Humidity is an important component in both warm and cool environments. As a homeowner, you should be aware of the differing effects that humidity presents in your preserving your home quality, health, and air quality. Surprisingly, there’s a lot to learn about humidity, and with the help of these ideas, you can continue reading to understand how humidity impacts you and your home.
Ideal Humidity
To keep it simple, humidity is a way of measuring the concentration of water vapor in the air. You might be wondering why it’s necessary to keep tabs on the humidity level in your home. The most straightforward answer is that you spend a lot of time indoors, so making sure that these levels are at an adequate level is of high importance to your health and your home’s longevity, too. The recommended level of humidity in your home ranges anywhere from thirty to fifty percent. In many severely cold climates, this level drops to as low as ten percent, which isn’t ideal. In hot climates where there’s more moisture in the air, humidity levels sometimes rise above the recommended threshold creating other problems.
Avoid these problems by checking out this list of common household mistakes and how to avoid them. This way, you will keep your house in the best shape possible. Remember that the best way to measure the humidity in your home is by purchasing a hygrometer. By measuring the moisture in your indoor air, you can take the next appropriate steps to reach the correct relative humidity level.
Keeping Up Maintenance
One of the biggest culprits in your home’s humidity is your heating and air conditioning unit. It’s critical to have your current HVAC systems checked by professionals. By keeping up with repairs and necessary maintenance you can save so much money and avoid common mistakes that may make your home’s HVAC system less effective, thus creating various poor humidity conditions. During the summer when high humidity enters the equation, your indoor air temperature may lower due to air conditioning, but it’s common for this to create very humid air as well. This high humidity is bad for your house, structurally speaking. When the seasons change it’s also a great idea to check-in with HVAC pros to perform regular maintenance like changing your filters, cleaning your air ducts, and even performing indoor air quality assessments. When the weather turns cold, HVAC professionals like these can potentially install built-in humidifiers into your HVAC system that will help to reach the right moisture levels more easily than buying a bunch of portable humidifiers.
Home and Health Effects
It’s worth noting that extremely dry air in your home wreaks havoc on your respiratory health. These health effects range from dry eyes, nosebleeds, sinus congestion, and sore throats. Plus, extremely low humidity actually raises your chances of getting sick from common bacteria and viruses too. If you notice you’re experiencing a lot of static shocks or general nasal dryness it’s likely you have low humidity. This low humidity is also problematic because it causes changes in the wood structure of your home.
As a homeowner in a humid environment, you should look for signs like exacerbated asthma symptoms and increased allergies. When it comes to your home, look for excessive condensation, water droplets or spots on walls, and mildew like scents. If you notice these signs, your home is probably compromised by this high saturation of moisture. This high humidity negatively affects your home by promoting the growth of mold and mildew, possible pest infestations, and structural changes in your home. Regular air conditioning can diminish levels, but you should get a dehumidifier for a more efficient method to reduce humidity quickly.
With all of these factors in mind, you must work to achieve an appropriate level of humidity in your home. By doing so, you preserve your home’s longevity for years to come, and you improve your health in the process.
