Some homes have an issue of too little moisture, but some homes have the opposite problem. Nobody wants to live in a damp home, so it’s necessary to rectify any home moisture problems. Whether you live in a high moisture area or have issues with your plumbing, home moisture can be caused by many things. Depending on the severity of the problem, there can be a few simple solutions. You don’t have to abandon ship and move just yet!
Moisture problems in the home can be uncomfortable at best, and downright dangerous at worst. High levels of moisture can cause damage to your walls and furniture. This can not only pose a financial problem but the damp areas can be home to dangerous bacteria and mold. Damp spots can be an aesthetic problem and harmful to your health and wellbeing. If your home suffers from high levels of moisture, there are a few hacks you can implement to solve the problem. Here’s a list of things you can try to balance out your home moisture problems.
Bathroom moisture control
A common culprit of the most elevated moisture levels in any home is the bathroom. Noticing rising damp signs and other similar problems are usually caused by high levels of moisture coming from the bathroom. After hot showers or baths, the moist air can penetrate the walls of your home and wreak havoc. To minimize the damage, opt for taking colder or shorter showers. This is both good for the environment, your water bill, and a solid moisture control method. If your bathroom does not have an effective fan for ventilation, managing your home moisture problems means managing your shower time.
Make sure your home is well ventilated
Ventilation is the second most important thing to think about when controlling home moisture problems. Good ventilation means that even if the home is too damp, the problem can be aired out. When buying a home, make sure to consider good ventilation on your list. If you don’t have a good ventilation system in your home, there are other ways to go about solving this problem. Opening the windows every day for about 15 minutes every morning is one way around it. Opening windows creates a breeze that works as a great alternative to a full ventilation system. If you have a moisture problem within one room of the home, consider fitting in air bricks to filter out and reduce moisture.
Close the windows on rainy days
Another great way to utilize windows to reduce moisture indoors is to keep them closed on rainy days. If you keep your windows open on days when humidity is high, you risk that humidity entering your house and making camp. If your home does not have good ventilation, this can spell disaster for your walls, furniture, and floorboards. Another useful trick to decreasing humidity in your home is to make a habit of wiping down your windows every day. As soon as you notice water droplets forming on your windows, wipe them down on site. This will spare your windowsills and the walls and floors under them from water damage.
Buy the right houseplant
Having house plants is a great way to spice up any room, but they can also be the cause of some of your home’s humidity. Plants do a great job of purifying the air in your home and are great for mental health. Some plants, however, can do more damage than good. By buying houseplants that act as natural dehumidifiers, you can minimize humidity and keep your home looking great. Plants like lilies, spider plants, or orchids work great in humid climates because they extract moisture from the air. Having a few of these plants sprinkled around the house is a simple, yet effective way to keep your home moisture problems under control.
Keep your home warm in winter
Condensation is a natural occurrence when hot moist air comes into contact with a cold surface. If your home is not heated enough in winter, surfaces like windows and walls will be cold. These cold surfaces work like a magnet for moisture. This creates a problem if you’re trying to get rid of damp puddles around the house. A simple way to combat this is to make sure that your home stays heated at an even warm temperature during colder seasons. Heating your home keeps surfaces staying warm throughout the day. This reduces the amount of condensation and keeps your moisture problems under control.
Avoid drying clothes inside
In order for wet things to get dry, they need to give up their moisture to their surroundings. If you’re hanging up your wet laundry indoors, the moisture has nowhere to go besides the insides of your home. Drying wet laundry tends to take up a lot of space, so finding that space can be difficult in small apartments. If you can help it, try hanging your laundry to dry outside or at least next to an open window. This will both help your laundry dry faster, and minimize the amount of moisture in the air in your home. At the very least, think about investing in a dehumidifier to a place near your laundry.
Place cat litter or Calcium Chloride around the house
The last hack on this list has to do with (clean) cat litter and Calcium Chloride. These two items, which you can easily get at your local pet store or online, work great in reducing indoor moisture. Both clean kitty litter and Calcium Chloride are strong absorbents for water. By keeping them in small bowls around the house, you can drastically improve your home moisture situation. If you already have a cat, opt for Calcium Chloride so as to not confuse them. If you’re using the cat litter, change it every few months or so. If you choose to go for the Chloride, change it as soon as you notice it looking watery.
Moisture problems in the home can be tricky to navigate. The basics of keeping your home humidity at bay require basic knowledge of science. Minimize water damage by keeping your home ventilated and your bathroom under control. Use your windows appropriately to keep the heat in and the moisture out. Get creative with your use of dehumidifiers by using plants or kitty litter. If all else fails, if the damage is too far gone, call a professional and hope for the best!
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