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 high humidity due to snow melting. 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 can be changed. 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 vapor-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 - the exhaust of humid air and the influx of fresh air. Many models are heated for operation in winter period. The cost of a duct recuperator is from 340 to 380 USD. e.
Duct recuperator "PRANA" on video
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.
Video - where does dampness come from in the house?
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 - finishing 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 level out. 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 engineering calculation of the walls of an apartment 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 methods, is extremely flammable and toxic when heated. Keep this in mind when preparing to insulate your apartment.
Problems with polystyrene foam on video
How to fight
Study useful articles, forums where engineers and builders with extensive experience speak out. 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.
How to properly insulate walls, watch the video
Dampness in an apartment can cause the appearance of mold, which, when it enters the body, causes viral diseases person. Moreover, on my own wet air Not suitable for everyone. Weakness, soreness, spontaneous loss of performance - what can happen due to excess moisture in the air. Therefore, eliminating moisture is taking care not only of your own walls, but also of yourself and your loved ones.
Vitaly Dolbinov, rmnt.ru
Excessive humidity can cause many diseases, such as allergies, bronchial asthma and rhinitis. Also, excess humidity is destructive for your apartment; it can cause mold and mildew to appear on the walls, especially in corners where air movement is reduced.
How to reduce humidity in an apartment and create a comfortable and favorable climate?
1. You can reduce the humidity in the apartment using systematic ventilation and heating. If you live in a private house, heat it as often as possible without closing the chimneys and doors until the fuel burns well. The apartment can be warmed up using radiators and heaters; this way you will have to pay a good amount for electricity, but this way you can avoid the appearance of fungus on the walls and various diseases.
2. High humidity is not a very normal phenomenon in an apartment. It can appear if you have an aquarium, if the water is constantly boiling in the kitchen and there are a large number of flowers that also evaporate moisture. But most likely, increased humidity is a consequence of a malfunction or violation of the hood. This is especially possible if the house is quite old. Therefore, it is worth contacting the house management so that specialists can eliminate this problem. If the house is relatively new, perhaps one of the neighbors has remodeled and damaged the design of the fume hood by crashing a refrigerator or other object into it.
3. Today in specialized stores you can purchase climate control equipment that absorbs excess humidity in the apartment. These are so-called air dehumidifiers, the principle of which is based on the fact that when air comes into contact with a cold surface, moisture begins to condense and flows into a pan, where it is subsequently heated and supplied to the room. You can install a window air conditioner with a split system, but this has one drawback - increased noise.
To live comfortably in an apartment or house, a healthy microclimate is necessary. It directly depends on humidity indicators. If they are too low or high, this will lead to a number of problems. Especially often, apartment residents and owners of premises (commercial, warehouse or other) are faced with increased air humidity. As a result, the walls become covered with mold, which spoils even durable materials.
Also excess moisture causes condensation to form on the ceiling. Appears in the house bad smell, various microbes multiply. They, in turn, can cause allergic reactions for people in the room. Reducing humidity must be taken seriously, because ignoring this indicator will affect people's health and the condition of the home. We will discuss below how you can reduce indoor humidity.
First you need to find out the reason for the appearance of excess moisture. It can be rooted both inside the house and depend on home conditions, and outside, and be a consequence of indicators outside temperature and humidity. Most common internal reasons high humidity should be called:
- Badly organized ventilation– if the owner of the house installed it himself, it is recommended to call a technician to check the correct connection and operation of the equipment.
- Frequent drying of washed clothes - in some apartments with old layouts, the bathroom is not separated from the kitchen. In such cases, dampness from things spreads throughout all rooms. But even if the bath is located separately, some apartment owners often leave the door to the bathroom open. And again the moisture evaporates beyond the boundaries of one room.
- Location of windows on north side– less sun penetrates into the room and, as a result, the humidity of the microclimate increases.
- The presence of an aquarium - water evaporates from it, absorbing into the walls and ceiling of the house.
- A large number of residents - do not forget that moisture evaporates when people breathe. If there are a lot of them in the apartment, and the room itself is small, there is a high probability of microclimate failure.
There are also external conditions, affecting the level of humidity in the room. Among them it is worth noting:
- Climatic features of the region - in some cities there is high humidity all year round.
- During rain, snowfall and thaw, there is a general increase in moisture content in the air.
- An important point is the presence of salt in the concrete - if the house was built in winter, then there is a possibility that the builders added salt to the concrete. This method is used to increase the strength of the material. However, salt has big drawback– the walls become damp because of it. This goes away over the years, but the first 3-5 years high humidity can't be avoided.
- Errors during construction - these include poor-quality waterproofing of walls from the foundation and a flimsy, often leaking roof. It is almost impossible to correct such defects, since flaws were made during the construction of the building. You can only mitigate the problem by selecting additional equipment for dehumidifying the air.
