When the humidity in your home exceeds the norm, you need to do something about it immediately. Some people live without paying attention to it, but this is a big mistake, since excessive humidity in the apartment can provoke the appearance of various diseases. A humid environment is ideal for the growth of fungus and other pathogenic bacteria.
In addition, an unpleasant musty smell may appear in the house, which over time will permeate all the furniture, linens and clothes. You can avoid such problems by knowing how to reduce indoor humidity.
Humidity standards in residential premises
Before you try to get rid of humidity in your home, you need to measure it. Relative humidity in a residential area should be between 40–60%. To measure it, a device called a hygrometer is used.
There are several types of hygrometers, but for an apartment it is most convenient to use the electronic version. Using such a device, you don’t have to do anything, just monitor the indicators.
What air humidity is considered normal in an apartment?
How to reduce indoor humidity
A kitchen hood significantly reduces humidity throughout the entire apartment.
To bring high humidity back to normal, do the following:
- On sunny days, open the curtains to allow light into the room. Avoid placing flowers that are too bulky on windowsills.
- During the hot season and frosty winter The air outside is dry. Therefore, you should ventilate the room as often as possible, and the humidity will decrease. Ideal option There will be airing 3 times a day for 30 minutes. And at night, leave the windows ajar, at least in the kitchen.
- Check ventilation. If it is faulty, it should be repaired, as it will be a good helper in the fight against dampness.
- If you have an air conditioner, you can use it to reduce humidity, there is special function for purifying and drying air.
An air conditioner with a drying function or special dehumidifiers will help combat high humidity.
- Will help overcome dampness and household heaters. They quickly not only heat the air, but also dry it.
- Low humidity is promoted by certain Construction Materials. This is wood and drywall. By covering the walls with them, you will adjust the hygrometer readings. And also use waterproofing plaster. It is completely waterproof and can withstand water pressure up to 5 meters deep.
- Dampness will also be eliminated after insulating the external walls. Unless the cause of this very dampness is a flooded basement.
- Helps remove excess moisture in the kitchen kitchen hood. It should be used every time during cooking. If there is no hood, cover the pots with lids.
- A slight reduction in air humidity can be achieved using a hairdryer, candles and indoor plants.
- Dampness in the closet can be overcome by ironing clothes with a hot iron.
How to get rid of unpleasant odor in the apartment
Folk recipes
Salt and sugar are highly hygroscopic.
In addition to the methods listed above, there are also folk recipes that will help eliminate dampness in your home:
When using silica gel to reduce humidity, be careful if there are small children in the house.
How to remove mold from apartment walls and balconies
How to get rid of humidity in an apartment using a special device
If your hygrometer readings are off the charts and you are wondering how to remove humidity in your home, special equipment can help. In stores you can find a device called a dehumidifier or dehumidifier.
Excessively humid air passes through a special evaporator. The temperature inside is lower than in the room. Due to this, the moisture turns into condensate and flows into a container intended for this purpose. And drier air enters the room.
How to get rid of mold on a wall without tearing off the wallpaper
Such devices can be stationary or portable. Stationary devices have greater productivity and are mounted on the wall. Portable dehumidifiers, in turn, are smaller, but they also have less power. When choosing a dehumidifier, pay attention to the power, the higher it is, the better.
Quality air in your home has a beneficial effect on your health. Knowing how to reduce humidity in an apartment and maintaining these indicators within normal limits, you provide yourself and your loved ones comfortable conditions for life.
Damp spots on the ceilings, walls of a private house and wet corners most often appear with the approach of winter, when windows are opened less and less often to ventilate the rooms, precipitation begins to fall more often, and the walls of buildings are almost not warmed up by the sun. Dampness in the home is a serious problem that needs to be dealt with, as it not only causes various diseases, but is also a favorite habitat for mites, centipedes and fungi. Let's take a closer look at the question of how to get rid of dampness in the house.
How to get rid of dampness in the house - follow the main rules!
