The Canadian climate includes hot summers and cold winters. Therefore, homes in Calgary are built to conserve heat in the winter and promote efficient cooling during summer months. Since houses are air-tight and don’t breathe, controlling the humidity level in your dwelling is very important. A build up of static electricity that causes small shocks when you touch something indicates that there’s not enough moisture inside. Alternatively, if you detect a musty odour in your home it can signal that the humidity level is too high. Here’s what you should know.

Impact on your health

The environment inside your home can really impact your health. For example, are you noticing that in the winter you suffer from dry eyes, irritated skin or more colds than usual? Most likely, the humidity level is lower than it should be for optimum health. Conversely, if there’s too much humidity in the air, mold and bacteria can grow. This can lead to other health concerns such as asthma, breathing difficulties, coughing, allergic reactions and irritation of the ear, nose and throat.

Integrity of your dwelling

Too much or too little humidity can damage your house over time. For instance, humidity that’s too low can cause anything wooden in the house to crack including furniture. When it comes to high humidity, the bathroom is one place were moisture may become trapped and cause a mildew problem. Basements, laundry rooms and kitchens are other locations. If condensation is accumulating on window panes it can damage the frames and drip down walls seeping into corners and compromising the drywall.

What to do

Checking the humidity level with a hygrometer is a good place to start. This simple tool can be purchased inexpensively online or at a hardware store.  According to Health Canada, humidity levels should be above 30% during the winter and below 55% in the summer. As a first step, be sure that you’re using your bathroom and kitchen fans and keeping interior doors open to promote air circulation. However, the best way to control humidity is to use humidifiers and dehumidifiers. You may already have a humidifier installed on your heating system, and you house may also come equipped with an air ventilating system to help circulate fresh air throughout your dwelling. Make sure that you know about these features and how and when to use them.
By paying attention to the humidity in your home and taking appropriate action, you’ll quickly notice improved health and be comforted that you’re taking good care of your principal residence.