Summer temperatures are on their way up in Toronto and this season is no exception with record breaking heat and humidity causing air quality and humidity problems for homeowners. Homes with poor insulation or restricted air flow could see the indoor humidity rise along with the outdoor humidity. Excess moisture that cannot be vented can decrease the indoor air quality and cause many different health and lifestyle problems for residents living at the home. During the warmer seasons it makes sense to pay more attention to subtle changes in and around the home that could mean excess humidity.
Outside moisture can affect air quality and humidity inside your home
Outside air can greatly affect the environment inside your home. Older homes that lack proper insulation functionality could be allowing hot outside air into inaccessible areas of the house. Spaces such as your home’s attic or areas in between interior and exterior walls could continuously reach temperatures in the 40 to 50-degree Celsius range creating excess heat and humidity with it. When the relative humidity outside increases greatly, the effect inside the home is even worse when indoor air circulation and venting is restricted. No home has a perfect seal between outside elements and the inside environment but consistent inspections and upkeep can help maintain your home’s ability to deflect and vent outside humidity.
Common signs of excessive indoor humidity
If you notice any changes in lifestyle or well-being, you could have a problem with air quality and humidity in your home. Most toxins are pollutant are odorless and colourless which makes it difficult to assess without proper testing equipment. Humid areas around inaccessible areas to your home may be difficult to detect and identify.
There are also telltale physical signs that your home may have an excess humidity problem:
- Consistent condensation on the inside of windows
- Random stains on walls
- The appearance of black mold on ceilings, bathroom tiles and fixtures
- Musty or stale orders confined to a specific area
- Rotting and collapse of wood fixtures and surfaces
- Bubbling and stripping of painted walls and surfaces
- Bowing, cupping and separation wood floors and slats
- Broken or non-functioning exhaust fans in bathrooms and kitchens
Too much moisture in the air reduces air quality and there are short term health issues that can appear when exposed to low quality indoor air. Breathing difficulties and hay fever like symptoms are the first to appear to those that are sensitive to allergens. Constant tiredness, skin irritation and watery eyes are also short term symptoms that can be attributed to consistent exposure to low quality air.
You can control and improve air quality and humidity inside your home
If you suspect you have an excess moisture problem in your home, purchasing a wall mounted hygrometer can offer accurate information and are simple to install and do not require any additional wiring. Strange or excessive readings are an indication that there is a humidity and an air exchange problem at your home. These common home maintenance and inspection items can help detect and possibly prevent a more serious air quality and health issue:
- Changing furnace blower motor filters regularly and replacing them with high quality media will help trap allergens and a wide range of pollutants through the home’s central HVAC system.
- In the spring, homeowners should focus their attention on maintenance, cleaning and repairing all exterior vents and outlets.
- Simple solutions like adding houseplants to your home can also improve air quality as they process many toxins and pollutants commonly found in household air.
- In room air cleaners with HEPA type filters can also improve air quality as long as they are maintained and the filters replaced regularly.
The best approach to excess humidity and lower air quality is to contact an experienced air quality specialist who understands residential home design and the common problems this type of structure can face. A trained professional can diagnose the problem and offer solutions to correct air quality and humidity and maintain year round health and comfort at the home.
A detailed air quality test by a professional can uncover current and potential problems
If you are unsure of the air quality and humidity levels in your home, you can easily hire an experienced professional to test and assess the situation. Air quality specialists are highly skilled and receive extensive training in residential home comfort. Using the latest testing methods, the air quality specialist will test the indoor air and deliver a detailed report on the different pollutants and toxins found in the home’s air. A true professional in the business will sit down with you and explain what was found and what could be the root causes for the problem. Some jurisdictions require a professional air quality test before allowing a home sale to close. When buying real estate, asking questions about excess humidity and air quality during the home inspection phase makes total sense and should be mandatory before closing any sale.
InchByInch are your trusted professionals to solve humidity problems in your home
Excess moisture in your home is a serious issue and can lead to air quality and humidity related problems that directly affect your health and quality of life for those living in the home. If you have experienced any changes in lifestyle or have noticed any of the telltale signs of too much humidity, the next essential step is to contact the air quality professionals at InchByInch. The experts at InchByInch have extensive residential air quality experience and will accurately test and diagnose the problem as well as any potential future issues that could occur and offer solutions to solve your indoor humidity and air quality problems. High humidity and lower air quality directly effect the health and enjoyment of those in your home and problems in this area should be immediately addressed by the highly trained professionals at InchByInch.