THE IMPORTANCE OF HUMIDITY LEVELS AT HOME

YOU MAY THINK you lead an active and outgoing lifestyle, but the fact remains that you still spend a great deal of your time indoors, most often at home. While your home may have a heating and cooling system that you believe is sufficient for your needs, one area of your home's indoor climate you may know little about is the humidity level. Humidity levels in a home are important for many reasons, and controlling the humidity can help you stay healthier, reduce energy expenses, and even protect your possessions.

WHAT IS HUMIDITY?

Humidity is the amount of moisture in the air, and you most often hear about it in relation to the weather forecast. Especially humid days can feel oppressive and muggy, while days during which the humidity level is low can make you feel overly thirsty or itchy because your skin becomes more dry. Moisture in the air is important both indoors and out because it promotes a healthy balance for plants, animals, and people alike. Humidity is a seasonal atmospheric condition outdoors, and there is usually a significantly higher level of humidity in late spring through early fall, when temperatures are higher and rainfall occurs more often. During the winter, the air is the most dry and devoid of moisture, which means a definite lack of humidity.

THE EFFECT OF HUMIDITY LEVELS AT HOME

There is a proper level of humidity that should be maintained within your home. When the humidity is too high or too low, it can cause various effects on both you and your home itself (including the contents). High levels of humidity cause excess moisture to seep into wood, sheetrock, plastic, concrete, and other porous surfaces in your home, where it can create the ideal breeding ground for mold, mildew, and bacteria. Low humidity levels cause exceptionally dry conditions to exist, where static can build up and porous materials can become brittle and sustain damage. Humidity levels also affect the energy efficiency of your heating and cooling equipment because the humidity level can have a direct impact on the interior temperature in your home. Too much or not enough moisture can create inaccurate temperature readings by your thermostat, causing your heating and cooling system to work harder than it needs to. As for how humidity levels can affect you personally, if your throat frequently feels dry and scratchy, this is likely caused by an inadequate humidity level. If you feel stuffy and congested without a cold being the cause, the culprit is probably a humidity level that is too high.

CONTROLLING HUMIDITY AT HOME Your heating and cooling system should already have humidity controls built in, but you may find the humidity levels to be higher or lower than you need to maintain a comfortable and healthy indoor climate at home. During warmer months when the humidity can be naturally high, you can use a dehumidifier to remove some of the moisture from the air. Conversely, during colder months, a humidifier can be used to increase the moisture level in your home's air. Experts recommend a humidity level of between 35% and 45% to maintain a healthy environment, both for your family and for your home and its contents. When you regularly monitor your humidity levels, you can make adjustments as needed to keep the humidity at a level that is the most comfortable for you.

DID YOU KNOW?

When humidity is high, it feels "hotter" because your skin reduces the effectiveness of sweating. Therefore, it is not able to cool your body by reducing the rate of evaporation of moisture from the skin.