Hack Your Home: Top Tips to Resolve Indoor Humidity Issues

If you have indoor humidity issues, then you know that having too much humidity can cause condensation on windows, moldy bathrooms, wet stains on ceiling and walls along with a musty smell. These conditions are more likely to occur when temperatures reach summertime highs outside. Here are some tips for reducing the amount of humidity inside your home.

Have Your Air Conditioner Checked

When the air conditioner is working correctly it can help keep the humidity between 40 and 50 percent, which is where you will feel most comfortable. If the air conditioner team spots any problem, then get an ac system repair done as soon as possible. Make sure that your air conditioner’s fan is set to on instead of automatic. This helps keep moisture out of your environment because it gives the unit time to drain properly outside. When you choose auto instead, then the moisture in the air is blown across the cooling coils and into your home when the unit is not actively cooling.

Cook with Lids on

In order to reduce the humidity in your home, cook with the lids on pans whenever possible. The great news is that your meals will cook faster when you cover pots with lids, so you can eat faster. Putting a lid on a pan helps to keep the heat in the pan instead of releasing it into your home. It also creates a more uniform temperature in the pan. Additionally, always cook with the exhaust fan on as it will pull any released moisture up and out of your home.

Use Bathroom Exhaust Fans

If you have ever been guilty of forgetting to turn the exhaust fan on when you took a shower, then you know that your bathroom can get very humid in a hurry. Instead of counting on people to remember, consider installing an automatic exhaust fan designed to sense the amount of humidity in the air and turn it on when needed. Additionally, make sure that your exhaust fan is the right size for your bathrooms. Consider installing them in other areas of your home where humidity builds up like laundry and fitness rooms. Finally, there should be a gap under the doors in rooms where humidity builds up to allow fresh air to enter the room.

Install Laminate or Hardwood Floors

Carpet traps moisture in your home. Think about removing it and installing hardwood or laminate flooring in your home to reduce the humidity. Installing a barrier between the flooring and the covering can help eliminate humidity problems in your home. Look for options that are impermeable, like foil-faced fiberglass batting, polypropylene-faced XPS or foil-faced polyisocyanurate rigid foam. If redoing all the floors in your home is not an option right now, consider starting with those right above the home’s crawl space.

Controlling humidity in your home will make it last longer and be more comfortable. Use these tips and your own ingenuity to lower the humidity levels in your home.