If you don’t know how to deal with such a serious problem as dampness in a private home, then follow some important rules and advice, you can, if not get rid of it, then at least make it as minimal as possible. So:
- Try, if possible, to limit the use of various flammable substances, since many of them create a large number of moisture, such as paraffin.
- When you cook food, cover pots and pans as they also produce a fair amount of moisture.
- The bathroom has the highest percentage of humidity. To avoid this, ventilate it regularly and regularly clean the hoods from dust and dirt.
- The most common cause of dampness in a private home is frequent washing and drying of clothes, poor ventilation and heating. Try not to dry washed items indoors, but if there is no other option, then do it near the location of the hoods!
- If dampness is an ongoing problem in your home, insulate the walls attic space and the walls of the house with special porous materials that prevent the appearance of moisture.
The main causes of dampness in a private home
Due to improper or insufficient ventilation, condensation, high humidity and a musty, unpleasant odor appear in the house, as a result of which the windows become foggy, the corners become damp, and the walls become damp. How to get rid of dampness in the house? To eliminate all this, ventilate the room more often and use additional fans. An unpleasant and musty smell in the house is the result of the formation of mold, which is extremely dangerous to human health because it releases a large number of harmful spores that a person inhales along with the air. To get rid of mold, use antifungal agents. Just remember that all antifungal drugs are toxic, so you need to strictly follow the instructions for them and be careful! Buy a household dehumidifier, which will ideally help you eliminate such a nuisance as dampness in a private home. It is convenient to use and easy to move from one room to another. Poor foundation waterproofing – common reason the occurrence of dampness in the house. The fact is that pound water rising to a height of 1.5 m does not penetrate the walls of the building only because of the horizontal waterproofing of the foundation. If it is not there, moisture penetrates the walls. Traces of water can be seen in moldy damp corners, above the baseboard, on deteriorated wallpaper and, accordingly, on crumbling plaster. Combating dampness in a private home is not an easy and sometimes expensive undertaking. Be that as it may, having determined the cause of this scourge, you can begin to use effective methods to combat it and then, for sure, you will emerge victorious! We wish you comfort and coziness in a dry and warm home!
From this article you will learn about the main causes of dampness in an apartment or house. We will also talk about how to eliminate these causes and restore the normal microclimate of your home. You will learn about the traditional and most modern methods solutions to the problem of air drying.
When the seasons change, almost all owners are faced with increased humidity due to melting snow. The range of negative phenomena is wide: from mild discomfort to “crying” walls and mold. Let's look at some of the most popular cases and causes of dampness in residential premises, as well as ways to combat this unpleasant phenomenon.
Any changes in the microclimate have their own reason, by influencing which it is possible to change it. Dampness has its own “sources,” which the owner may not know about or may not attach importance to them.
Reason No. 1. Poor ventilation
Owners often “forget” about installing forced ventilation during renovations to save money, relying entirely on windows and doors. In our apartments, the design provides for ventilation of two rooms - a bathroom and a kitchen. Residential premises have vents, windows and balconies for ventilation. Of course, ventilation lowers the temperature of the room by blowing out warm (and humid) air, so it is rarely used during cold periods.
The drying effect in summer is achieved by mixing dry air from the street with steam-saturated internal “exhaust” air. During transition periods, especially at the beginning of spring, atmospheric air is saturated with vapor, but remains cold. Accordingly, ventilation does not bring the desired effect.
How to fight
Check the ventilation arranged according to the project - the draft should be noticeable. If there is good draft in the kitchen and bathroom, but dampness is not removed, there are three options for solving this problem.
1. Forced exhaust ventilation. The installation of such a system, although it will entail certain costs and inconveniences, will solve the problem of dampness once and for all. A branched hood has its drawbacks - energy consumption, channel system, background noise. The minimum that can be done is to install a fan in the kitchen duct.
2. Installation of the recuperator. A ducted room heat exchanger such as "PRANA", "Reventa" or an analogue is a more modern and ergonomic element that solves two problems at once - exhaust humid air and an influx of fresh things. Many models are heated for operation in winter period. The cost of a duct recuperator is from 340 to 380 USD. e.
