Mildew on My Woodwork: What’s Wrong?

When you notice your wood baseboards or window sills are covered in mildew, it can be alarming. Not only is this unhealthy and bad for your expensive woodwork, it can mean there is a problem with moisture in your home. Mildew growing on surfaces is a sign that you may need to consider a change in your HVAC system.

Mildew flourishes in high-moisture air and unventilated areas. It is normal to have mildew appear in high humidity rooms like your bathroom, especially when it is not properly ventilated. However, it should be easy to control if you have a good HVAC system and air filter. Circulating and filtering the air helps remove moisture and mold spores from the air, keeping mildew at bay. However, if your HVAC system is not working properly, or there is high humidity in your region, you may experience mold and mildew in your home.

Combatting High Humidity

To stop mildew and mold, you must reduce the humidity in your home. Ideally, the humidity in your home should average about 40-50% to keep mold and mildew at bay. If you have been having mildew problems, call your local HVAC service. They can test the humidity in your air and do a complete inspection on your HVAC system. It may need a tune-up, new filter or duct cleaning to improve your air quality. If the humidity in your home is too high, they can recommend a dehumidification system that can be added to your HVAC to lower the moisture content in your air.

Mildew on woodwork and other surfaces should be taken seriously, as you may have mold growing in other areas in your home. Talk to your HVAC service company to find a solution to keep your home mold and mildew free.

Posted on behalf of:
ClimateSmith, LLC
Buford, GA 30519
(770) 475-9528

Is Humidity Making Your Home Unhealthy?

In some parts of the country, humidity is a year-round problem. Summers are hot and sticky, and winters are wet and soggy. All this moisture may keep the grass green and the foliage bright, but it can also cause problems inside your home. Grass and trees are not the only things that love the humidity; mold grows best in a humid environment. Don’t let mold takeover your home and cause an unhealthy place for your family. Reduce humidity with a dehumidifier system.

How do you know if your home is under mold attack? Some signs are obvious, like mold on walls or windows. But often mold hides in areas you can’t see, but the danger and damage it causes is still there. If you have any of these issues in your home, you may have a potential mold issue waiting to happen.

  • Condensation on windows or walls
  • Moldy or musty smells in the home
  • Wet stains on ceiling tiles
  • Warped floor boards
  • Increased allergy issues in your family
  • Hard-to-control bathroom mold

If you have noticed any of these issues in your home, it is time to invest in a dehumidifier for your home. A whole house dehumidifier works with your air conditioning system to keep moisture levels under control. An experienced HVAC service company can test your humidity levels in your home and offer solutions for better moisture control.

Mold can affect your family’s health and cause expensive damage to your home. Don’t let the high humidity make your home unhealthy. Remove the excess moisture with the installation of a new dehumidifier for your home to protect your family and home investment.

Posted on behalf of:
ClimateSmith, LLC
Marietta, GA
(770) 475-9564

Is The Humidity Too High Inside Your Home?

Certain regions of the country experience higher than normal humidity levels, which can only get worse inside buildings. Once this moist air is confined, it has the potential to cause mold, health problems and even damage to the structure. If you live in an area with high humidity, your home may be in need of a whole house dehumidifier to protect your family’s health and the integrity of your home. 

Signs Of High Humidity In Your Home

There are definite signs your home is experiencing high humidity levels. Some of the signs are obvious, such as mold growth and rot. However, not all the signs are as easy to recognize. Keep an eye out for these signs, which may indicate the presence of excessive humidity levels: 

–        Allergic reactions. Humidity can cause mold spore growth and increase the levels of dust mites in your home. Both of these contaminants can aggravate people who have allergies and asthma, contributing to heightened symptoms and reactions.

–        Stains on walls or ceilings. If you’ve noticed water spots or stains on your walls or ceilings, it may be from excess moisture accumulating in your home. This can cause damage to your home which can be expensive to repair.

–        Mold growth. While all homes can have mold growth, if you have noticed an increased amount in your bathroom or kitchen, humidity levels may be to blame. Are you noticing musty smells or condensation on the windows? If so, your levels of moisture are too high and may be causing excess mold in your home. 

