Hands down, excessive humidity in your home and crawl space can cause a number of problems. When the air contains more moisture than usual, it creates an environment that is literally ripe for a variety of unwanted issues to crop up. Activities like cooking, showering, and even breathing add to humidity buildup, while leaks and poor ventilation are other (more unexpected) contributing factors. Condensation is a clear indicator of high humidity levels and can often be seen on windows or pipes.
Addressing excessive humidity problems immediately is important, because doing so protects the very structure of your home, let alone the health of your family. Failure to do so could bring on costly repairs and serious health hazards later!
Growth of Mold and Mildew
This automatically ensures that your home has enough ‘nourishment’ given to mold growth and/or the incidence of mildew. On another note, the moisture content in the air seems to dive deep into porous materials like woods, drywalls, upholstery, and many other elements, which rapidly advance to generate some unwanted guests.
The possible health effects from mold exposure are major. It can cause allergies, asthma attacks, and other respiratory ailments because of the poor quality of indoor air. People with weak immune systems or predisposed health conditions may even experience worse effects.
Be able to recognize mold infestation in your home by watching out for the following signs:
- Musty odors without any apparent cause
- Visible patches or discoloration on walls, ceilings, or floors
- Allergies and similar reactions from family members
It is essential to address these early in order to have a healthy living environment; it will also prevent your property from further damage.
Structural Damage to Your Home
Excess humidity isn’t just a pain in the neck but may also be a silent thief of your home’s structural solidity. High moisture levels can cause the rotting of wood, which weakens the essential elements of the structure, such as beams and joists, compromising the strength of the framework of your home and creating potential safety hazards. The humidity does not stop at the wood but rather seeps into your foundation, causing cracks and shifting that will necessitate quick foundation repair solutions.
If these issues are left unaddressed, the problems worsen, resulting in some common symptoms like uneven floors and misaligned doors or windows. The long-term effects of unregulated humidity go beyond the issue of safety. Property value will drastically decline as buyers will avoid the purchase of a house that has visible damages or traces of neglect. This is why these issues must be addressed head-on, to keep your home safe and valuable for years to come.
Pest Infestations
Excess humidity greets your home with unwanted guests like rodents and insects. These pests like to reside in moist, damp environments and humid spaces- crawl spaces, in particular, happen to be their haven. With increased humidity, you might notice an increase in pest activities such as animal infestation in your home. When pests invade, they can bring along allergens and agents that cause diseases. Additionally, they destroy the integrity of your home through chewing wood, wires, and insulation, which is very costly to repair.
Some handy tips for keeping critters away include:
- Proper aeration at certain parts of the house to minimize moisture
- Sealing entry points around the house, including areas around doors and windows
- Regular cleaning and crawl space inspection for any evidence of infestation
By controlling humidity, you are also safeguarding your home from structural damage aside from protection against pests.
Reduced Indoor Air Quality
Excess moisture is more than a nuisance; it can seriously deteriorate indoor air quality, with possible health consequences of respiratory problems. High levels of humidity in your house offer the ideal breeding ground for dust mites, mold spores, and other kinds of allergens. When these contaminants build up, they defile the air you breathe and can trigger asthma attacks or other respiratory problems.
Good ventilation is surefire in order to maintain the air healthy from the humid atmosphere. In allowing adequate flow of air around your house, you will prevent moisture condensation on surfaces that encourages unwanted growths. The following are some of the ways to enhance indoor air quality:
- Installation of fans in bathrooms and kitchens helps to remove excess humidity
- Consider using a dehumidifier to keep optimal indoor humidity
- Regularly check and clean HVAC filters to ensure efficient airflow
By addressing these factors, you enhance not only your home’s comfort but also its healthfulness.
Damaged Flooring and Walls
High humidity may bring major destruction to the interior of your home by mostly affecting flooring materials. If the level of moisture goes up, deformed floorboards or hardwood floors will start to show cupping due to the absorption of excess water, thus swelling the wood. This does not only destroy the look of your floors but also their structure.
Too much moisture is also experienced in the walls. Peeling paint and blistering often result from problems in areas such as crawl space condensation. As unsightly as this makes your wall look over time, it may mean there are some serious moisture concerns to be resolved. Preventions such as crawl space encapsulation could make all the difference.
In cases where crawl spaces are sealed off from outside sources of moisture, indoor humidity is significantly lowered, consequently offering protection to your flooring and walls against damage in the future. By remedying the issues early, the integrity of your house remains maintained, and it becomes a safer place to live.
Choose Level Up Foundation Repair
The disadvantages of high humidity in your home and crawl space should be minimized to keep it healthy to live in. It may involve some professional solutions such as crawl space encapsulation and waterproofing services to solve these problems. Consider contacting experts like Level Up Foundation Repair and Excavation at (816) 230-0101 for customized solutions.
This can be a way to protect your structure from getting compromised, ensure quality indoor air, and avoid the chance of damage with expensive repair to your investment.