Video: channel recuperator "PRANA"
3. Use a dehumidifier. This device passes air through itself, collecting excess moisture and filtering it. This device is very effective - it removes dampness from the room within an hour. At the same time, the composition of the air remains unchanged. The moisture is collected in a separate container and drained. Filters, ozonizers and flavors can optionally be integrated into the device. The cost of such a device for a room of 30-50 square meters. m ranges from 140 to 220 cu. e.
Reason No. 2. Source of moisture
In private homes, these are septic tanks or shambo located close to the house. They saturate the soil with water, the water passes under the house, the soil surrounding the foundation or basement becomes damp. The same with atmospheric waters flowing onto the split blind area. Dampness in the basement and in the floor of the 1st floor is ensured.
In apartments this could be:
- leaking roof;
- a defect in the gutter or roof overhang that directs atmospheric water to the wall of the apartment;
- windy side of the house - rain constantly falls on the wall of the apartment;
- constantly running taps, plumbing;
- a large amount of water on the lower floor - aquariums, a swimming pool, a sauna;
- evaporation of condensation on the windows (which collects due to poor ventilation).
It is difficult to name other trouble-free open sources of moisture in an apartment, but in each individual case everything is possible.
How to fight
Eliminate the source. Fix the roof or gutter, move the septic tank, protect the wall from atmospheric waters. If the reason is an open source, waterproofing should be done with a liquid composition. Remember that waterproofing is applied from the side of the moisture source.
Reason No. 3. Unheated room
Extreme savings on heating according to the principle “only warm air in the room" - the most common cause of dampness " crying walls» apartments or houses. The wall must be heated to at least half its thickness. Then the dew point (the place where condensation forms) will face the street. A frozen wall shifts the dew point closer to the warm area, and sometimes even to the inner plane.
This problem often works in conjunction with a lack of ventilation. Abandoned or poorly heated rooms become damp very quickly - Decoration Materials are destroyed in 2 seasons, the structure loses up to 5-6% of its strength annually (in addition to natural wear and tear). It is extremely undesirable to combine heated and unheated (according to the design) premises under one roof.
How to fight
Increase heating. Try to calculate how much damage your home can suffer from merciless dampness and the amount you will save on heating. Then compare these amounts and draw a conclusion. Of course, insulation must be of high quality and timely.
If it is not possible to increase the temperature, install fans on heating devices and provide short-term ventilation - the humidity will equalize. Do not leave the house unheated; if you are going to return, find someone who will heat it.
Reason No. 4. Improper insulation
Thermal insulation of walls with cheap and lightweight polystyrene foam or expensive modern extruded polystyrene foam has already gained momentum and is becoming a welcome event for residents apartment buildings. Almost no one ever does a thermal calculation of apartment walls to determine the thickness of the insulation. Therefore, when choosing a layer of insufficient thickness, the wall continues to freeze and become damp.
Living in such a “thermos” can be ruined by dampness in the apartment and inevitable fungus. The reason is the same dew point, which is comfortably located between the panel (wall) and the insulation board. In addition, the vapor permeability of the sounded materials is close to zero and this is not the only problem with foam. Cheap material, produced by handicraft, is extremely flammable and toxic when heated. Keep this in mind when preparing to insulate your apartment.
Video: problems with polystyrene foam
How to fight
Study useful articles where engineers and builders with extensive experience speak. Understanding the physics of processes will save you not only from dampness, but also from many other troubles. There are two sure-fire options for insulating an apartment:
- A deliberately excessive layer of polystyrene insulation. A thickness of 100-150 mm guarantees that the dew point is located outside the wall (in the thickness of the insulation) for any region.
- Vapor permeable insulation. Mineral wool, ecowool, any type of ventilated facade. This is guaranteed to get rid of moisture in the walls.
Dampness in an apartment can cause the appearance of mold, which, when it enters the body, causes viral diseases person. In addition, humid air itself is not suitable for everyone. Weakness, soreness, spontaneous loss of performance - this is what can happen due to excess moisture in the air. Therefore, eliminating moisture is a concern not only for your own walls, but also for yourself and your loved ones.
