Excess indoor humidity can wreak havoc on your biggest investment. Follow these helpful hints for reducing humidity in your home:
1. Ventilate
While ventilation fans are preferable to reduce the amount of moisture in the air, if your home does not have fans, consider having them installed. Leave fans on as long as you can to reduce humidity in your home.
2. Dehumidify.
The right type of dehumidifier can have a huge impact on the air quality in your home. The best and most common type of dehumidifier is a mechanical model, which can be purchased at a home improvement store. When you empty the tray at the bottom a couple of times a day, you’ll see how much moisture they actually remove from your home.
3. Adequate Insulation
Keeping your home as close to a constant temperature as possible helps prevent moisture buildup and makes it easier to control humidity. More insulation can lower your heating costs during the winter and require your air conditioner to run less in the summer.
4. Take Cooler, Shorter Showers
All you need to do is look at your bathroom walls to see the moisture caused by steam (which is why ventilation fans are so important). It only takes four to six pints of water to raise the humidity level by 60% in a 1,000 square foot home.
5. Wash Larger Loads and Line Dry
Washing machines create a lot of humidity, so make sure you are getting as much into one load as you safely can. Although most dryers have ventilation to the outdoors, some moisture can escape. It may seem old fashioned but consider a clothesline. This can lower your bills and reduce excess moisture from the dryer.
6. Change Your A/C Filters
Replacing your HVAC system filters is important for the air quality in your home. It traps dust, which if not changed out, blocks air from moving through your home and causes the air to hold humidity.
7. Seal leaks
One of the most easily repairable culprits of humidity in your home are leaks…these are the same leaks you can feel a cold breeze through during the cold winter months. You can easily fix these leaks with new weather stripping, caulk, and other materials from your local home improvement store.