Humidity is considered by many to be one of the worst weather-related occurrences, either indoors or outdoors. Humidity is caused when moisture is in the air and coupling it with a hot summer day can cause clothes to stick to you and overall make for a very unpleasant experience. Humidity is more than just uncomfortable, however. This moisture can get into the air and begin to damage delicate items around the house such as woods and antiques. The last thing you would want is to find out you have to pay thousands of dollars in repairs due to water damage caused by humidity. Here are some expert tips to help you reduce indoor humidity.
Invest in Crawl Space Dehumidifiers
Humidity is not something that instantly damages your furniture and your walls. It is a process that takes a long time and therefore can be dealt with very easily if the right steps are taken properly. Taking that into consideration, however, the areas of your house that are most susceptible to humidity damage would be rooms you rarely go into. An area like a crawl space or an attic is ripe for a build-up of humidity leading to extreme amounts of damage. What can happen if these areas go unchecked? Mold, mildew, and a plethora of other insects and pests will make their homes in these areas and wreak all sorts of havoc. While a standard dehumidifier can help to stop this, you might need to go with something a little more intense.
Crawl space dehumidifiers are meant to be put in areas that are prone to humidity and work on an industrial level. Therefore, these products sacrifice good looks for great efficiency and quality. You can read more here to see which dehumidifier would work great in your attic or crawl space to keep the area safe. The other great thing about these products is that they pool the water they have collected in a bin that can be easily accessed. Ever so often, go up, check this bin, and empty it to keep the dehumidifier from overflowing. Keep your crawl space or attic moisture-free with an industrial level dehumidifier meant for these spaces.
Grow Plants That Absorb Humidity
If you find that there is moisture building up in certain rooms of your house but do not want to stick a dehumidifier in there, there are other options that you can consider. Certain plants like Boston ferns are great at collecting humidity and keeping the air dry. While they are not nearly as effective as a dehumidifier, they are 100% silent and are not big and bulky. These plants also work as great home décor and will increase the appeal of any room that they are stuck in. Take a look into plants that absorb humidity in rooms you do not want to put a dehumidifier.
Exhaust Fans
Areas like the kitchen are prone to humidity due to the sinks and the steam that is released from cooking. If your kitchen does not have an exhaust fan above your stove, now might be the time to look into getting one added. Not only do these fans help to remove any unpleasant odors from cooking, but they also will take away the moisture as well. Another area of your home that needs an exhaust fan in your bathroom. Once again, steam from hot baths and showers will quickly build up and cause mold to grow. Even worse, if your bathroom uses anything other than tiles, this damage can come in quickly, causing hundreds of dollars of damage. Don’t take the risk with these areas in your home, install an exhaust fan and keep things dry.
Clean Your AC Unit
Air conditioning is another great tool that you can use to curb the amount of humidity in your house. However, as units get old, their filters start to deteriorate, and their benefits decrease rapidly. Therefore, ensure that you are checking the filters on the AC unit and maintaining it so that it can do its job and reduce the amount of humidity in the air.
Humidity is a silent killer that will cause mold and mildew to grow in your home. Getting industrial-sized dehumidifiers in less visited areas will keep them dry and safe from damage. In more elegant areas of your house, feel free to grow plants that will keep the moisture out. Finally, make sure to include exhaust fans in rooms with heavy amounts of steam and always make sure you are cleaning your AC unit. When was the last time you checked your attic or crawl space?