If you walk into a room and feel musty, you see dark spots on the ceiling or in the corners of rooms affected by fungus and black mold - know that it’s all due to high humidity. It's like a ticking time bomb. It is detrimental to the health of all family members living in the apartment. Dampness also has a destructive effect on furniture, clothing, wooden doors, and doors.
Causes of humidity and dampness
To get rid of humidity in a living space, you must first identify it possible reasons. By tightly attaching and securing a piece of foil to the wall of the apartment for a day, you can find out from which side moisture enters the house.
If dew droplets are noticed on the foil from the wall side, then the source of penetration is from excess moisture is located outside, and if it’s dry there, then the source of dampness needs to be looked for in the apartment.
There are many reasons why mold appears in the house, the main ones are:
- there is no ventilation in the house at all, and if there is any, it means it is poorly adjusted or clogged;
- unscrupulous neighbors with top floor that constantly flood the apartment;
- poorly plastered wall joints in the house;
- The basement in the house is constantly flooded, wet fumes rise into the apartments on the first floors;
- incorrectly installed kitchen appliances or faulty plumbing;
- The roof leaks and the apartments on the upper floors are constantly flooded.
In addition, constant dampness is often present in the bathroom and kitchen, where moisture vapor is especially intense. How more quantity households, the higher the percentage of humidity. The number of stages of cooking, washing, showering, bathing, drying clothes is directly proportional to the number of family members. Even with normal operation ventilation, an abundance of moisture in these rooms, especially in the bathroom, leads to the appearance of mold and a persistent specific odor. Gradually, an unpleasant smell spreads throughout the apartment.
Increased humidity in the apartment may also be due to the hobbies of the owners ornamental plants and flowers. Especially tropical species, requiring high humidity to maintain. Sometimes this hobby reaches the point of absurdity, when the apartment turns into a real greenhouse with its own specific humid fumes.
Often, high humidity in apartments appears due to defects in interpanel ceilings or insufficient thermal insulation external walls made of brick and panel houses. These shortcomings are especially evident in corner apartments where the walls of the room form external corner Houses.
Why is high humidity dangerous?
High humidity has a negative impact on human health, as it causes the development of chronic diseases.
At room temperature, room dampness has a beneficial effect on the development of various pathogenic bacteria and is the cause skin diseases, such as eczema, fungus and allergic manifestations.
It is very difficult for asthmatics to stay in such rooms, for whom the humid air provokes attacks of coughing and suffocation. The most common cold in such conditions often drags on for a long period, sometimes with complications.
The people who suffer the most are children whose immune systems have not yet strengthened, and old people whose immune functions are already weakening due to age-related changes.
A constant companion of high humidity, black mold is a strong carcinogen that can cause cancer.
However, under these conditions, it is not only the health of the residents of the house that suffers. Mold can affect everything wooden structures, furniture, and even ruin clothes. In addition, in such premises, food products such as flour, cereals, bread, vegetables and fruits become damp and spoil. Products covered with mold should not be eaten.
The fungus affects the walls of the rooms. It is sometimes very difficult to remove it, since the mycelium spores penetrate deep into the structure. The only way out is to dehumidify the air and overhaul the premises affected by the fungus.
What is normal air humidity?
Based on the requirements of sanitary and hygienic standards for residential premises, at an air temperature of 20-21°C, air humidity should be in the range of 40-60%. In such conditions, the human respiratory system operates in the most favorable mode. It has been noticed that during an influenza epidemic, people at home and at work in rooms with optimal value humidity, they get sick much less often.
Ways and methods of getting rid of excess moisture in the house
The most effective method drainage of residential premises is their periodic heating and ventilation.
A dehumidifier will help get rid of dampness in your apartment. It can be purchased at any hardware store. Dehumidifiers come in different capacities and with humidity sensors. The more powerful the dehumidifier, the more effectively it will eliminate excess moisture in the apartment.
It is imperative to release the steam that forms in the bathroom and kitchen. To do this, ventilate the premises periodically.
