that dripping faucets or leaking pipes do just that.
First, make sure there are no leaks in your pipes, and if there are, fix them.
Then, insulate any exposed pipes. The yellowing of the walls, the presence of damp spots, and the inconsistency of the water bill are all signs of a leak.
Maintain a Clean Gutter System
Water leaks from the gutters of your home are a common source of indoor water damage and can also negatively impact your health due to the increased humidity.
To prevent water damage to your home, make sure your gutters are clear and that your downspout is at least 6 feet long and points away from the building.
Get Your Clothes Dried Outside!
One of the most surprising aspects of doing laundry is how much moisture it can add to a home. Hanging wet clothes inside adds to the already high humidity levels. Almost everyone has at least one piece of clothing that won't dry in a dryer.
Thus, we bring our drying stations inside when the weather gets chilly. However, during the scorching summer months, all of these damp garments will add to the already high levels of humidity in your home.
Hang your items on a drying rack and clothesline outside to dry. But prior to that, you should check the local ordinances to determine if there are any prohibitions.
If you have to dry clothes on a clothesline on hangers indoors, you should consider getting a dehumidifier. If your home has a basement, you must have this.
If one or more of the walls of a closet is open to the air outside, the relative humidity inside can quickly rise to dangerous levels. It may result in the growth of mould on such walls and on the goods that are stored on the floor of the cool closet.
Don't stuff your closet to the brim with your possessions; instead, leave some space in between shelves and then off the floor and walls.
Putting carpet or rugs here on the floor of a closet is not a smart idea since it draws dust that could biodegrade. Remove dust from the floor and baseboards by wiping them down.
Relocate Your Indoor Plants
Despite their beauty and vibrancy, plants exude a lot of water. You may have a high relative humidity because of the abundance of indoor plants.
Temporarily, it would be best if you relocated to an outdoor area or a single-room space with good ventilation.
Create a Humid-Absorbing Garden
The Boston fern is an example of a plant that can extract water from the air through transpiration. Additionally to reducing humidity levels and electricity usage, you are helping the environment by eliminating more atmospheric co2 and adding more oxygen.
Take Advantage of Briquettes of Charcoal
Charcoal briquettes have evolved beyond their original purpose of grilling. They are an efficient means of dehumidifying a room.
In order to start, you'll need to gather a few briquettes and place them in a suitable storage medium.
Charcoal's great absorption capability means it may effectively dry the air around it. Every two or three months, you must throw it away and get a new one.
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Keep an Eye on the Water Heater
A battery-operated water alarm placed on the floor near the hot water tank will sound an alert as soon as water begins to escape from the tank. Adding a floor-water alarm to your existing central alarm system is a good idea.
Make replacement preparations for your gas-powered water heater before the warranty expires. Although electric water heaters usually last longer than the duration of their warranties, it is still vital to keep track of when they expire.
Low-Level Humidity Regulation
The presence of water is not necessary for mould to flourish. When the air is chilly and the RH is above 80%, certain forms of mould will begin to grow.
However, because of their location below ground level, below-grade areas such as basements or crawl spaces are typically cold and wet, making RH regulation all the more important.
Using a thermo-hygrometer, you should ensure that the relative humidity (RH) level is kept at or below 50 per cent in untreated basement levels and crawl spaces, and below 60 per cent within finished basement spaces.
During the northeast's spring and summer (from the middle of April to around the middle of October), a dehumidifier should be installed even if the finished underground already has air conditioning.
Connect your dehumidifier to a condensate pump so the water can be drained into a sink or the ground outside; the unit's capacity should be based on the size of the room being dried.
You can avoid having to refill the reservoir if you do it this way.
If your basement is unfinished, you can skip using a dehumidifier this winter. However, regardless of occupancy, the thermostat in such a finished basement must be maintained at a constant temperature of 57 degrees F or higher.
