Everyone loves to stay in a peaceful and comfortable house. Excessive heating and cooling affect the comfort level in your home, so does the humidity. Water, being the element of life, is present everywhere. It is also an essential constituent of air in the form of humidity around us.
When it comes to comfort in your house, humidity is a considerable aspect that affects it. Like everything, humidity is beneficial at a specific level. An increase or decrease in its normal level can harm you and your property. That’s the reason keeping a normal humidity level in a home is crucial.
But wait! Do you know, “What is the good humidity level for your home?” If no, then don’t worry. We have gathered a lot of information related to the normal humidity level at home, the effect of change in its normal level, and how you can maintain it. So, let’s have a look.
What is The Best Humidity Level for Your Home?
Humidity is the percentage of moisture content present in the air. The humidity level varies from area to area due to various reasons. The change in the level of humidity in your area also affects the humidity in your house.
According to Paradise Developments, the normal humidity level for a house ranges from 25% to 40%. It is an ideal range of humidity in your house. You have to face adverse consequences if the humidity level in your home goes beyond or below 25 to 40%.
Why is the Normal Humidity Level in Home Important?
A normal level of humidity is an utmost requirement for the maintenance of your health and your house. It keeps the floor of your house intact and prevents the paint and pictures from swelling. The growth and reproduction of fungi and mites decrease when the level of humidity is normal in your house.
It was observed in research by the Environmental Health Perspective that the population growth of mites minimizes when the relative humidity is below 40%. It increases with the increase in temperature and becomes maximum at 80%. Also, fungal growth stops when the level of relative humidity drops below 60%. So, the normal humidity level can prevent the production of molds on the walls. Also, the population of allergy-causing mites in your house decreases with humidity.
An appropriate level of humidity in a house also prevents diseases and keeps you in sound health.
· It moistens your respiratory tract that leads to a reduced volume of snoring.
· Appropriate humidity keeps you hydrated and prevents dryness.
· Humidity prevents dry throat and provides you better sleep.
· Humid air improves oxygen intake and reduces fatigue.
Adverse Effects of High Humidity Level in House
Humidity in the air increases due to numerous reasons. Climate is the major cause of the high level of excessive humidity in your house. If you live in an area with high moisture content, your home would also have more humidity. Daily activities, like bathing, cooking, combustion, and breathing can also increase it. Damp rising is also a cause of excessive moisture in your house.
The excessive moisture mixes with the air. When it encounters some cold surface, it condenses and produces water droplets. The windows of your house often get foggy and the walls become too damp due to condensation.
The higher level of humidity in your house can lead to many adverse effects.
- High moisture content in the air leads to increased growth of pathogens that causes allergies and various infections.
- The walls of your house become spotted with mold and mildew. High humidity also leads to excessive sweating, even without any physical activity.
- You may feel stuffy and uncomfortable in your house that has a high moisture level.
Tips to Improve High Humidity Level in House
If your house is combating a high humidity level, the following tips can help you a lot in lowering it:
· A dehumidifier is an ideal appliance for lowering the level of humidity in your house. Installing dehumidifiers in your house can remove the excessive moisture from your house and make your home comfy.
· Placing or considering a Tempstar AC is one tip to improve a house’s high humidity levels. Air conditioning systems remove moisture, so getting an AC with a dehumidifier setting is ideal. Besides considering the AC, ensuring that any bathrooms and kitchens are properly ventilated is essential, as damp environments can cause high humidity levels. Finally, running fans throughout the house can also help to reduce humidity by circulating air and improving ventilation.
· Installing bathroom fans allows better ventilation of your bathroom and eliminates the excessive water vapors after a shower.
· Proper ventilation allows better circulation of air and removes the moist air from your house.
Adverse Effects of Low Humidity Level in House
Low humidity in your house usually results from a decrease in the moisture content due to dry weather conditions. If the level of humidity drops below normal, it can damage your house as well as your health.
Low humidity in your home affects everything that is made of wood. It takes up the moisture from your wooden furniture and floor and distorts it. Dry air also attacks the paint and wallpapers in your house and peels them at the edges of the wall. It also leads to low temperature in your house. Low moisture in your home also makes you feel cold, and you have to spend more on heating your house.
Low humidity not only damages your property but also leads to serious health issues.
- Dry air extracts moisture from your skin making it dry and scratchy.
- It also causes dry throat that leads to an uncomfortable and itchy feeling in your respiratory tract.
- Dry air reduces the moisture in your eyes which makes your eyes more susceptible to infections and allergies.
According to a research paper by NCBI, dry air accompanied by dust can irritate the mucus lining of the respiratory tract and make it susceptible to microbes. It also leads to excessive evaporation through the skin that causes nervous tension and weakness even in a healthy person.
Tips to Improve Low Humidity Level in House
Maintenance of a low humidity level in a home is not difficult. The following tips can assist you in this task:
- Installing humidifiers in a house keeps the air moist. Humidifiers add water vapors to the air and improve the moisture content of your home.
- Leave the door of your bathroom open after showering. The water vapors from your bathroom move to surround rooms and make them humid.
- Air dry your clothes. It will leave moisture in your house and improve the humidity.
Final Verdict
Humidity plays a key role in the maintenance of your health and your house. A better understanding of normal humidity levels in the home prepares you to make the right choice while combating high or low humidity levels. Maintain an appropriate humidity level in your house and enjoy a healthy life.
