With an average relative humidity of 68.8%, homeowners in Maryland should look into moisture control and execute before issues arise. Peeling wallpaper, mildew growth, and mold spots among other indicators inside your house are all signs that there’s a little too much moisture in the air. This can lead to costly repairs for the damage, so it’s important to include a moisture control plan with any home maintenance that’s in the calendar.
Negative Effects of High Humidity and Moisture in Your Home
Humidity and weather in Maryland play a big factor in moisture issues in your home. Being on the east coast of the United States, the weather is largely impacted by the Gulf Stream, which brings warm water and humidity from the tropics.
Mold and Mildew Growth
Consistent humidity levels above 60% are the perfect environment for mold and mildew to develop. While mildew is at the surface level if mold starts developing it can cause serious property damage if left unchecked. In addition, it can also cause health issues like asthma or trigger allergies.
Damage to Home and Furniture
High moisture levels in your home can cause damage to everything, from hardwood floors to furniture to paint. Bubbles or peeling in latex paint or wallpaper can be a sign of trapped moisture and it’s important to figure out why it’s there. It could be an underlying issue that needs to be addressed before any cosmetic touch-ups. In addition, moisture can cause wood to swell up and warp causing cracks in hardwood floors, doors, windows, and wooden finishes in the house. On a structural level, moisture can weaken the integrity of a foundation if given enough time.
How to Control Humidity and Moisture in Your Home
Almost everything we do in a house can create higher humidity levels. From breathing to sweating to heating up water for tea, to showering. While these things are essential for health and hygiene, there are other measures that can be taken to minimize the amount of moisture getting into your home.
Exterior Home Maintenance
The most important thing to check in your routine home maintenance is whether water can get into your home from the outside. This is one of the main causes of moisture where it shouldn’t be – leaks in the roof, improper gutter maintenance, pooling water outside, etc. Even though it may not seem like it, a simple project like gutter cleaning can significantly improve water diversion and help save costly foundation repairs. A well-maintained roof and gutter system can help eliminate almost all leaks from the outside and prevent moisture from entering the house.
Proper Ventilation
When engaging in activities that generate the water vapor and add to the humidity in the house such as a hot bath or making pasta, be sure to turn on the bathroom vent or kitchen fan to remove the excess moisture being sent into the air. If you don’t have a vent or fan, make sure to open a window (two would be better so that there’s a cross breeze blowing through the house.
Leverage Modern Technology
It’s no secret that there are inventions today that can help solve issues of excessive moisture in the air. From something as simple as a well-maintained gutter system to divert water away from the house to a dehumidifier to reduce the humidity in the air. Here are a few modern marvels that can help you beat the humidity:
- Air conditioners: Keeping the air at a stable temperature helps reduce the chance for condensation to develop since there won’t be a rapid temperature change from warm air touching cooler surfaces. In addition, air conditioning units come with built-in dehumidification which will give you an added layer of protection from high humidity.
- Dehumidifiers: Piggybacking off of air conditioners, dehumidifiers extract the moisture from the air in the form of water and release dry air back into the room. They don’t change the temperature, however, so just having one of these won’t help beat the heat.
- Auto-sensing ventilation: There are vents available with sensors that turn on without you having to do anything manually. They can sense that the room is too humid and automatically turn on to remove the moisture from the house. This is an inexpensive way to help with humidity control for those who don’t want to invest in a dehumidifier or new air conditioning unit.
- Gutters: Like mentioned before, gutters are an essential part of keeping water out of your house and far away from its foundation. A lot of homeowners skimp out on this part, but proper gutter maintenance and cleaning can save big bucks in the long run.
- Grading: Making sure that all surfaces leading away from your house have a slight angle away from it will keep water from pooling. Excess water pooling can seep into masonry and erode its structural integrity, leading to expensive foundation repairs.
While complaining about the humidity in the air can seem like just another jab at the weather, it can also have severe implications for your home. Taking advantage of modern building techniques and technology as well as pure common sense can help you avoid pitfalls that homeowners don’t consider when taking hot, steamy showers with no vent and the window closed. There are several easy ways to prevent moisture build-up that are low-tech (opening windows, well-maintained gutters, and roof) as well as higher-tech (smart air conditioning units, air quality sensors) options. Choosing the right one for your home and budget will take some research, but is well worth the effort.