You Shouldn't Humidify Above Standard
Above-grade rooms with houses may become too humid because you don't open the doors and windows as often during the winter. If your range has a chimney-style exhaust fan, which can be turned on whenever the oven or stove is in use, you should make a concerted effort to cook everything baked in one go.
Turn on the bathroom exhaust fan after you get out of the shower or bathtub, and leave it on for a least twenty minutes. In addition, you should use an oscillating fan to help dry surfaces and leave the bathroom door ajar.
Its relative humidity in occupied spaces should be maintained at or below 40 per cent with the help of a central humidification system (lower in extreme cold). Using a mobile humidifier in any room will accomplish the same effect. A thermo-hygrometer is the most reliable tool for determining relative humidity.
Seal Off Your Basement or Underground Room
Moisture and air leak into a crawl area, encouraging mould development that must be sealed up and dried out. If this doesn't happen, condensation and mould growth on cold surfaces might occur as a result of humid air entering the room.
As an example, consider a crawl space that has a dirt floor. The soil in such a situation should be covered with a vapour barrier enhanced with mesh or even the appropriate cementitious material to reduce the rate of moisture evaporation.
In-Home Preventative Measures
Use a polyethene ground cover on a soil crawl space floor. Make sure there is no puddled water or wet ground in the area. In order to speed up the drying process, you might make use of fans if necessary.
Make sure that your dryer's exhaust vent goes straight outside. If it fails to do so, you have a dangerous situation on your hands that can increase humidity and lead to a fire.
Frequently Asked Questions
Raise the temperature of cold surfaces where moisture condenses. Use insulation or storm windows. (A storm window installed on the inside works better than one installed outside.) Open doors between rooms (especially doors to closets which may be colder than the rooms) to increase circulation.
Moisture condenses into water droplets when warm, humid air contacts a cool surface, such as uninsulated cold-water pipes. Cooking, bathing, drying clothes, washing dishes, and several other activities release moisture.
The ideal relative humidity for health and comfort is between 30-and 50% humidity. It means that the air holds between 30-50% of the maximum amount of moisture it can contain.
If solving your moisture problem is something you'd like to do inexpensively, rock salt may be your answer. Because rock salt is hygroscopic, it absorbs moisture from the air. If you plan to get rid of the humidity in a damp basement, start with a 50-pound bag of sodium chloride to make your rock salt dehumidifier.
Effective Ways To Prevent Wall Dampness During the Monsoon
- Blocked pipes can cause water damage to walls.
- Prevent seepage in wall cracks by filling them in with putty.
- Apply waterproof coating on your external walls and roofs.
- Prevent groundwater from adding to your wall dampness woes.
Conclusion
Humidity control in the house may be aided by proper ventilation. Put a stop to any airflow through the windows and doors by sealing them shut. Humidity can be lowered with the help of air conditioning, which does this by drawing in cooler air and expelling warmer, muggier air.
Whole-house humidifiers and dehumidifiers are HVAC add-ons that can help with widespread humidity problems. If your air conditioner can keep the humidity down, you might be able to use it less frequently.
It is imperative to have a dehumidifier in your home if you have a basement.
The indoor humidity rises even more when wet clothes are hung up. Humidity inside a closet can quickly become unbearable if any of its walls are open to the outdoors.
With so many houseplants around, the relative humidity could be quite high.
Basements and crawlspaces are often damp and cold, so controlling the relative humidity there is crucial.
There's no need to run a dehumidifier this winter if your basement is unfinished. Because you probably won't be opening the doors and windows as frequently in an upstairs room, humidity levels can rise to uncomfortable levels.
Content Summary
- Ventilation may help you manage the humidity levels within your home.
- Close all windows and doors and rely on your HVAC system's mechanical ventilation to reduce the effects of excessive outdoor humidity inside your home.
- If it gets hot enough around, you can lower the relative humidity inside your home by turning on the air conditioner.
- A house air conditioner can assist in reducing humidity levels by bringing inside cooler air and venting out warmer, more muggy air.
- There is nothing on your side if it inhibits cool air from entering your home or if your air conditioner breaks down.
