The environment surrounding you, be it at home or any other place, plays a crucial role in your physical and mental well-being. Still, many people pay less attention to controlling the quality of air inside their homes. Depending on where you live, the climate can significantly impact the humidity levels within your home. At first, you may not notice any issues, but the cons of wet air will start showing up as time passes by.
Even in the absence of a hot and humid climate, humidity always finds a way into your house. In fact, areas such as kitchens and bathrooms produce a significant amount of water vapors contributing to indoor humidity. Moisture in your garden can also significantly increase the level of moisture flowing into your home via open windows. Without limiting the increase in moisture, you can suffer health issues such as respiratory allergies and risk your home’s structure. Listed below are five reasons why humidity is terrible for your home and health.
Moisture causes mold growth
If there’s something that mold particularly likes, it’s humid and damp areas. So, if you don’t control humidity and moisture levels indoors, you’ll be inviting mold into your home. This fungus can easily cause asthma, especially in children and the elderly, and lead to skin allergies. Along with mold, mildew also starts to grow in white or grey patches, compared to the darker colors of mold. In addition to health issues, both of these fungi make your house look dirty. What’s worse is that mold not only reduces the appeal but also causes damage, as the fungi eventually digest any material it starts to grow on. But, by employing some home DIY hacks and care, you can prevent the growth of mold.
If things get out of hand, it’s best to call in experts for inspection and damage control. A quick search on the internet can help you shortlist a few companies to ring up. For instance, if you live in Orange County, search for ‘best Orlando mold remediation services ‘on the internet, and voila! If you live in a state or city that has a humid climate or experiences frequent storms. You might want to keep a few contacts readily available.
Uncontrolled humidity causes health issues
Mold isn’t the only problem arising from humidity that leads to health issues. There are many more ways moisture in the air can harm your health. Microorganisms like bacteria thrive in humid conditions. As a result, you’ll have an increased chance of getting sick. Moreover, some people may suffer from severe allergies due to moist conditions. In worse cases, children and older adults can develop asthma, which is detrimental to their health.
However, as mentioned earlier, controlling humidity means maintaining a balance between two extremes. Low humidity can also create health issues. Studies have shown that viruses such as the influenza virus are more likely to infect people in less humid conditions. In fact, less humidity can also stop the immune response of our bodies against these viruses. So, not only will you get sick, but you will also remain sick for a greater number of days, all because of not controlling humidity.
Humidity causes structural damage in homes
Moisture and humidity can also cause damage to the structure of your house. Almost every material used on your home is most likely to be damaged by water. Especially if you have any items made of wood, such as furniture, floor, or even walls, it’s best to start controlling humidity as soon as possible. Over time, wood absorbs the moisture in the air, which causes it to expand. When moisture drops, the wood consequently loses moisture, shrinking in size. As a result, anything made of wood will become uneven, leading to cracks.
Moreover, wall paint and wallpaper are also easily damaged by moisture. Similar to wood, paint can crack while wallpaper can curl and fall. This will also reduce the attractiveness of your interior. You can use moisture-resistant materials, but if the humidity exceeds a certain level, it won’t help.
Moisture affects electronics
We all protect valuable electronic items such as phones from contact with water. Moisture in the air can cause damage in a similar way to water. Electronics are costly investments, which makes it even more important to protect them. Over time, moisture in the air can make its way into electronics, leading to unrepairable damage. Humidity can cause electronics to corrode and malfunction.
Humidity leads to bug infestations
Apart from mold and bacteria, damp interiors also invite all sorts of pests and bugs. If you’ve noticed an increase in bug activity around your house, it’s a sign that you need to control moisture. Many insects may even bring in harmful bacteria or viruses, consequently leading to more health-related issues.
An insect that can be hard to get rid of is the bed bug. Attracted by humidity, these bugs make their way onto your beds, causing health issues such as impetigo and ecthyma. Not to mention, these bugs can make it difficult to sleep because of the continuous biting, leading to insomnia and anxiety. However, controlling humidity levels will cause bed bugs to quickly die out, as they do not survive in dry conditions.
Furthermore, the number of dust mites in the air can also rise significantly because of high moisture levels. In fact, moisture is what the dust mites thrive on. Dust mites can also easily cause allergies and poor health conditions.
Conclusion
Air quality plays a significant role in keeping you healthy while also keeping the house in excellent condition. Humidity is perhaps one of the most critical factors that determine air quality. The better you regulate your indoor moisture levels, the better the air quality. This article went over a few harmful effects of not maintaining humidity at nominal levels. These include mold growth, damage to your home’s structure, and numerous health issues. If you want to avoid all these problems, look up a few tips on the internet to help you out.
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