Solving Summer Humidity Problems

No matter how new or old your house, summer humidity problems can rear their ugly head when you least expect. Instead of a cool and welcoming home, you'll get to be uncomfortable while mold grows out of control and excess moisture damages your interior walls and furnishings.

So that stinks.

Solve Summer Humidity Problems Before they Start

You and I and everybody else all know that too much humidity is bad, right?

Yes, we all know that. What everybody might not know is how much humidity do they actually want in their home? Obviously, you don't want zero humidity. Low humidity can dry out sinuses and make you almost as miserable as too much. So it makes no sense to solve high summer humidity problems just to replace them with low summer humidity problems.

The humidity level you want at home should be somewhere between 30 and 45 percent. This range will result in the best interior air comfort.

Why is High Humidity Bad?

High humidity is bad in both summer and winter. High humidity makes high temperature weather feel hotter than it actually is. It also makes lower temperature weather more miserable and "clammy". It's basically never good.

Comfort is not the only issue. All sorts of molds and fungi need moisture to thrive. The higher your humidity, the more likely you are to have unwelcome housemates growing beneath the floorboards. Excess humidity can also warp wood floors and accelerate the deterioration of indoor furniture. Those are the worst summer humidity problems, but, unfortunately, they can be all too common.

Moisture Management

Okay, so how do we solve high summer humidity problems?

Getting an air conditioner or a heat pump is the best first step. These units automatically dehumidify as part of their normal operating cycle. So while you're using an air conditioner to beat the heat, you're also removing moisture from the interior air.

And if you're saying, "I've never had any summer humidity problems," it's probably because you've already got an air conditioner or heat pump.

In any case, sometimes normal A/C operation isn't enough. You may have an air conditioner with what some companies call "dry mode". This special operating cycle is designed to increase interior dehumidification. Basically, the unit runs longer at a lower operating rate. While this mode doesn't do much to affect the interior temperature, it is a great tool to decrease humidity.

And if you still have too many summer humidity problems?

Time to change a few habits. Make sure you use an exhaust fan when you're taking a shower. If you have any humidifiers that you used over the winter, turn them off (hopefully that one was obvious). Don't leave out large sources of standing water, and drain the tub as soon as you finish your bath.

Still not enough? Then it's time to get serious with a portable or whole house dehumidifier. This is guaranteed to solve virtually all summer humidity problems. It's like bringing a nuke to a knife fight. Except it's humidity.

Do You Have More Questions About Summer Humidity Problems or Other Things?

Just ask us in the comments below, on Facebook, or on Twitter. Also, feel free to share your summer humidity problems with the rest of us!