Our daily lives include us breathing in a wide range of particles. Everything from mold, to dust and even toxic cleaning chemicals in public restrooms or gyms. These particles are looking for the right environment to breed, an environment that is humid allowing them to grow and multiply. This can end up with you and your family becoming ill as they take over your living environment and claim it as their own. Using a good portable dehumidifier in your home can control the air moisture. Eliminating these bacteria and spores from forming and colonizing, ensuring that you never have to worry about your health or that of your family. If you are reading this and wondering how to tell if your home is too humid, then look for these six signs that your home could benefit from a dehumidifier.
- Mold
Mold is easy to spot because it stains walls and lifts up the paintwork. Look around the rooms of your home, paying particular attention to the roof. If you see any dark spots, then chances are that you have mold spores growing. The reason for your bathroom being the first place to start your search of your home for humidity symptoms is that it is the room with the shower. As steam rises from the shower it needs to be exhausted from the room via means of a fan, or an open window. If the room is enclosed with no fan, then the moisture will build up and create the optimal conditions for the spread of toxic, black mold. Maintenance is important with your new unit you can learn all about dehumidifier maintenance here.
Other areas in the home that may also be places to look for signs of mold would be the garage, laundry room, and basement. These areas are usually cool and dark if you add humidity into the environment, they it will be a matter of time before the mold shows up.
It’s best to run a portable dehumidifier in a room such as this to reduce the relative humidity back to the 45-55% range in order to stop the spread of the mold spores and eliminate it completely from your home.
- Suspect odours
If you have noticed a musty or stale smell in your room, then the chances are high that there are mold or mildew spores present. These spores are incredibly bad for your health and can lead to severe respiratory issues as they are breathed into your lungs. People with asthma and allergies will be very sensitive to this and may experience flares in their conditions from the spores in the air.
Find the source of the mold and remove it immediately, then use an ozone machine to re-condition the air. After the mold is gone and the environment remediated, use a dehumidifier to prevent the issue from re-occurring. If the mold and mildew are in your laundry room, check the appliances for signs of infestation, as the spores may also get into your clothes.
- Condensation
If you have noticed that the windows of your home have beads of condensation on them, then the relative humidity in your home is far too high and requires immediate dehumidifying. Humidity is the source of the issues we have described above and it is best to get the living environment under control before mold or parasites start to show up.
There are many reasons that your home could be excessively humid, everything from the environment outside, to poor building materials used in the homes construction, or even a burst or leaking water pipe that may be rotting away inside the walls.
Whatever the reason, take charge of the situation with a portable dehumidifier while you look for the source of the problem.
- Run-off water
If you live in an area that is prone to heavy rains or storms, then you should check the rooms in your house after a heavy downpour. Start with the basement and work your way through every room looking for signs that water may be entering your home. Dried water stains are a sign that there is water entering the room and a dehumidifier should be set up to absorb and extra moisture in the air while the room dries out.
Once the room is dry, call a handyman service to seal the affected room properly and prevent the situation from happening in the next storm. You can view more information with our published dehumidifier manual.
- Wood rot
Wood is a material that is very sensitive to water and changes in environmental relative humidity. Wood absorbs moisture in the air around it, that’s why you may find a door sticks in the jamb after a few days of heavy rains. If wood holds onto moisture for too long, it will become sodden and eventually start to rot away.
This plays havoc with furniture, floors, ceilings, window frames and anywhere else you may find a wooden fitting. Other pests will show up for an easy meal, bugs like termites will chew away your home right from under you. If you have begun to notice the first stages of rot in any wooden items in your home, then it is safe to say that you have a humidity problem that needs to be taken care of before it literally rots your home away.
Using a portable dehumidifier will remove moisture from the air and help the wood dry out. If any of your furniture or windows are affected, either replace or recondition them to make sure that the rot does not spread.
- Allergies
If you suffer from allergies, then a humid environment is the last thing you want in your home. Room conditions that exceed humidity levels of 55% place stress on the lungs causing respiratory stress which may lead to asthma attacks.
Allergies can also flare up as the air is filled with tiny spores from mildew and mold, along with parasites such as dust mites that thrive in humid conditions.
Take care of your health with a dehumidifier and run it in the room to clear the air of all harmful bacteria and parasites. Most dehumidifier models will also come with an air ionizer that filters and cleans the air as it removes the moisture, pushing nothing but clean, pure air back into the room.
Conclusion
A dehumidifier is a great solution that allows you to take back control of a humid living environment. However, it should not be substituted for adequate home maintenance that will prevent the majority of these issues from occurring in the first place. If you live in an are that has high humidity, such as near the coastline, then a portable dehumidifier is a must for your home to prevent disease in your family and degradation of your home. You can learn more About Us here or why not Contact Us today and let us help with any queries you may have.