Install windows with a ventilation function that ensures constant circulation of fresh air.
In the kitchen it is advisable to adapt forced exhaust above gas stove. This will help eliminate the steam that is generated during the cooking process.
In the bathroom you can install electric heated towel rail, which will effectively remove moisture released during the drying process.
The air conditioner perfectly maintains the desired microclimate in the rooms. It not only dries humid air, but also perfectly maintains the desired temperature in the room.
Be sure to check the condition of the ventilation shafts in your home. If, when checked, the draft turns out to be weak, then this may also be the cause of dampness in the house. Fix the problem yourself or call a specialist who will help eliminate the cause of poor traction.
How to avoid high humidity
To maintain in the house optimal humidity, its sources must be eliminated. If, using foil, as described earlier, it is revealed that the source of dampness in the apartment is external factor, the following activities must be carried out:
- Seal all interpanel cracks to prevent the influx of moist air from outside.
- Insulate the external walls of the apartment using mineral wool. The thickness of its blocks should be at least 10 cm. But in no case should you use polystyrene foam for this purpose, which will not only not protect your apartment from excess moisture, but will also create a dew point on the walls.
- Replace all windows in the apartment with high-quality metal-plastic ones that have a ventilation function.
- If your apartment is on the ground floor, it needs additional heat sources. We recommend installing electrically heated floors.
If the source of dampness is in the apartment, you must adhere to the following rules:
- Keep the ventilation system in good condition.
- Ventilate the premises periodically.
- We recommend replacing linoleum flooring with parquet or natural wood laminate.
- It is advisable to replace wallpaper with latex, which does not “breathe,” with mineral materials.
- Ensure optimal heat exchange in the apartment by installing additional heating.
- Equip the kitchen and bathroom with an extractor hood and an electric heated towel rail.
- It is advisable to dry clothes on the balcony or outside.
- if you love houseplants, give preference to less moisture-loving ones.
- Treat the walls in the bathroom with antifungal agents.
If you follow these recommendations, a favorable microclimate and comfort will be created in your apartment. And, most importantly, you will protect yourself from the risk of exposing your health to the adverse factors that high humidity poses. Good health and comfortable life to everyone!
Humidity in the house is a common phenomenon; it is formed during washing, cleaning the room, when washing and during cooking. But in some houses it is within the normal range, and in others it is increased, in which case the question arises: “why does high humidity appear in the house and how to prevent it?”
If there is an excessive amount of it, windows, glass and mirror surfaces, stains appear on the walls, often with a touch of mold, all this is accompanied by a musty smell pleasant smell. What should the humidity level at home be without causing problems? 30-60% is considered the norm, it is measured special device- hygrometer. Moreover, it must be remembered that even normal indicators they can various reasons It is quite difficult to change and maintain a normal level of humidity, especially in summer period, since in winter heating appliances dry the air.
Of course, every owner who is faced with this problem wants to know how to get rid of humidity at home, because it causes a lot of inconvenience and, in addition, spoils aesthetic appearance dwellings. Due to constant dampness, a fungus can form on the walls, ceiling and corners, which is dangerous to human health; it causes chronic colds, allergies and bronchial asthma. Children are most susceptible to changes in humidity, their immune system suffers from this, and it also has a detrimental effect on the home.
How to get rid of humidity at home?
Dampness in the home can be influenced by many factors: weather, proximity to large bodies of water, building a house on a site with high flowing groundwater, poor ventilation and not regular airing of rooms.
To protect the house from high humidity, a mass was invented good ways, but in order to achieve maximum effect To eliminate this problem forever, you need to apply these methods in combination. Naturally, such events will require certain financial costs, but they will soon pay off because they will help avoid repair work and drug costs.
Humidity level in the house
Before you start fighting dampness, you need to determine the humidity level. As mentioned above, the humidity level in the house should be from 30-60%, a level of 45% is considered the most optimal. Once you are convinced of its excess, you can begin work to eliminate it.
