Where moisture comes from? Best solutions for moisture problem...

Almost all homeowners have encountered the moisture problem. High humidity is the number one threat to your house structural integrity. To maintain the value of your house you have to ensure the humidity levels remain under 50%.

What is condensation?

Condensation refers process at which invisible water vapor in the air cool to visible liquid. Moisture gets into the house as air containing water vapor. The dew point refers to the temperature at which water vapor in the air begins to condense.

Sign of condensation in-house are:

• Clear condensed liquid on windows and glass doors.
• Peeling off of the wallpaper.
• Damp patches on the walls.
• Black Mould growth on walls and ceilings.

Note: condensation does not always happen only invisible place. If the moist air gets into cracks in the walls, in electrical appliances and another hidden areas. Condensation still occurs thus damaging the wall or appliances.

Where does moisture come from?

There are several sources of moisture. We have classified the sources into the following categories :

1. People and their activities moisture sources. – fact: the average family can produce over 8 liters of moisture a day from household activities like doing laundry, preparing food in the kitchen and taking hot showers. Leaving windows and doors open allows a lot of outdoor air into the house increasing moisture levels.
2. Houseplants – although you are encouraged to have house plants it is important to note that having too many plants will directly increase the amount of moisture in the house. Let's say you have 20 -30 plants spread out in the direct rooms in the house, they could easily produce over 2.5 liters of moisture a day.
3. Construction moisture – this mostly affects newly built houses or recently renovated rooms. Most houses are built from lumber that is normal concrete which requires lots of water and numerous other construction products. This moisture escapes into the house as the concrete dries gradually.
4. Plumbing leaks – it is important to have all your plumbing maintained and checked often. Leaking pipe can release a lot of moisture into the walls and cause expensive water damage to the house.
5. Rainfall water – if rainfall water is able to enter into the walls or the ceiling. This will increase the levels of moisture in the house and cause a lot of damage.
6. Seasonal storage of moisture in the house – during the summer humidity levels outside can get to anywhere between 65 -90 %. most people open all ventilation to all rooms of the house in the summer because of the heat. this allows a lot of the humid warm air into the house. Because the temperatures remain high there is no condensation taking place, hence the warm air remains indoor. When winter comes all the ventilation are closed and the warm humid air is kept indoors. This cause increased indoor moist.
7. Hot tubs and saunas –many homeowners are always willing to keep up with the latest trend in households, which today are hot tubs, saunas, and whirlpool baths. The devices when the operation can produce a lot of moisture.
8. Diffusion through the material – this problem is most common in crawlspaces and basements. Moisture enters into the basement by diffusion from the soil, by air leakage via unmaintained vents or joints and cracks in the basement floor and walls, by flooding and water drainage problems.

Buying a BaseAire dehumidifier is the most effective and efficient way to fix the high humidity. A dehumidifier extracts the excess moist in the house to ensure humidity levels remain under 50%. At that level, the home remains comfortable with clean air and moderate temperatures.

Note: before you buy a BaseAire dehumidifier we recommend you fix any of the above sources of moisture you might have!

Solutions for sources of moisture in the house :

• Cover the hot tubs when not in use.
• Fix all leaking pipes and insulated the cold pipe to decrease the surface for condensation.
• Install exhaust fans in the kitchen and bathrooms to remove the moisture outside.
• Pay close attention to carpets and items on the concrete floor. To avoid growth of mold, mildew and dust mites.
• All mold stains on the walls, ceiling, and floor should be removed and the cause of the excess moisture identified and repaired.
• Clean and maintain all vents to allow air circulation the house.
• If you own an exposed earth in crawlspaces or basements, you should install the ground cover and ensure space is adequately ventilated throughout the summer.
• Proper drainage system around the house to direct the rainwater away from the house foundation.

Shop here for the best BaseAire dehumidifiers!