The best solution to high humidity in your home is a whole house dehumidifier. Your local HVAC contractor can test your home’s humidity levels, and offer advice about installing a new dehumidifier in your home to remedy the problem.

Posted on behalf of:
ClimateSmith, LLC
Marietta, GA
(770) 475-9564

Home Dehumidification Systems

Humidity, which is water vapor found in the air, can be damaging to the occupants of the home, as well as the home itself, if found in excessive amounts.  High humidity levels promote the growth of certain types of mold, as well as dust mites, both of which are allergens that impact indoor air quality.  Often homeowners living in homes with high humidity levels suffer from respiratory issues including rhinitis and asthma.  The home itself can be damaged by rot, as well as pests, which are attracted by the moisture.  Relief from high humidity levels is available with the installation of a whole house dehumidification system, which is easily added onto an existing HVAC by a licensed HVAC contractor. 

The first step in determining if a whole house dehumidification system is necessary is to have a professional HVAC company perform an inspection.  During the inspection, the technician will use a hygrometer to measure the relative humidity in the home.  In addition, they will be looking for other signs of excessive humidity including wet stains on the walls and ceilings, musty smells, condensation on windows and mold growth in areas such as the bathrooms.  In addition, they will discuss any breathing issues that the homeowner may be experiencing. 

In the event that excessive humidity is found, the technician will recommend the installation of a whole house dehumidification system, which will remove the humidity from the air inside of the home.  The dehumidification system is easily and cost effectively retrofitted to the existing HVAC system and will provide constant dehumidification, which will improve the indoor air quality of the home.  Speak with a qualified HVAC contractor and determine if a whole house dehumidification system is the right choice for your home!

Advantages of a Whole House Dehumidifier

The best option to control the humidity levels in your home during the cooling season is a whole house dehumidifier. When your air conditioner cools your home, it also helps dehumidify the air but only when your air conditioner is actually running. However, in humid areas even a central air conditioner cannot keep up with the humidity. This could be especially important when the temperature is relatively mild but the humidity is high, because the air conditioner unit doesn’t run long enough to remove the humidity from the indoor air. Conversely, a whole house dehumidifier also works when the air conditioner is off, continuing to improve your indoor comfort.

The extra moisture in your home, if the humidity is too high for too long, can actually cause water damage to your ceilings, walls, flooring and furniture. Of course, all that moisture can have a “hot-house” effect in allowing and, indeed, promoting the growth of household allergens like dust mites, mildew and mold. This can be prevented by maintaining the indoor humidity of your home at an ideal level. Drier air will also reduce condensation on the inside of your windows.

Best of all, the humidity in your entire home can be controlled by just a singular unit that is also hidden from view. You’d use much more energy installing multiple portable dehumidifiers throughout your home. Additionally, you will save on energy costs because with moderate controlled humidity, your house will actually feel cooler at higher temperatures. With a whole house dehumidifier, keeping cool in the summer months is much easier and more cost efficient.  Consult your local HVAC professional to have your whole house humidifier installed inside your air handler to operate automatically.

How to Control Moisture at Home

Moisture is a problem regardless of what area of the country you live in, and solving the problem of excess moisture differs depending on the climate of the area where you live. How you handle problems in these different regions varies, but everyone can learn how to control moisture at their home. Your local home heating and cooling professional can share tips on cutting down on excess moisture and humidity in your home. 

Make sure to fix any leaks in or around your home. If water is getting into the house from outside, fixing the problem might range from simple plumbing solutions to expensive fixes like excavation or landscaping. If you find any water in your basement, check if the gutters on your house are leaking, or that any excess rainwater isn’t being channeled to your house’s foundation. 

Water leaking from pipes in your house, and any standing water around tubs and sinks can offer somewhere for pollutants, mold or other hazards to grow. Make sure to clean up standing or excess water immediately. If you have exhaust fans in your bathroom or kitchen, use them to remove any excess moisture in your homes. 

Turn off appliances like humidifiers if you notice any moisture on windows and other interior surfaces like walls or tile floors. At the same time, use a dehumidifier to cut down on moisture in the air, but make sure that these appliances don’t cause or create any kind of airborne irritants. 

Open doors between the rooms in your home to help increase circulation; this allows heat and warm air to contact any standing cold surfaces. You can help to increase circulation in the air by moving around your furniture and using fans.