The most in an effective way will be carrying out repair work in a damp room and carrying out waterproofing. For example, for waterproofing basements, dry mortar based on cement. The bathroom floors are waterproofed using liquid glass. In addition, the external walls of the home are treated with plaster with cement base, and you need to make several such layers. You can “dress” the walls in a special protective water-repellent coating. These measures will prevent moisture from entering the house.
To reduce air humidity, modern dehumidifiers are used, which are divided into household and industrial. Household ones are used in residential premises; they are very compact and lightweight, so they can be moved from room to room and installed in any suitable place. Such devices are silent and easy to use.
A good option for eliminating the problem would be heating devices, especially in autumn and summer, when dampness outside increases the humidity in the room more than ever. Their frequent use during this period of time will dry out the damp air and prevent the formation of mold. But on the other hand, if the home is already heated, such devices can be harmful to health. Today on store shelves you can see a large number of chemicals that eliminate high humidity. They effectively combat this problem, but only last for a certain amount of time.
On why it appears in the house high humidity, have a significant impact modern double glazed windows, or rather their poor-quality installation. In order for air to circulate properly in the room, windows must be installed above heating devices, batteries, this prevents the glass from freezing and moisture appearing on it. Extra items on a radiator or a very large window sill sometimes interferes with heating window glass. In the first case, you should get rid of the interfering object, and in the second, you need to make holes in a large window sill. Sometimes the reason lies in the glass unit itself, which may be defective and have a defect. The company that installed the window incorrectly is responsible for solving this problem.
Often, increased humidity is caused by frequent drying of laundry indoors or faulty pipes in the bathroom, poor ventilation or its complete absence. To eliminate dampness, you need to check the pipes and, if necessary, replace them with new ones, check the ventilation system. Whenever possible, laundry should be dried outside. It happens that things that are not dried enough after washing end up in the closet, which also leads to dampness and an unpleasant odor. Therefore, it is worth drying your laundry as best as possible, preferably in the fresh air.
Oddly enough, too wet soil in houseplants can also contribute to dampness. You cannot water plants frequently and abundantly without allowing the soil to dry out properly.
How to reduce humidity in the house?
To the question “how to remove humidity in the house?” there are a lot of answers, the most important thing is to identify its cause, and then choose the most the right ways to eliminate it.
High humidity is typical for older residential buildings in need of major renovation. All of the above measures to eliminate it in in this case won't help. There is only one way out - to do complete renovation dwellings using wood and plasterboard, which are natural materials. Drywall is famous for its ability to absorb excess moisture, and, if necessary, on the contrary, release it. Therefore, it will serve perfectly for regulating the humidity in the room.
But still, how to reduce humidity in the house if its level has exceeded all acceptable standards? The simplest and effective way There will be frequent ventilation of the room, especially after cooking, washing and water procedures. In summer it is better not to cover the windows with curtains, then Sun rays dry the rooms faster. An excellent device that dries the air is a fan, traditionally used to cool it. It is impossible not to mention the modern household appliances to reduce humidity. These include expensive air conditioners, special hoods, and simple appliances. affordable price. Such devices absorb excess moisture in the air to an optimal level, protect the house from mold and mildew, provide the premises with dryness and warmth, as well as a pleasant smell, which is also important.
How to reduce humidity in the house?
There are other methods to reduce humidity in your home. These are effective chemicals, produced on the basis of absorbents, moisture absorbers. During their use, excess moisture enters the tank. These medications can be used as needed.
If there is no ventilation in the house, its installation will be required immediately. This work can be done by the owner of the apartment himself or by inviting a specialist. A through hole is made in the wall of the problem room, which is closed with a grill both inside and outside. A recuperator is pre-installed between the grilles; it will draw raw air from the room, leaving heat in the room.
Sometimes desiccant tablets can help solve the problem; they can be found in hardware stores.
Before reducing the humidity in the house to the desired level, you should find the cause of its occurrence, eliminate it and use tips to prevent its recurrence.
In the process of dealing with dampness, many people forget that excessive dryness air is no less harmful to human health, so the main task is not to overdo it and “adjust” the humidity to the optimal level.