In your home, it is important to maintain a proper humidity level. When there is too little humidity, this can cause damage to wood furniture, or dry skin/chapped lips. When this happens, consider purchasing a humidifier. On the flip side, too much moisture makes your home a breeding ground for mold. This can lead to serious health issues. In this situation, you will want to purchase a Dehumidifier.
How do i know my homes humidity levels? You may purchase a Hygrometer for roughly $10, which will tell you the percentage of humidity in your home. A Hygrometer can measure the moisture in a room. The disadvantage is that it cant detect if there is moisture in corners, or walls in your home. Not every room is created equally. You can have a bedroom at a comfortable level, but the walk in closet could be at higher levels.
There are other signs of excess moisture in your home. If you pay attention to windows and glass doors for condensation, or corners of walls for mold spots
What should my humidity levels be at? the average/comfortable humidity level is about 40%. Nothing above 50%. It is important to understand that levels can change throughout the year. Once you have detected moisture, immediately discontinue using a humidifier, and look for other issues that could be causing the moisture/humidity. Sometimes a humidifier is too large for a room. This may cause the moisture on a window sill, and eventually rot the wooden casings, which will eventually cause mold.
What causes excess humidity/ moisture in my home? There are a number of factors. Some of our daily activities can cause this. For example, washing dishes, running the washer/dryer, taking a shower, and just sweating can cause excess moisture. Other factors could be leaks from pipes. Or the moisture from the ground can rise through the pores in the bricks.
My home is older, and I don’t have bathroom vents. Am I at risk of mold? If your bathroom doesn’t have fans to divert steam and humidity, you are at risk of mold. You may notice mold under or around the toilet, on the walls or ceilings, surrounding the shower. This is a great area to spot black mold, which causes serious health risks.
Where are the most common places I’d find moisture? The most common places affect by trapped moisture would be storage area’s, your basement, closets and garages. If your home is older, you may have some moisture dripping from the windows throughout the home. This can be caused by faulty window seals or rotting casings. You will want to consider replacing your windows, frames, insulation and sheetrock. Basically, anything that has gotten wet should be replaced.
Why does it smell musty in my basement? If you notice a musty smell in your garage, basement or crawl space, you may have had moisture at one time, and it wasn’t properly removed. Or you may have a continuous problem.
If you notice the musty odor in your laundry room, or in your towels and bedding, this could be a sign of a problem with a high-efficiency or front load washer. These machines may be more efficient, however, many front load washers tend to have mold issues.
Have you ever noticed grayish water level marks in your basement? This could be from recurring spring water run off, or something worse. You will want to investigate further why your basement is prone to water. Does the concrete need to be reparsed and sealed? Maybe its just that your home was built in a low plain. It would be worth investing in a dehumidifier and plan ahead if you hear there is supposed to be heavy rain falls.
What should I look for when buying a home in regards to moisture and water issues? Use your senses. Look in the corners and the ceilings of rooms for mold, especially in the bathroom. When investigating the basement, look for water level marks, as previously mentioned. Check out the closets, baseboards and windows for water stains and mold. Pay attention to the sent. Does it smell musty? Does it smell like a fresh coat of paint, or overly fragrant? These tend to mask the odor of issues in a home.
When purchasing a home, the owner is required to disclose any water damage that has happened to the property, and what remedial action was taken. However, it would be wise to bring a professional with you, to inspect it for underlying issues. They will be able to provide you with an estimate of possible costs to remedy the situation.
When you are dealing with water, mold and moisture issues, trust the experts, like Crew Construction and Restoration, to get the job done. This is what we do day in and day out. This can be a stressful situation. Our team of professionals will work directly with your insurance, and make life a little easier.
Call Crew Construction And Restoration today!
