Everyone’s heard of a dehumidifier, but when do you actually need one? Chances are, if you are seeing these signs, you may be scratching your head on what to do. Having excess humidity in the home may not feel so bad for you physically, but it can cause all kinds of havoc in your home.
1. Mold Spots that Won’t Go Away
You keep getting moldy areas in your house, and no matter how you clean them, how many times you do it, or with what, they keep coming back. Mold is a great indicator that something in your house is too moist, and usually that can be handled with a dehumidifier. Most often you’ll see this in the shower as you’re adding more moisture onto your home on top of what’s already there when you take a hot steamy shower. Check the corners of your bathroom, your ceilings, and around your toilet. Do you see spots of mold? It’s either time to take cooler showers or time to invest in a dehumidifier.
2. Inside Window Condensation
If your windows are condensating on the inside, it may be an indicator of trouble. Not only do you have excess moisture in your home, but this moisture can freeze and cause structural damage on doors and windows as the ice expands and contracts. This can also become a breeding spot for mold. You may want to invest in a dehumidifier and check all of your window and door seals as well.
3. Water Damage
Is the paint flaking off of the ceiling in your bathroom or elsewhere? You could have water damage, and not from a leaky roof. Having excess humidity in your house means that over time paint will stop adhering and materials will get soggy and “wet”. Time to buy a dehumidifer!
4. Musty Smells
If you keep smelling something that smells old and musty, it could be because of excess humidity in your home. Since humidity can breed mold, it’s easy for mold to get started in window draperies, carpeting, or even closet clothes. You may go crazy washing everything in your house, but a solution may be as simple as a dehumidifier.
5. An Unbearable Summer
Not everyone likes to click on the AC as soon as the temperatures start to rise. If you like to wait it out, you might find that sometimes in the summer your house is just unbearable. You feel wet and sticky, even when the hot days outside aren’t so humid. The reason is that your home is already humid inside, and the day isn’t helping. A dehumidifier can take the moisture out of the air and make it not so “thick”, allowing you to breathe better and feel more comfortable, even if the temperature stays the same.
