Proper House Humidity Levels

Do you realize the importance of house humidity levels in your home? You may feel uncomfortable if your home humidity level gets too high. That can cause your house to feel stuffy and your skin may even begin to feel clammy. Managing your humidity levels has many benefits, including making your home feel more comfortable. Perhaps even more importantly, it can help you remain in good health.

Problems Caused by an Excessively High Home Humidity Level

Perhaps the greatest problem caused by excessively high humidity in the home is the growth of mold. Mold often grows in damp places, especially damp, warm places. There are many different types of mold that can be found growing in homes across the U.S., and while some cause more health problems than others, none of them are good for your health. Some of the health problems associated with mold in the home include runny nose, coughing, sneezing, sore throat, itchy eyes, asthma attacks or the development of asthma in someone that did not previously have any symptoms of the condition, respiratory tract infections, dizziness, depression and exhaustion.

If the above list of health problems hasn’t convinced you that maintaining the proper house humidity levels is important, consider that excessively high humidity levels also make a home feel stuffy and uncomfortable and often cause an unpleasant musty smell in a house. Mold can also ruin furniture like sofas and stuffed armchairs.

Problems Caused by an Excessively Low Home Humidity Level

While excessively high house humidity levels can cause problems, excessively low humidity levels are not good, either. Very low levels of humidity can cause very dry skin and very chapped lips. Many people develop dry skin on their hands in the winter because there is less moisture in cold air than in warm air, meaning there are lower levels of humidity in winter than in summer. Very low humidity can cause your mouth to feel dry and may lead to throat irritation.

Excessively low humidity can also damage household goods, including furniture and musical instruments. It can cause wood to warp. It can cause paint on walls or furniture to crack and peel.

The Optimal Home Humidity Level

Experts say the best level of humidity in the home is usually between 35 and 45 percent. House humidity levels in that range will be low enough to help prevent the growth of mold but high enough to prevent chapped skin and damage to household goods. People generally feel most comfortable when the humidity in a room is kept within that range, as well.

Controlling Your Home Humidity Level

Controlling the humidity level in your home allows you to feel comfortable, helps prevent the development of mold and helps protect your home and furnishings. You can control the humidity in your home by using air conditioning during very hot weather and by installing a humidifier and/or dehumidifier in your home if necessary.

Before you decide to purchase a humidifier and/or dehumidifier, though, you need to find out what the humidity level in your home is on most days. That way you’ll have the information you need in order to determine whether you need such appliances and if so, to help you select the best ones for your needs. The best way to discover the current humidity levels in your home is to use a hygrometer. A hygrometer measures the humidity in the air and displays the data on an LCD screen. Some will store data in memory so you can see the highs and lows of humidity in your home over a period of time.

The best all-around Hygrometer on the market is made by Ambient Weather. It is easy to use and reasonably priced. Follow this link to learn more about our top rated Ambient Weather Hygrometer On Amazon.com.

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