Humidity and the Damage It Can Cause to Your Home

Humidity can cause a lot of problems if not dealt with accordingly. Allowing excess moisture to accumulate in your household can not only cause you problems, but end up costing you a lot of money. Not only that, it can lead to and affect ongoing health problems as well. We have put together a list of the damage, problems and issues that can arise due to high humidity, and help give you guys an early warning.

Wall Problems

One of the main problems high humidity levels cause is drywall soaking up the moisture like a sponge. This allows mold not only to build up but to grow and expand and the money to repair this can cost you greatly. It can also lead to the walls becoming very dank and flaking away over time.

Air Quality, Health and Allergies

Humidity and its composition makes it the perfect breeding ground for bacteria and other nasty contaminants. Trapped moisture within your home is not good for you at all, even your pets can suffer. In particular, humidity can cause problems for those with respiratory, allergy and asthma problems because of the mold, dust mites and bacteria that can potentially be inhaled (dust mites are in fact one of the most common triggers of asthma and allergies). Decreasing the level of moisture in your house will keep you safer from illnesses and help you breathe easier.

Paint and Wallpaper Damage

Paint and wallpaper can be damaged by moisture in the air. Around your home you may notice your wallpaper or paint looks like it is cracking or bubbling. Or in more humid areas such as your bathroom in particular, you might notice your paint or wallpaper is beginning to peel or look stretched. Why is this? Well this is because a high level of humidity and its moisture can and will dissolve the paints/wallpapers bond on the wall, as well as affecting the paint itself.

Floor and Carpet Issues

High humidity levels could also have you pulling your hair out over floor damage and repairs. Rot spots can appear in wooden floors, which will need to be replaced. The moisture can also create mildew and mold in your carpet which is annoyingly tricky to diagnose and a real struggle to fix; carpet has often needed to be stripped bare and completely replaced if the problem escalates.

Electrical Damage

A high humidity level can cause condensation in electric items, not only could this become costly, its also a safety hazard.

Smells

You already know that humidity can lead to mold, fungus and mildew. But you need to take note of the unpleasant musty smells that will develop as a result.

Sleeping Discomfort

High humidity levels can also cause you discomfort in your sleep, as some of you will have already experienced. Especially on hot days when humidity is rife in these situations.

The Bottom Line

This is where a dehumidifier can come in handy. Dehumidifiers essentially remove excess moisture from the air before pumping it back out at room temperature. Warm humid air goes in, hot air passes over cold coils, water condenses and drips into a fill tray, room temperature air is pumped out.

I strongly advise at least looking into purchasing a dehumidifier if you suffer from any of the above problems (especially allergy and asthma sufferers) or if your home is showing evidence of damp or any of the problems developing. They can save you a lot of money and time that would otherwise have gone on fixing the examples above.