Symptoms of High Humidity

Humidity levels change throughout the year depending on the different weather seasons, meanwhile most people who live near the coastline experience high humidity levels all year round. It’s impossible to control the humidity levels outside of your home; However, you can control the humidity levels inside your home.

What are the signs that high humidity is present in your home?

1. Visible condensation on windows and glass doors.
2. Mold or mildew growth can be seen on the walls or ceiling.
3. Mold or mildew growth on window tracks or sills.
4. Mold growth around the sink or shower in the bathroom or inside the laundry room.
5. Rotting wood inside the home.
6. Musty odor on carpets and furniture or circulating throughout the indoor air.
7. Water stains (Yellowish-brown in color) on the walls — This is usually an indicator of a leak in the wall or a rising damp.
8. Clearwater stains on the basement floor — This is an indication of a groundwater runoff and drainage problem around the basement.
9. Wood warps — High moisture that warps a wooden door and window frame to not fit properly when closing.
10. Increased or recurrent skin infections or respiratory issues like asthma attacks and allergic reactions.

The kitchen, laundry room, bathroom, and basement usually host higher humidity levels compared to the rest of the home. Most homeowners deal with the high humidity in the bedrooms and main rooms but find it difficult to fix the basement atmosphere. This is mainly because the atmosphere in the bedrooms and main rooms can be easily fixed by simply opening the windows and allowing fresh air to circulate. However, most basements are partially or completely underground and have limited ventilation, hence the difficulty to fix the present high humidity.

What causes high humidity inside your home?

• Changes in the weather or season.
• Inadequate ventilation.
• Lack of proper drainage of the rainwater around the home — If rainwater concentrates around the basement, it will seep into the basement walls and floor leading to dampness in the basement.
• Neglected AC maintenance.
• Poorly maintained pipes — Pipes with leaks will allow the water to leak into the walls and cause a lot of structural damage.

High humidity in your home will cause several structural damages that can cost a fortune to repair. What kind of damage will high humidity cause to your home?

• Wood warping — If moisture can settle and be absorbed, it can trigger mold growth.
• Wood rot, especially in the basement — If the high humidity problem goes unresolved for long enough, then a complete replacement of the structural wood will be needed which will cost you a fortune.
• Destruction of your home foundation’s structural integrity — This will greatly reduce the value of your home.
• Corrosion of electronic gadgets and appliances.
• Destruction of wallpapers, fabrics, carpets, and soft furnishing.

What should you do to fix the high humidity in your home?

• Clean every house vent to allow proper air circulation.
• Keep the windows open often — even during the winter season
• Install fans in the most humid rooms, like the kitchen, laundry room, and bathroom, and then leave the fans on as often as possible.
• For a long-term and permanent solution — Invest in a BaseAire dehumidifier.

When choosing the best BaseAire dehumidifier that will specifically suit your needs, you should understand the level of humidity in your home — This can easily be done by using a hydrometer or by inspecting the condensation levels in your home.

Here’s a list of the different levels of humidity:

1. Moderately damp (50 - 60%) — The home has a musty odor and feels damp during the most humid months (summer season)
2. Very damp (60 – 70%) — The home remains damp and musty all year round.
3. Wet (70 – 85%) — There are visible water stains on the walls and floor.
4. Extremely wet (85 – 100%) — There is running/dripping water on the floor of the home/basement.

Once you understand the size of your home (in square feet) and the level of humidity in your home, you can then easily select and purchase the right BaseAire dehumidifier for your situation. We advise that you get a dehumidifier that has a higher capacity than what you would typically require.

The capacity of the dehumidifier refers to the amount of moisture the dehumidifier can extract from the home in a 24-hour cycle. If the level of humidity in the home is high, then you will need a dehumidifier with a higher capacity.