But what exactly is the ideal humidity level in a home?
In this article, we’ll share the best humidity level you should maintain your home at, discuss a few tips to keep your indoor spaces within this range and go over the impact of having imbalanced humidity levels.
What’s the Ideal Humidity Range for a Home?
The ideal humidity level in your home is best expressed as a range: if you are between 30% and 50% humidity, you are in the right place.
This range is the sweet spot where the sensation is extremely comfortable for the vast majority of people. It’s too dry for mold growth, but there is still enough humidity to prevent dry skin and airborne allergens.
When humidity in your home goes below 30% it can result in dry skin, plus it can also increase the number of allergens floating around. When humidity levels exceed 50%, it can create good enough conditions for mold to grow and proliferate around your home.
The Impact of Low Humidity on Your Health
As we mentioned in the previous section, humidity levels can actually cause specific symptoms, including dry skin.
This is not a problem when it’s acute, in other words, only occurs once. However, a home that’s within any extreme humidity level will likely remain the same if there is no conscious effort to change.
Dry Skin
Dry skin is one of the biggest symptoms of low indoor humidity. Over an extended period, this can deteriorate your skin and cause it to crack open.
While it’s true that cold air is drier, heating up your home isn’t necessarily the most efficient or cost-effective way to increase humidity. Instead, having an HVAC system that can monitor and control humidity in your home may be the best choice.
Allergies
Drier indoor spaces have a higher number of allergens floating around, which can increase the chances of a reaction in people with skin and respiratory allergies.
When humidity is at the right level, light particles may not be able to float as freely in the denser atmosphere, which can help reduce the chances of an allergic reaction.
Respiratory Issues
In people with asthma and other respiratory conditions, a higher number of airborne particles and allergens can represent a much higher risk of serious respiratory issues.
Severe asthma attacks and similar incidents can lead to hospitalization and the need for additional treatment that can be both costly and impractical.
How Does Humidity Affect Your Home?
While your family’s health is the most important, it’s also worth noting the humidity can also impact your material belongings as well as your property as a whole.
If your indoor space is too dry, the wood accents, furniture, and drywall in your home may shrink and lose their shape over time.
This is due to the high concentrations of water in wood and similar materials, which means that they can’t maintain the correct shape once they lose a certain amount of moisture.
Having high humidity indoor levels may be even more dangerous as this can promote the growth and proliferation of mold, mildew, and dust mites in your home.
These, in turn, can damage insulation, walls, and upholstery, all while potentially causing an array of separate health issues.
4 Effective Tips for Maintaining the Right Humidity Levels at Home
There are many steps you can take to help control your indoor spaces and keep them at the right humidity levels. Here are some ideas.
Use a Dehumidifier
The first and most common tip is to use a dehumidifier. While this can only lower humidity in the environment, it still provides control and is often enough to bring you back within the range unless you live somewhere dry.
Seal Windows and Doors
The outside environment plays a huge role in your humidity levels. The good news is that you can seal windows and doors to help reduce heat loss and improve the efficiency of your humidity control system.
Monitor Indoor Humidity with a Hygrometer
A hygrometer is a device used to measure humidity in your home. They are often present in thermostats, so if you have an HVAC system, you may already be able to monitor humidity levels in your home.
If not, you should purchase a digital hygrometer or upgrade your HVAC system to a model that comes with this device. indoors
Install a Humidity Control System
Modern manufacturers include the ability to control humidity levels in new HVAC units. Therefore, installing a new cooling and heating system is likely the best way to keep your home within the best humidity levels.
High Humidity: Signs and How to Address It
High humidity levels can become a serious issue because they can lead to mold and mildew growth. Common signs to look out for include:
- Musty odors
- Condensation on walls
- Rotting wood around your home
- Pest infestations
- Dark spots on walls and ceilings
The best way to address excess moisture is by installing a cooling and heating system that allows for accurate and effective humidity control.
Contact an HVAC Professional to Ensure a Comfortable Winter
Maintaining the right humidity levels can help keep your home in good condition and your family safe and healthy. As long as you keep your home within the 30% to 50% range, you’ll avoid issues like dry skin and cracks in the wood in your house.
There are many tips you can follow to keep your indoor spaces safe, including using a humidifier, sealing windows, and monitoring humidity levels. That said, the best way to take this issue off your to-do list is to install a system that monitors humidity and automatically adjusts it to the right level.
Contact DR Jordan, and our team of HVAC experts can help answer any questions you may have about controlling indoor humidity levels.
