In This Issue
- Put Your Air on a Diet
- Create a Bird Barrier
- Have an Indoor Picnic
- Want More Control Over Your Home Environment?
- Are You Living With
Bad Air?
Helpful Links
PUT YOUR AIR ON A DIET
Ever been on a diet? Chances are you lost a lot of water weight. Losing some of the water or moisture in your home's atmosphere will help you feel better, too!
Reducing your home's humidity level will let you feel cooler, help control allergens and even protect your furniture from the damaging effects of too much moisture. Too much high humidity can also cause:
- Condensation on windows and moisture stains on walls and ceilings
- Peeling wallpaper and flaking paint
- Mold and mildew growth
- Infestations of insects like cockroaches and termites
- High temperatures to feel even warmer
Humidity levels between 30% and 50% are recommended.
Household humidity levels above 60% may encourage the growth of mold and dust mites. You can buy a humidity gauge from a hardware store to measure relative humidity levels in various parts of your home. Several free humidity-gauge programs are available online, too, but you can probably tell if your home's humidity is too high if your windows sweat and the air feels muggy and uncomfortable.
Lowering your home's humidity
- Turn on vent fans in the shower, bath or kitchen to remove moisture. Remember to turn them off afterward, because they will also draw your air-conditioned air outside.
- Improving drainage around your home's foundation can reduce humidity in your home. One easy way is to avoid overwatering plants around your home's foundation.
- For the same reason, extend gutter downspouts away from your home's foundation. Keeping gutters and downspouts clear of leaves and twigs also helps.
- Repair leaking outdoor faucets. You'll also save money on water bills.
- Running your home's air conditioner can help reduce uncomfortable humidity levels.
- Use a dehumidifier in your basement to remove water from the air during muggy weather.
- Insulating cold water pipes will help avoid condensation that can damage walls.
- Be sure clothes dryers are properly vented to the outdoors. If you hang clothes to dry, hang them outside instead of indoors.
If your humidity problem needs intensive care, talk to an HVAC contractor about installing a humidity control system in connection with your heating and cooling system. This system can also help prevent the dry skin and static electricity that come from too-low humidity in the winter.