What Is Humidity?
Humidity is the amount of water vapor in the air. Normally,
this term refers to “relative humidity”, which
is the ratio of water vapor in air of a specific temperature;
since air of different temperatures can hold different amounts
of water vapor, this percentage is the amount of water vapor
in the air compared to how much water vapor the air of the
current temperature can hold. Since humidity decreases the
ability of the body to cool off through perspiration, a high
relative humidity can make it feel hotter than the actual
temperature.
Why Is Humidity In The Home A Problem?
In addition to making it feel hotter during the summer months,
humidity promotes mold and mildew growth, causes wood to rot
and paint to peel, and creates a place for bugs to thrive,
including dust mites. Mold, mildew, and dust mites can all
create an unsafe environment for people, causing or worsening
many health problems from allergies to asthma.
What Can You Do?
Step 1: Buy a relative humidity detector.
Simple digital
humidity and temperature gauges are inexpensive and are
available at most home improvement stores, and can help you
gauge the current humidity level and determine whether you
need to increase or decrease the relative humidity in your
home. Although relative humidity levels between 30 and 50
are considered “comfortable”, for keeping basements
dry and mold-free a relative humidity of around 42% is fine.
For living spaces, shoot for an ideal humidity level of 38-39%.
Step 2: Vent.
Vent high-moisture areas in the home. Ceiling exhaust fans
in the bathroom should be, at minimum, rated for the square
footage of the room. A good rule of thumb is to get an exhaust
fan rated at 1 cubic foot per minute for every square foot
of area in the room – for 70 sq/ft, use a 70 CFM fan.
Cooking areas like stoves can be vented with hoods. In both
cases, make sure the fan is properly vented to the outside
of the house. Make sure that moisture-producing appliances
like dryers are also vented properly to the outside.
Step 3: Dehumidifiers and Air Conditioners
If possible, run a dehumidifier in combination with an air
conditioner during the summer months. The dehumidifier will
lower the relative humidity, and you may find you are able
to set the air conditioner to a higher temperature and still
feel comfortable, saving money on your electric bill. Also,
an air conditioner will shut off when the set temperature
is reached, but the relative humidity at this temperature
can still be high; having a dehumidifier (which runs until
a set relative humidity is reached) will continue to dry the
air even after the desired temperature is achieved, further
enhancing comfort and keeping the home dry.
In basements where temperature is usually less of a factor,
a dehumidifier alone is usually enough to lower the relative
humidity to the proper level.
During the winter months, when your relative humidity detector
indicates that the air is dryer than it should be, you may
use a humidifier to increase relative humidity, which can
help alleviate conditions caused by low humidity including
dry skin, static electricity, and even complications with
breathing. Just be sure you don’t increase the relative
humidity more than is required, or you could end up promoting
mildew and mold growth.
Using a simple and inexpensive humidity gauge, you can keep
track of your home’s humidity levels, and then take
steps (venting, dehumidifying, and air conditioning) to increase
your comfort level and decrease the likelihood of health problems
and damage to your home.
About The Author:
Dick Fox is the founder of Fox Fast Dry in Peabody, Massachusetts,
Essex county’s first company to specialize exclusively
in professional water removal and drying services. |
