How Can You Tell If Your Home Has a Humidity Problem?

Indoor humidity levels affect air quality, and too much or too little moisture in the air can also affect items within the home and the home’s structure itself. To protect your home, as well as your health, you should keep humidity balanced and under control. Here are ways to determine if you have a home-humidity problem.

Visible Mold and Mildew

High humidity in the home triggers mold and mildew growth. Look for this in your bathrooms, kitchen, basement, attic, closets, and other areas that receive little airflow or are susceptible to excess dampness.

Musty Odor

Sometimes mold grows in hidden places in the home such as attic crevices. Be aware of musty odors as they are almost always a sign of mold growth.

Condensation

High indoor humidity can cause condensation on many surfaces in the home, including the windowpanes and interior and exterior surfaces of walls. If humidity remains high, your home can experience not only mold and mildew growth but also peeling paint and rotting wood.

Respiratory Allergies

Allergies can be triggered by low humidity, which dries out the throat and nasal passages, as well as high humidity, which causes mold growth and increases the dust mite population.

Dry Skin

Dry indoor air robs the skin of moisture, leaving it dry and irritated.

Humidity Solutions

Here are some ways to alleviate a home-humidity problem:

• Install a vapor barrier over soil in the crawl space. Moisture from bare soil adds to home humidity.
• Install a whole-house dehumidifier or humidifier to keep comfortable levels all year long.
• Use exhaust fans in the kitchen, laundry room, and bathrooms.
• Vent clothes dryer and other moisture-producing appliances outdoors.
• Ensure proper attic ventilation. Schedule a visit from a licensed contractor to assess your attic.
• Keep your HVAC system properly maintained. Poorly functioning systems don’t remove humidity.
• Avoid hanging clothes inside to dry.
• Keep gutters in good working order to avoid leaks on exterior walls.

For more advice about controlling a humidity problem in your Florida home, please contact us at Rinaldi’s Energy Solutions.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in Orlando, Florida and surrounding areas about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). 

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