Signs of Humidity in Home – Mushrooms, Water and More!
You have just returned from a wonderful beach escape filled with endless hours of sunshine, breathtaking scenery, great food, and good times with loved ones. Life is suddenly stress-free – until you arrive back home to find that your floors are squeaking, your windows are foggy, and your skin feels clammy. In fact, the inside of your home feels like a sauna. So, what’s up with that?
High Humidity Signs
It is unfortunately commonplace during the spring and summer months here in the Carolinas, and many people do not realize that humidity can upset the maintenance and well-being of your home just as much as extreme weather, termites, and water damage. Excessive moisture and warmer temperatures can do quite a number in and around your home. It can cause mold and mildew, wood rot, and significant damage to floor joists and your foundation.
Signs of high humidity outside the home include:
Standing water around your home’s perimeter
Mushrooms growing in your yard
Efflorescence growing on the foundation wall
Deterioration of mortar joints
Cracks or separation in your foundation
Signs of high humidity inside the home include:
Creaking and sagging floors
Buckling, cupping or separating hardwoods
Musty and foul smells inside
Cracks in your interior walls
Condensation coming from your HVAC system
Humidity Level Detection
Perhaps the easiest way to detect high humidity levels inside your home is to purchase a relative humidity monitor and then track your home’s humidity levels. These can be found online for under $20. The ideal relative humidity for both health and comfort is in the 40-50 percent range, although as long as your humidity levels remain below 68 percent, you will usually be okay. Depending on your home's age, the humidity levels may need to be slightly lower than 40 percent during winter months to avoid window condensation.
There are also high-tech relative humidity monitors (around $60) that can send the data to a cell phone app and store your home’s humidity history. Regardless of the season, it is a good idea to leave your central air and heat running while you are away on vacation to maintain proper humidity levels. It is also best to keep doors and windows closed when outside humidity levels are exceptionally high. The main causes of high humidity inside your home include poor ventilation in the crawlspace or basement, water intrusion, and possible HVAC system problems.
Proper Humidity Maintenance
Maintaining proper humidity in a crawl space or basement is a bit more complicated. Prevent issues caused by high humidity by installing a dehumidifier in your crawl space or basement. A quality dehumidifier will range from $1,500 to $2,500, depending on the size of your crawl space. This investment can save you thousands in the long run, as cleaning and removing established mold and mildew and replacing rotted floor joists can get very expensive. The good news is that once installed, dehumidifiers require little maintenance other than regularly changing the filters and periodically cleaning the drain lines.
When you think about it, our homes are a lot like we are. Neither of us is very pleased when the humidity levels get too high. So, keep your home’s humidity levels in check. Your home will be happier, and so will you.