How to stop moisture damaging your home. Especially at this time of year.

27 Oct

Written By Claire Horn

When it comes to indoor climate, humidity is a critical consideration. High humidity levels are problematic because they could potentially damage your home.

So what are the solutions? What can you do to stop moisture building up in your home this winter? Let’s take a look:

Install A Dehumidifier

Photo by Beazy on Unsplash

Dehumidifiers are electrically-powered devices that use condensing elements to extract water from the air. They’re great in homes with chronically high humidity. Dehumidifiers collect water in a small tray which you can then empty in the sink. Good products can extract around a litre of water from the atmosphere every hour or so, preventing it from getting into your upholstery or causing mould.

Having a shop on Totnes High Street comes with having a grade 2 listed building and lots of dampness and moisture. So i have two dehumidifiers on the go constantly however. This is so worth it as the water tanks are completely full everyday. Saving a lot of issues with the building.

Insulate Your Water Pipes

Water pipes are a magnet for condensation. Cold pipes cause moisture to condense from the air, just like dehumidifiers. However, because there is no way to collect the water, it eventually finds its way back into the atmosphere, contributing to your damp problem.

The solution is simple: insulate your water pipes with foam. This prevents moisture from forming by creating a cool blanket around the pipes themselves.

If you decide to insulate your pipes, you’ll need to get a professional plumber to do it for you. Usually, pipes are hidden behind your walls and require major renovations to retrofit.

Vent Your Bathroom

Bathrooms are also a magnet for excess moisture. When you take a shower or a bath, steam rises up and permeates the entire room, forming condensation on any cool surface. Over time, damp tiles, windows and furniture begin to rot, reducing your bathroom’s life.

To prevent this, you’ll need to vent your bathroom. Usually, this is done using an extractor fan. The fan whisks humid air out of the bathroom before moisture has time to settle on your surfaces and cause damage.

Reading a guide to effective ventilation in your bathroom can provide you with the basics on what you need to do.

Vent Your Stove

You’ll also want to vent your stove outside as well. Just like bathrooms, stoves typically involve the use of hot water. When you boil a pan on the hob, it creates steam which then escapes into the surrounding atmosphere. If you don’t have an extractor fan in place, the kitchen can become humid and you wind up with all the typical moisture-related problems.

Check Your Clothes Dryer

Is your laundry room steamy after you use the clothes dryer? If so, then you may have a venting issue here as well. If moisture from the clothes can’t escape outside, it’ll flow back into the room, again putting it at risk of damage.

Check the rear of the clothes dryer for damage. Make sure that it is in good condition. If it isn’t, replace it.

Conclusion

Moisture buildup is a consideration in the winter. Greater temperature differentials between indoors and outdoors makes condensation more likely, leading to a higher risk of mould and damp.

You can avoid these issues by keeping your home warm and regularly venting where you can.

Claire Horn http://www.atominteriorstyling.com

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