During the hot humid summer months here in Florida, we often come across mold issues in homes. In fact, one of the tests that are carried out in our homes is a mold test, the main cause of mold is humidity. So it is extremely important to make sure that the humidity is controlled. Not just to save the sale of your home, but also to safeguard against health issues, mold can cause watery eyes, sore throats and more serious ailments such as asthma, particularly in children.
It's important to be aware of the humidity levels in your home and to know what to do about them. One way to control humidity is to use a dehumidifier, there are relatively cheap to run, they simply pull the water out of the air, if you have a free-standing one, you will need to empty the water from it regularly. However, you will notice that even if the temperature is the same the extra humidity can make your home feel a lot hotter, so taking out the humidity can also reduce your cooling bills. It's also important not to have too low a humidity level, this can cause other problems in houses, such as drywall cracks and warping wood.
Another thing you can do to reduce the humidity, it to make sure your kitchen and bathroom vents, are vented to the outside, not back into the house. Having adequate insulation in your roof can also be helpful. Watch out for leaking water pipes, you can install leak detectors that will sound off an alarm when they detect water, however, if you lock up your home and leave for the summer months to cooler states, then you will need to have someone monitor the alarm for you. Another tip is to have a humidity control installed along with your thermostat, this can really help keep your home humidity under control.
Humidity and mold are real problems here in Florida, but by simply carrying out a few simple remedies you can make your home a healthier place to live.
