MOISTURE AND WATER PROBLEMS IN THE HOME

By Jerome Quinn
SawHorse, Inc.

It has been raining for days, and your basement is flooded. This is an obvious problem with an obvious solution - fix the leak! The potential damage is also apparent, and so more than likely, you are going to seek an immediate solution.

However, more often than a leaky basement, many homeowners have a less obvious problem that is potentially just as dangerous - moisture vapor caused from poor humidity control.

Poor humidity control is responsible for your house being too dry in the winter and too moist in the summer. When the humidity level outside your house is higher than the inside (typically in the summer), the moisture in the air wants to equalize, and it finds ways to move into your home. This combined with the moisture that enters the air through normal daily routine, like bathing and cooking, create a home environment with a higher than desired relative humidity (RH).

The first threat that high moisture content in a home poses is mold, and its danger is two-fold. First, mold can ruin furniture, carpet and fabrics in the home, as well as damage sheet rock and insulation in the walls of a home. This problem can be expensive to clean and repair, and if the humidity issue is not resolved, the mold will return. The more serious results of mold are the health related; mold can cause or worsen allergy and asthma symptoms, and in extreme conditions, mold can be toxic.

Another danger of high humidity in the home is dust mites. Dust mites are microscopic organisms that thrive in homes, living off of dead skin cells left behind on furniture, upholstery and carpet. The waste they produce is a major cause of allergies and asthma. Many people probably don’t associate moisture problems with dust mites, but there is a definite correlation. Dust mites must have a humid environment to live.

So how do you know if you have a problem with humidity? One of the obvious signs is condensation on your windows. While this may not always indicate water vapor problems, if you consistently notice condensation, chances are, you do. You can test for RH quite easily by purchasing an inexpensive meter called a hygrometer at a hardware store. What you should be shooting for is RH below 60 percent; the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recommends a RH between 30 - 50 percent.

If you discover that you do have a problem with humidity in your home, there are several remedies. First, you want to make sure that your house is sealed with sufficient wall insulation and proper weather stripping and flashing around doors and windows. When your house is sealed against air leakage, the humidity can’t get in or out as fast, and your house stays more comfortable and energy efficient.

You also want to make sure that you have proper ventilation to the outside of the home from the kitchen, bathrooms and laundry room. Moisture should have a proper pathway so that it doesn’t get trapped and collect inside the home.

You can use a dehumidifier to reduce the level of humidity in your home, but realize that this is treating the symptom and not addressing the cause of moisture in the home.

Proper humidity in the home is important - not just for the home’s structure, but for the well being of those living in the home.

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