Be Comfortable This Summer With A Whole House Dehumidifier

Don’t suffer through another hot, humid summer without a whole house dehumidifier installed by your local HVAC contractor.  When it comes to staying comfortable in your home, cooling the air is only half of the equation. Dehumidification to keep the humidity level below 50% makes the conditioned air feel several degrees cooler and keeps you and your family dry and comfortable.

If you’ve ever heard the saying “It’s not the heat, it’s the humidity” you probably understand the importance of drying air along with cooling it.  The reality is that it’s both the heat and the humidity – addressing one without the other will leave you feeling uncomfortably warm and sticky.

Your central air conditioning system dehumidifies as it cools the air, but dehumidification is only a secondary function of a central air conditioning system and many systems cannot keep up with high levels of humidity.  A whole house dehumidifier works with your central air conditioning system to provide increased dehumidification.

Your HVAC technician will install the system directly into your existing ductwork to allow cool, dry air to be distributed throughout your home.  Whole house dehumidifiers use a “humidistat” similar to a thermostat to keep the humidity in your home at a preset level.

A whole house dehumidifier can save you money on your energy bills by allowing you to set your thermostat a few degrees higher without sacrificing comfort.  Since the air is drier, it feels cooler and your air conditioner will not have to work as hard to cool your home.  If increased comfort with lower utility bills sounds good to you, talk to your local HVAC contractor today about installation of a whole house dehumidifier.

Keeping your Cool with a Dehumidifier

As most of the country continues to suffer under a heat wave, its understandable that the most common reaction is to simply crank down the thermostat.  This usually results in a cooler house, but there is more to being comfortable in the summer heat than just temperature. 

You have probably heard the old saying, “It’s not just the heat, it’s the humidity”.  You may have also heard residents of the southwestern states admit that “Yes its hot, but it’s a dry heat”.  Both of these time honored saying are based on the fact that moist heat is more uncomfortable than dry heat. 

The same principle applies to cooling your home.  A lower relative humidity can make your home more comfortable at a given temperature.  An air conditioner dehumidifies the air in your home as a secondary function to its primary job of cooling the air.  In many cases, your air conditioner is unable to reduce the humidity to a comfortable level, especially in the lower areas of the home or the basement.

In these circumstances, a freestanding dehumidifier or a whole house dehumidifier can help lower the humidity level in your home and actually allow your air conditioner to run less, yet keep you comfortable.

One problem with a freestanding dehumidifier is that creates a moderate amount of heat as it dehumidifies.  Some of the advantageous effects of lowering the humidity is offset by the increased temperature. 

residential HVAC contractor can help you select the proper dehumidifier system for your home.

Advantages of Whole House Dehumidifiers

Controlling the level of humidity in your home is good for your home and good for your health.  Proper humidity levels are more comfortable and can reduce the amount of time you need to run your heating and air conditioning systems.    In addition, high humidity levels facilitate the growth of mold, mildew and dust mites which are among the primary home allergens.  The mold and mildew that accompany high levels of humidity can aggravate allergies and cause problems for asthma sufferers.  Mold and mildew can also damage your possessions and, in severe cases, even cause damage to your home.

You can control mold and mildew and make your home more comfortable by controlling the moisture level in your home using a dehumidifier.  Dehumidifiers can either be small, portable units designed to dehumidify a room or a whole house dehumidifier that works in conjunction with your HVAC system. 

For dehumidification of a limited area of your home such as a basement, a portable dehumidifier can be an economical choice.  However, in most situations whole house dehumidifiers offer a number of advantages over portable units. 

For starters, a whole house dehumidifier does not take up any space in your living areas since they are attached to your furnace.  In addition, they require little maintenance other than regular cleaning.  Unlike portable units, they are designed to drain like your central air conditioner.   A portable dehumidifier needs to be emptied frequently. 

Portable dehumidifiers are controlled manually, but a whole house dehumidifier operates automatically.  Once it’s set, a whole house humidifier monitors the humidity level and controls it appropriately throughout your home, resulting in even, comfortable year round heating and cooling of all of your living spaces while eliminating that musty smell and controlling mold and mildew.