- Please turn the thermostat down several degrees to dry the air out a bit.
- If it gets too cold inside the house, raise the thermostat a few notches.
- The humidifier or dehumidifier purchase could be the last resort if you've exhausted all other possibilities without success.
- However, if humidity is an issue throughout the house, you may want to consider installing a whole-house humidifier or dehumidifier that works with your HVAC system.
- The best way to reduce indoor relative humidity is to buy a dehumidifier.
- You may find that you can use your air conditioner less frequently if it helps to keep humidity levels low.
- Excessive moisture in the air could be a sign of a more significant structural issue, such as a leaking roof, a basement that frequently floods, or water gathering around the foundation of the building.
- If you set down the thermostat on your showers by a few degrees, you'll cut down on the quantity of steam you add to the air, which will help the humidity levels.
- Repair All Dripping Faucets No amount of additional water should be added to a building whose humidity level is being lowered.
- First, make sure there are no leaks in your pipes, and if there are, fix them.
- Then, insulate any exposed pipes.
- The yellowing of the walls, the presence of damp spots, and the inconsistency of the water bill are all signs of a leak.
- Water leaks from the gutters of your home are a common source of indoor water damage and can also negatively impact your health due to the increased humidity.
- To prevent water damage to your home, make sure your gutters are clear and that your downspout is at least 6 feet long and points away from the building.
- Hanging wet clothes inside adds to the already high humidity levels.
- Hang your items on a drying rack and clothesline outside to dry.
- If you must dry clothes on a clothesline on hangers indoors, you should consider getting a dehumidifier.
- If one or more of the walls of a closet is open to the air outside, the relative humidity inside can quickly rise to dangerous levels.
- Don't stuff your closet to the brim with your possessions; instead, leave some space in between shelves and then off the floor and walls.
- Remove dust from the floor and baseboards by wiping them down.
- Despite their beauty and vibrancy, plants exude a lot of water.
- You may have a high relative humidity because of the abundance of indoor plants.
- Temporarily, you should relocate to an outdoor area or a single-room space with good ventilation.
- They are an efficient means of dehumidifying a room.
- A battery-operated water alarm placed on the floor near the hot water tank will sound an alert as soon as water begins to escape from the tank.
- Adding a floor-water alarm to your existing central alarm system is a good idea.
- Make replacement preparations for your gas-powered water heater before the warranty expires.
- The presence of water is not necessary for mould to flourish.
- Connect your dehumidifier to a condensate pump so the water can be drained into a sink or the ground outside; the unit's capacity should be based on the size of the room being dried.
- If your basement is unfinished, you can skip using a dehumidifier this winter.
- Regardless of occupancy, the thermostat in such a finished basement must be maintained at a constant temperature of 57 degrees F or higher.
- Above-grade rooms with houses may become too humid because you don't open the doors and windows as often during the winter.
- If your range has a chimney-style exhaust fan, which can be turned on whenever the oven or stove is in use, you should make a concerted effort to cook everything baked in one go.
- Turn on the bathroom exhaust fan after you get out of the shower or bathtub, and leave it on for a least twenty minutes.
- In addition, you should use an oscillating fan to help dry surfaces and leave the bathroom door ajar.
- Its relative humidity in occupied spaces should be maintained at or below 40 per cent with the help of a central humidification system (lower in extreme cold).
- Using a mobile humidifier in any room will accomplish the same effect.
- A thermo-hygrometer is the most reliable tool for determining relative humidity.
- Moisture and air leak into a crawl area, encouraging mould development that must be sealed up and dried out.
- If this doesn't happen, condensation and mould growth on cold surfaces might occur due to humid air entering the room.
- The soil in such a situation should be covered with a vapour barrier enhanced with mesh or even the appropriate cementitious material to reduce the rate of moisture evaporation.
- Use a polyethene ground cover on a soil crawl space floor.
- Make sure there is no puddled water or wet ground in the area.
- Make sure that your dryer's exhaust vent goes straight outside.
