Helpful Tips for Changing a Room's Humidity Levels

February 24, 2015

When the humidity levels in your home are out of control,your family's health, as well as the state of your home can suffer. When there's too much moisture in the air, mold may start growing, water marks may appear on walls and parts of your home may begin to rot or rust. In contrast, if humidity levels are too low, the arid environment can lead to dry and itchy throats, eyes, lips, and skin. Additionally, your furniture may start cracking and your wall paint may start peeling. Whether your home's humidity is too high or too low, there are simple steps you can take to bring back the balance.

Monitoring Humidity Levels

The easiest way to keep an eye on the amount of moisture in your home is to install a hygrometer. During the winter, you should maintain a humidity level between 25 and 40 percent, while during the summer, the range should stay between 45 and 55 percent.

Increasing Humidity in a Room

  • Use a warm- or cold-mist vaporizer (which are also useful for relieving sinus and chest congestion symptoms) or a humidifier to quickly raise the humidity level. Be sure to use distilled water to keep your home and environment from having a calcium buildup.
  • Close any air leaks in your home's exterior to lessen how much air travels inside.
  • Let a pot of water slowly simmer on your stove.
  • Set plants around any room that needs more moisture.
Decreasing Humidity in a Room
  • Use a dehumidifier or an air conditioner to dry out moist summer air when needed.
  • Turn on fans to increase air flow and bring humidity to a more stable level.
  • Use the exhaust fans in your bathroom when bathing and in your kitchen when cooking to remove excess moisture created during these activities.
For more tips on how to control the humidity levels in your Des Moines area home, please feel free to contact Lozier Heating & Cooling anytime. Our goal is to help educate our customers in the greater Des Moines, Iowa area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). Credit/Copyright Attribution: "GreyParrot/Shutterstock"