In Canada, homeowners experience noticeable changes due to home humidity in the summer. The ideal humidity for a home in summer is between 30% and 50%. As humidity levels rise, you’ll begin to feel the effects, not only in your body but in your living space as well.
At RB Heating ClimateCare, we help families across Kemptville, Ontario to manage heat and humidity in the summer. Here, we’ll talk a bit about how to lower humidity in your home in the summer and how humidity in the summer can affect your home.
Strange Smells
Unfortunately, high humidity areas are perfect for bacterial growth and mold spores. If you notice strange smells coming from anywhere in your home, it could be a sign of both. Mold growths, especially, need to be treated quickly, as they can lead to deterioration of the home and foundation.
Keeping a comfortable humidity level in your house in summer reduces the risk of bacterial growth and keeps strange smells at bay.
Sticking Doors and Windows
Wood expands with heat and condensation. When humidity levels rise, so do the sizes of doors and windows. You may notice you can’t get your window to close all the way, or doors get stuck easily and need to be pushed and pulled on to get open.
If left unchecked humidity can permanently warp the wood in doors and windows, causing sealing issues. This could lead to leaky windows.
Peeling Paint and Paper
Humidity causes moisture to collect on your walls. This leads to damage over time, including peeling paint and wallpaper. You may also notice finish peeling off wood tables and other surfaces around your home.
Sadly, once this process begins, it’s difficult to correct without repainting or repapering. It’s best to nip the problem in the bud by avoiding high humidity when possible.
Humidity Fixes
If your home suffers from high humidity levels in the summer, there are a few ways to counteract the excess moisture in the air, such as:
- Turning on the AC: Your AC unit does more than cool your home during the hot summer season, it also removes moisture from the air. This moisture drains through the condensate pan under the unit’s evaporator coil.
- Trying a Dehumidifier: An obvious fix for a humid home in the summer is a dehumidifier. These machines soak up moisture in the air by passing air over refrigerated coils.
- Monitoring Water-based Activities: Cooking, cleaning, laundry, and other activities using water in your home add to the humidity levels throughout the day. Shorten shower times and cut back to deep cleaning your home every second or third day to minimize moisture in the air.
- Calling an Expert: Your home heating and cooling company knows more about dehumidifying a home than you might realize. At RB Heating ClimateCare, we specialize in air quality, including humidifiers and dehumidifiers. Feel free to consult with us if you’re unsure which product is best for you.
Contact RB Heating ClimateCare To Tackle Summer Humidity Today
Looking for more information about humidity, its effects on your home and what can be done to improve it this Summer? Contact our team today.