Constant dampness in the room can harm the floor, furniture, clothing and even human health. It is important to solve this problem as quickly as possible, otherwise it will develop over time dangerous mold. How to get rid of the smell of dampness in an apartment? Let's figure it out.
After the flood
Dampness in an apartment may appear after neighbors have flooded the ceiling, a pipe has burst, or the roof has leaked. If the room is flooded so badly that you have to make repairs, then first of all completely dry the rooms and treat all surfaces with a special primer.
If after the flood the humidity has only increased significantly, then install a heater or special device for air drying. Check to see if mold has appeared on the ceiling, walls or under the wallpaper. Found a fungus? Then you will have to carry out repairs, otherwise the disputes will quickly spread throughout the apartment. Dry everything in the room: clothes, curtains, carpets, upholstered furniture, toys. If you live in a private house, then place these items outside on a sunny day; if in an apartment, then on the balcony.
In the bathroom
Dampness and mold in the bathroom on tiles or whitewash indicate poor exhaust hood. To begin with, try to keep the doors open as often as possible to allow all excess moisture to ventilate. Then clean the hood. If she's in poor condition, you will have to install a new one. It can also be equipped additional fan. A heated towel rail will help get rid of dampness in the bathroom. It will regularly heat the air in the room and evaporate moisture.
In the basement
Often the cause of dampness in an apartment on the ground floor is the basement. Carefully inspect the pipes in the basement for leaks. If liquid is oozing from them, then it is worth repairing them or replacing them altogether. You will also need to treat all the walls and ceiling with a waterproofing solution. Folk remedies It is impossible to remove dampness from the basement, so you need to turn to specialists to solve the problem.
In the closet
As soon as you notice dampness in the closet, remove all items from it and dry them. Lightweight cotton items will dry in a few hours. outerwear it won't take one day. All things need to be straightened and hung to speed up the process.
Wash the cabinet itself with water mixed with vinegar in a 1:1 ratio. If you notice mold, then pour 1 tbsp. l. bleach per 1 liter of water and wipe the shelves and drawers with this solution. To remove mold from items, iron them through a damp cloth or use a steam generator.
How to remove damp smell
Any unpleasant odor can be easily removed with vinegar. Dilute it with water or use it pure. Dampen a cloth with it and wipe all accessible surfaces. Bleach will also do a great job of eliminating the smell of dampness in an apartment. Dilute it with water in a ratio of 1:5 and wipe everything in the room.
Hydrogen peroxide is also effective at removing odors. Pour it into a spray bottle and spray it around the room. Do not apply to painted walls or furniture - the color may fade. Ammonia– another remedy for the smell of dampness. Mix it with water in a 1:1 ratio and wipe all surfaces in the apartment.
Sorbent substances will help get rid of unpleasant odors, for example Activated carbon mixed with salt. Sprinkle the product into bowls and place it around the apartment. Change the mixture every few days. In addition, you can mask the unpleasant odor using essential oils. Add them to the sorbent or periodically light the aroma lamp.
You can get rid of the smell of dampness in your apartment, but it is better not to allow this to happen. Ventilate your apartment regularly and open the bathroom door at night. In autumn and spring, during rainy periods, turn on the heaters for a while. And never put wet things in a closet.
When assessing the air parameters in a home, most people first of all pay attention to its temperature, forgetting about such an important indicator as humidity. The subjective sensation of heat or cold, general well-being, the condition of plants and the safety of many household items depend on it. Let's figure out what the norm of air humidity in the apartment is, and also find out what it affects.
The humidity indicator reflects the degree of saturation of the air with water vapor. It can be absolute and relative. In the first case, it is determined how many grams of moisture are contained in 1 cubic meter of air. In the second, the percentage ratio of the actual amount of water in the atmosphere (absolute indicator) and the maximum possible at a given temperature is calculated.
When using such a concept as the norm of humidity in an apartment, a relative indicator is implied. This parameter largely determines the comfort of the indoor microclimate. Both the person and the home environment suffer from too much or too little humidity.
Dry indoor air provokes increased moisture loss through the skin and respiratory tract. This can lead to such unpleasant consequences as:
- decreased elasticity of hair, nails and skin, accompanied by the appearance of microcracks, wrinkles, peeling, dermatitis;
- drying of the mucous membrane of the eyes, the symptoms of which are itching, redness, and a feeling of “sand”;
- thickening of the blood, leading to a slowdown in its circulation, weakness, headache, decreased performance, increased stress on the heart;
- an increase in the viscosity of gastric and intestinal juices, causing a slowdown in digestion;
- drying of mucous membranes respiratory tract, the consequence of which is a weakening of local immunity and an increase in the incidence of acute respiratory viral infections;
- an increase in the amount of respiratory allergens in the atmosphere, which should normally be bound by liquid droplets.
Excess moisture in the air creates acceptable conditions for the growth of mold, fungi, and bacteria. As a result, residents of the house may encounter:
- respiratory diseases - chronic runny nose, bronchitis, asthma, allergies;
- feeling of stuffiness or dampness in the room;
- unpleasant odor due to the proliferation of pathogenic microorganisms;
- increasing the drying time of washed laundry.
