Sunday, April 28, 2024

What's the Recommended Humidity Level for a House?

how to lower humidity in house

When you line dry your clothes inside, all of the water in the clothes has to go somewhere, so it goes into the air. This can be a blessing in extremely dry areas, but for already humid areas, it just adds to the amount of water in the air. Your indoor plants might be beautiful, but they increase the humidity in a home. Ceiling fans can be lifesavers in humid weather because they can get air moving across an entire room and from the top down. Even having a ceiling fan on the lowest setting can keep the airflow a bit more refreshing, especially in bedrooms when you are trying to sleep. Your upgrade plan will be based on the unique needs of your house—including the type of materials you’d like to use—and designed to ensure that your house feels amazing.

how to lower humidity in house

Use A Dehumidifier (Or A DIY Version)

When you hang clothes up to dry, the moisture from the clothes will add to the moisture problem. Try using your clothes dryer instead to help reduce the amount of moisture in the air. DampRid is a product that you can purchase at most hardware stores that helps to absorb moisture from the air. You can place these products in your home to help reduce the amount of moisture in the air.

Make Use Of A Vapor Barrier

Block the muggy air from getting in to begin with by weatherstripping, or sealing up potential entrances. Pay special attention to the spaces around your windows and doors and create air-tight seals there with a weatherstripping foam or insulation kit. If you don’t have a dehumidifier, you can simply run your air conditioner to remove moisture from the air. Air conditioners remove heat and moisture from the air, and that’s what cools your house down.

Run Your Exhaust Fans

So while it may seem like the central AC is not blowing cold air, it actually may be working overtime (and driving up energy costs, too). Everybody loves a steamy, hot shower, especially in the middle of winter, but if you are trying to drop your home’s humidity levels, a steamy, hot shower will have the opposite effect. Since the doors are closed, the moisture from the shower is just hanging around, and unless you turn on the vent, it’s going to stick around. This not only creates humidity, but the moisture can also damage the paint on the walls. You can raise your home’s humidity level through a combination of outdoor and indoor house treatments and living habits.

Does a dehumidifier make a room cooler? Experts explain - Homes & Gardens

Does a dehumidifier make a room cooler? Experts explain .

Posted: Sat, 27 May 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]

Otherwise, you’re spending money cooling air that is getting pulled outside. While you may normally turn them off after you’re done your activities, keep them on a little longer. Keep humidity under control by getting your air conditioner repaired, tuned up, and frequently change the filter.

how to lower humidity in house

Exhaust Fans

If the weather is particularly freezing, you can leave your internal doors open to allow excess moisture to disperse between rooms. Fix leaky pipes immediately to eliminate dampness or hidden condensation in walls. When inside, cover damp soil as much as possible to prevent evaporation. And if you have a vast indoor forest, share the love a little by gifting some of your plants to friends.

Radiant heat can be installed beneath flooring and behind wall panels, but it’s not a DIY job. A professional radiant heating contractor should do the work. The best way to lower the humidity in your home is to run fans, turn on the air conditioner, and use a dehumidifier.

Poor insulation could be increasing the home’s humidity levels.

Living in a desert climate, most of my clients’ humidity issues result from their indoor water usage habits combined with tightly constructed modern homes that trap excess moisture. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the ideal indoor relative humidity is between 30% and 50% — and must be kept below 60%. As the National Center for Healthy Housing explains, high moisture levels in a home can lead to a number of potentially serious health issues. These include asthma, allergies, and various other respiratory illnesses that are triggered by mold, dust mites, peeling lead paint, pests, and other issues often caused by high humidity levels. If you’ve noticed water leaks or stains, rotting woods, musty odors, rusting or corrosion, and excessive condensation, understanding how to lower humidity in a house is crucial.

Turn Up the AC

With this in mind, it's important to find out how to check the humidity level in the home and determine the ideal humidity. Naturally, it’s best to take action and reduce humidity levels in your home for a safe and comfortable life. When you’re cooking, showering or doing any other activity that introduces heat into your home, be sure to use your exhaust or ventilation fans in order to increase airflow and decrease humidity.

On the other hand, air that doesn’t have enough humidity also triggers allergies, asthma, and can damage wood floors. Josh Odmark, air quality expert explains that many home HVAC systems have two settings, one to draw in outside air for ventilation, and another to recirculate the existing air in your home. This is because, 'unless you're tapping a natural spring under your living room floor, your primary source of humidity is probably outside,’ he explains. Many everyday tasks create moisture, often without us noticing. Windows and any gaps in your home’s structure create natural ventilation, but the problem is that you have little control over these things. Mechanical ventilation, on the other hand, can be switched on and off, and it’s better for creating a more uniform ventilation.

Maintaining the appropriate indoor humidity is beneficial for both your health and the structural integrity of your home. Learn from experts how to measure humidity, detect signs of low and high indoor humidity, and maintain the ideal humidity level in the house. Higher indoor humidity levels combined with stale or musty odors may both be banished by using charcoal briquettes.

They can also compromise the air quality in your home and increase your energy bill if you don’t seal them properly. Install a vapor barrier to stop moisture from getting into your crawlspace and home. While houseplants can make your home much more comfortable, they can also add lots of humidity to the air. Many plants release humidity, but you also add humidity to the air when you water your houseplants.

Those who haven’t spent a summer in the South don’t know the true meaning of humidity. As the temperatures rise, the humidity levels follow, and soon enough, coveted breezes are the only thing that can cut through the thick, balmy air. Even born and raised Southerners may never completely get used to the overwhelming humidity, but we’ve sure learned how to tackle it.

You can even purchase packets (which are usually silica gel) and place them in the window sills. Place them around your home to help reduce the amount of moisture in the air. Fans work by circulating the air around the room, which helps to remove moisture from the air. We carry Lennox dehumidifiers that are top-of-the-line with all the latest features.

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