5 Signs Your Home May Have a Humidity Problem

Indoor air quality can be affected by humidity and lack of humidity. Too little or too much moisture can affect your personal belongings in your home and even the home’s structure.

How to Tell If You Have an Indoor Air Quality Problem

1. Visible Mildew and Mold

High humidity indoors can trigger mildew and mold growth. Look out for this in your kitchen, closets, bathroom, attic, basement, and other areas that don’t get a lot of airflow.

2. Musty Smells

Mold can grow in hidden spaces, like attic crevices. Take note of musty odors as a sign of inferior indoor air quality.

3. Condensation

If the humidity in your home is high, condensation will form on many surfaces. These include exterior and interior wall surfaces and windowpanes. If the humidity remains high, the house will likely have mildew and mold, rotting wood and peeling paint.

4. Allergies

Humidity triggers allergies, including dry throats and nasal passages. It may also trigger a dust mite problem.

5. Dry Skin

Lack of humidity robs your skin of moisture. Your skin will feel dry and irritated.

Improving Your Indoor Air Quality

Solutions for improving your home’s indoor air quality include:

• Installing a vapor barrier over the soil around your home. Moisture from bare soil tends to add humidity to a home
• Installing a humidifier or dehumidifier to maintain comfortable humidity levels throughout the year
• Using exhaust fans in the laundry room, bathrooms and kitchen
• Venting moisture-producing appliances, like clothes dryers, outdoors
• Making sure your attic is properly ventilated
• Keeping your HVAC system maintained; a system that functions poorly won’t remove humidity
• Hanging clothes outside to dry instead of inside the home
• Making sure gutters are in working order to avoid any leaks on exterior walls.

Whether your indoor air is too dry or too damp, you don’t have to settle for an unpleasant home environment. For more advice about improving your indoor air quality, contact our team of experts at Brummitt Heating and Cooling.