How to Properly Manage Humidity in the House?
Is your house comfortable? In order to optimize your comfort, get a hygrometer to verify the relative humidity level. During winter, because of the heating, our houses tend to be too dry. According to Health Canada, during the cold season, the house’s humidity level shouldn’t get below 30%. And during summer, the humidity level shouldn’t rise above 55%. In general, it is recommended to keep it between 40 and 50%.
Problems Caused by Humidity in the House
An excess of humidity can cause damage to the house’s coating as well as to the interior walls by increasing the risk of mildew to form. Health problems such as skin and eye irritation, coughing, sinus congestion, chronic bronchitis or other pulmonary diseases.
What Can You Do When Your House Is Too Humid?
During winter, you need to get this air filled with humidity. There are two ways of doing this. You can wait for a warmer day and open a window to let the air out. Otherwise, an air exchanger will let the dryer air from outside enter. If there is excessive humidity, your windows could be foggy. To solve this problem, you can take off the screen and the windows to let the air through, turn on the kitchen hood and the bathroom ventilation. Then, keep an eye on your hygrometer. Using a dehumidifier set to 50% can be considered as another option.
Problems Caused by a Lack of Humidity in the House
When humidity goes below 30%, some health problems can appear. The most common ones are nose and throat irritation that could lead to nose bleeds and coughing. People with illnesses such as asthma could find themselves struggling to breathe. Also, if you have hardwood floors, you could notice cracking sounds from them.
What Can You Do When Your House Is Too Dry?
During winter, the most efficient way to counter this problem is to use a humidifier that will automatically start in order to maintain a programmed humidity level. During summer, you have to get rid of the humid and sticky air, and reduce the temperature by using at least a ventilator, and air conditioning ideally. The basements are the places that tend to be more humid during summer. In these places, a dehumidifier set to 50% will do.
How Is Insulation Affecting the Humidity Level?
The best way to maintain comfortable warmth and an optimal humidity level is to improve your house’s insulation and airtightness. If you want to know how to eliminate air infiltration in your home, contact one of our experts in insulation.
This article was originally published on May 17, 2022 by François Morissette
François Morissette
M. François Morissette travaille à titre de représentant des ventes chez Isolation Majeau et frère depuis 2012. Ses études en mécanique du bâtiment et son expérience de plus de 7 ans dans le domaine de l'estimation lui ont permis d’acquérir une expertise reconnue et de développer un esprit d'analyse pour tout ce qui concerne les parties mécaniques et l'enveloppe extérieure du bâtiment. Étant au fait des dernières avancées techniques et des nouvelles méthodes de travail dans le domaine de l'isolation, François saura cerner les besoins spécifiques de votre projet d'isolation et assurera un suivi rigoureux tout au long du processus.
