Anyone who lives in the Austin area knows that summer usually brings about super-high humidity, that nasty “air you can wear” feeling. Your skin’s clammy and the sweat won’t evaporate. While this is natural if you’re outdoors, you shouldn’t feel this uncomfortable indoors – and all that excess moisture can be bad for your health and your home. There are several things you can do to reduce humidity levels, and insulation is one of them!
Excess humidity can result in mold and mildew infestations which can be dangerous to your health and are especially troublesome for those with allergies or respiratory issues.
High humidity levels in your central Texas home can also cause:
- Swelling or warped wood
- Rust and corrosion of metal fixtures
- Damage to fabrics caused by mildew
- Damage to items stored in crawl or storage spaces (molded or mildewed clothing, rusted tools, etc.)
Did you know that high humidity levels are also the #1 contributing factor to problems with electronics? It’s true.
Aside from all of the damage and health issues excess humidity can cause, no one wants to feel like they’re in a sauna all summer long when they should be enjoying a cool, comfortable, and healthier home. There are several things you can do to keep humidity levels within the recommended range of 50 to 60%. These include:
- Take shorter showers to prevent the build-up of steam and heat.
- Consider drying your clothes on a line outdoors to avoid using the clothes dryer as much as possible.
- Take care of any water leaks under sinks or in the plumbing system.
- Use exhaust fans when possible.
- Replace the air filter on your HVAC system regularly.
- When cooking, use the exhaust fan. This will vent moisture caused by steam.
- Make sure you have your A/C serviced, as it works to not only cool your home but reduce humidity levels.
- Consider using a dehumidifier to pull excess moisture out of the air.
In addition to these simple things, good insulation can help significantly in controlling humidity in your home because it helps hold your home’s ambient temperature. This simply means that you can more easily keep the temperature level and avoid fluctuations in moisture and humidity. It’s important to have a sufficient amount of insulation not