Managing Humidity and Controlling Excess Moisture During the Winter

During the winter month's maintaining proper indoor humidity is important for your family's comfort and health. However, excessive humidity and moisture build-up can damage your home and cause health problems if mold and mildew are allowed to grow. Ideally, indoor humidity levels should be in the 30-50 percent range. You can measure humidity with a device called a hygrometer, or using a weather station available at many hardware stores.

Proper Ventilation

Kitchens, bathrooms and laundry rooms are the primary sources of excess humidity in the home. It's important to ensure that these areas of the home are properly ventilated with exhaust fans as needed, and that the fans are vented out of the home and not just to the attic.

Excess Condensation

Condensation occurs when humid air comes in contact with cold surfaces like windows and doors. Having a barrier layer between the indoor and outdoor surfaces is the key to preventing moisture accumulation on cold surfaces. This can be accomplished by installing storm doors and ensuring windows are triple or double paned. Leaving doors open to allow air to circulate and opening drapes and blinds on sunny winter days can also reduce the buildup of excess moisture in the home. Have questions about controlling humidity in your home? Call ABC Plumbing, Sewer, Heating, Cooling and Electric. We're here to help.