Haunted by Humidity? | Columbia Heating and Cooling Portland, Oregon
Written by Columbia HVAC

Haunted By Humidity? How to Keep Your Home Comfortable

When the weather shifts, humidity can become a serious issue for homeowners. Problems begin when humidity is too high or too low. Undesirable humidity levels can affect the comfort and health of you and your family, as well as the structure of your home.

When humidity is too high, it can cause growth of mold, mildew, and bacteria, which can be very harmful to the respiratory system. It can also cause blistering or peeling of paint, water damage and stains, wood rot, and more.

In the winter months, homeowners are more often plagued with the problem of low moisture. Low humidity, or dry air, can cause dry skin, risk of infection, and other respiratory health problems.

Experts suggest that humidity levels for optimum health and wellness should be somewhere between 40-60%. So, how do you maintain the right level of humidity? Here are three tips to help keep your home healthy and comfortable during any season.

Let Off Some Steam

During the winter, most homeowners have a lack of humidity in their home, and therefore adding moisture to the air is important. Adding humidity reduces your susceptibility to infections and helps protect your respiratory system from dry air.

For chronic dry air problems that permeate your entire home, it may be the best choice to have a whole home humidifier installed. Not only does a whole house humidifier replace the needed moisture, it can actually help you feel warmer during the cold months. Whole house humidifiers can be installed in a new or existing HVAC system.

Breath of Fresh Air

The temperate Northwest climate doesn’t often lead to extremely humid weather, but this doesn’t mean that we are immune to humid households. There are many ways to dehumidify a home. Purchasing a dehumidifier may be a good option if maintaining optimal humidity is a chronic issue, or if you live in an older home.

The most important thing to remember, is to make sure that your HVAC system is in proper working order and work to keep your home well-ventilated in the summer. This can be achieved by using ventilation systems in areas that produce an excess amount of steam.

Know Your Numbers

The humidity levels in your home are dependent on your personal preference, but experts recommend keeping humidity levels somewhere between 40-60%. This percentage represents the amount of moisture in the air of your home.

You can track the humidity levels in your home by purchasing an indoor humidity monitor or hygrometer. This will give you the most accurate measurement of humidity, as well as the amount of condensation and evaporation.

Having problems managing humidity in your home? Give us a call. Columbia Heating and Cooling is proud to offer highly-efficient products from top brands like Carrier. Our heating and cooling experts can help you determine if a whole house humidifier or more efficient HVAC system is the right solution for your unique situation.