Excessive or insufficient amount of moisture has a bad effect on the condition of objects home environment. Plants dry out or begin to rot, wooden furniture and parquet become deformed or “shrink,” paintings fade, paper products lose their structure.
Factors affecting humidity
The main factor that affects air humidity is its temperature. The warmer it is, the large quantity It can contain as much water vapor as possible, and vice versa. But when evaluating relative humidity valid inverse relationship: the warmer the air, the lower its relative humidity will be for the same volume of water vapor contained in it. Therefore, airing in winter makes the air fresher, but less humid. Optimal temperature considered 18-22 ºC.
Water vapor is “taken” from the air in the room:
- any heating devices;
- air conditioner;
- interior items, especially cushioned furniture, toys, carpets.
Any sources of water and steam lead to an increase in relative humidity:
- aquarium;
- houseplants;
- wet laundry;
- containers with boiling water (saucepan, kettle);
- leaking roof;
- faulty water pipes and plumbing.
Standard indicators
Let's figure out what air humidity is considered normal in an apartment. It depends on the purpose of the premises and the time of year.
Humidity standards for housing:
- warm period – 30-60%, maximum permissible – 65% (for individual regions with high humidity this standard can be increased to 75%);
- cold period – 30-45%, maximum permissible – 60%.
Relative air humidity is not standardized in auxiliary rooms - bathroom, toilet, corridor, pantry and others.
Standards for plants and interior items:
- for furniture and antiques – 40-60%;
- for equipment – 45-60%
- for books – 30-65%;
- for plants – tropical – 80-95%, subtropical – 75-80%, others – 40-70%.
What is the normal level of relative humidity in the apartment where the child lives? Since the intensity of heat exchange processes is increased in young children, they are especially sensitive to non-compliance with microclimate parameters. Ideal air humidity in a children's room is 50-70%. If a child is sick with ARVI or an infectious pathology, then this parameter should not be allowed to decrease less than 60%.
Important: B heating season air humidity drops to 15-20%. It definitely needs to be raised, especially if there are children, asthmatics and allergy sufferers in the house.
How to measure relative humidity?
Knowing what it should be optimal humidity air in the apartment, it is worth deciding how it can be measured. Most rational way- usage special device- hygrometer.
There are several types of devices - electrical, chemical, condensation, hair and others. There is no need to purchase an expensive professional device for an apartment. The simplest hygrometer with an error of 3-5% is enough. It is often combined with a clock and a thermometer. It is important to place the hygrometer away from sources of moisture and heat.
You can determine humidity using alternative methods– a glass of water, an Assmann table and a fir cone.
Glass of water
Pour water into a glass and cool it to 3-5 ºС. To do this, just put the vessel in the refrigerator for 3 hours. Next, you need to place the glass on the table away from the radiator and watch it for 5 minutes. At the same time, condensation forms on its walls due to temperature differences. Possible results:
- the glass has dried within a few minutes – the humidity is reduced;
- the walls remained fogged - the microclimate parameters were normal;
- Streams of water flowed down the glass - there was too much moisture in the air.
Assmann table
The Assmann table is designed to determine humidity using a psychrometer - a device consisting of two thermometers - a regular one and one with a humidification device. Its likeness can be made at home. You must first measure the temperature in the room with a regular alcohol thermometer and write down its value. Then you should wrap its end with a damp cloth. After 5 minutes, the temperature must be measured again. It should go down.
Next you need to look at the Assmann table. The readings of the “dry” thermometer are located vertically, and the temperature difference is located horizontally. Seeing required values, their intersection should be found. This will be an indicator of relative humidity.
fir cone
On a note: Indirect signs Low air humidity in the room is caused by drying out the tips of plant leaves and electrical discharges emanating from synthetic clothing.
Humidity regulation
In any season normal humidity air in the apartment should be at least 30-40% and not higher than 65%. How to regulate it?
Ways to reduce humidity:
- frequent ventilation of premises;
- installation of exhaust fans;
- use of dehumidifiers and climate control systems;
- timely repairs water pipes and plumbing fixtures;
- use of heaters and air conditioners;
- refusal to dry clothes in the room;
- installation of a hood in the kitchen.
Methods for increasing humidity:
- purchasing an aquarium or decorative fountain;
- minimal use of heater and air conditioner;
- hanging wet towels on radiators;
- periodically spraying water from a spray bottle;
- using an air humidifier - steam, ultrasonic or traditional;
- regular wet cleaning;
- growing large quantity indoor flowers.
Air humidity in the house - important parameter, affecting both the well-being of its inhabitants and interior items. Normally, this figure ranges from 40 to 60%. It is especially important to monitor the humidity in rooms where children and people with respiratory diseases spend most of their time. To regulate the concentration of moisture in the air, it is convenient to use household humidifiers and dehumidifiers.
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