Do you know how dampness affects your home’s air quality?
Winter is synonymous with increased dampness in the home. As temperatures drop, the air loses its capacity to retain water vapor and reaches saturation point faster. This increase in dampness can have profound implications, not only for your home. It contributes to the degradation of the building or the furniture, but also to your health, due to the development of fungus and dust mites that are prone to cause respiratory infections.
Continue reading this article and find out what the effects of dampness on your health are and how to maintain humidity levels at values considered to be appropriate.
In most homes, the most humid areas are bathrooms and kitchens because bathing and cooking release the most water vapor. However, all areas of the house are subject to an increase in dampness. Human breathing, the presence of animals and plants, and the use of some appliances that release water vapor, such as dryers and irons, among others, are factors that can influence this increase.
So what should be the ideal dampness level inside your home?
Too much humidity can have serious implications for your health, but excessively dry air is no less harmful. Therefore, the relative humidity of the air, that is, the amount of water vapor that exists in the air at a given moment, in relation to the maximum total that could exist at the same temperature, should be between 50% and 60%. Dampness values lower than this can cause irritation of the respiratory tract. If the air dampness in your home is above 70% for any length of time, you may start to see mold, mildew, and fungus appear.
To know precisely the air dampness levels in your home, you can purchase a hygrometer. This small device, similar in appearance to a clock, can be found in electronics stores for a price of 10 euros and will be an excellent ally to control the air humidity.
What are the consequences of excess dampness on air quality and on your health?
The appearance of mold and mildew, when the dampness of the air is above recommended levels, can cause stains on walls and ceilings, as well as damage to the building and organic materials present in your decoration. It can also cause the emergence of unpleasant odors that are difficult to eliminate. But its consequences in terms of air quality for our health are even more worrying.
Excess air humidity is the perfect habitat for the proliferation of dust mites, fungi, and bacteria. Prolonged exposure to these phenomena can lead to the emergence of respiratory problems such as cough, asthma, bronchitis, or allergies, increase the risk of infections in healthy people and intensify their symptoms in individuals who already suffer from these diseases. In addition, excess humidity can increase the risk of suffering certain skin diseases such as eczema and dermatitis.
Tips to avoid increased dampness and ensure the quality of the air in your home
Although in more serious cases of excessive humidity, it is necessary to resort to professional intervention, especially when they originate from roofing or rising dampness. There are some precautions you can take that may help reduce the humidity in your home. Among them:
1—Cover the pans and turn on the exhaust fan during the cooking of food, to avoid the release of abundant water vapor. If you have an exhaust fan in the bathroom, use the same during bathing;
2—Avoid drying clothes inside the house. If you have no other option, ventilate the area to avoid condensation, identifiable by water running down the windows and walls, which may lead to the formation of fungus;
3—Ventilate the house daily, especially in the more humid areas such as the bathroom and kitchen. Open the windows and let fresh air into the house, this simple action can help reduce pollutants in your home’s air;
4—Clean your home regularly, especially the areas where the dampness is higher, to prevent the appearance of mold and bacteria.
5—If the dampness in your home is very high, you can purchase a dehumidifier that will help remove excess vapor from the air;
6—Make sure your house is well insulated to prevent the entrance of dampness from the outside;
7—Do regular maintenance on the water and sewage installations to avoid leaks and infiltrations.
How can Prudêncio help you ensure your safety and well-being?
At Prudêncio you can find at your disposal a set of waterproofing and thermal insulation services, which aim to promote your well-being, as well as the safety of your home or building.
For more serious cases of dampness, you may seek a specialized solution for the treatment of rising dampness with capillaries, or find the ideal system to rehabilitate the roof of your property when it shows signs of wear or anomalies.
Ask for your evaluation now and ensure the safety of everyone around you.
