Northern Virginia Tips for Managing the Humidity in August
You may have heard, that this week the Northern Virginia area is getting it’s most humid air of the year. If you’re looking for an escape, there’s no better place to turn to then a cool, air conditioned room. But what are some things that cause humidity inside as well? Here are some tips to better manage humidity in your home.
The Moisture Beneath
Your home’s humidity can be checked with a simple tool that resembles a thermometer called a “hygrometer”. Basements typically have the highest humidity levels of the home because they are closest to underground water sources (soil, water table) but more commonly could have a number of issues such as inadequate grading, defective or missing gutters and downspouts, window wells that weren’t installed properly or an ineffective sump pit. All of these issues can lead to a tremendous amount of moisture entering your home through capillary suction, that is when moisture moves through porous materials like concrete footing. A de-humidifier will help to a point but it will not resolve underlying structural issues with your home that may be causing moisture/humidity issues.
Internal Humidity Control
Removing moisture from your bathroom through an extract fan, using a rangehood in the kitchen, ensuring your dryer is vented to the outside and using only gas heaters that are externally vented are all good ways to remove moisture from inside your home.
During humid days, it’s important that you DO NOT ventilate your home with outside air – this will only add to the humidity in your home. Your air conditioners job is to dehumidify your home while cooling it.
If you repeatedly have issues with your air conditioning system, please call ACE and a member of our team will be able to assist you!
