High humidity can seriously damage your home and is often overlooked. While our primary focus is on crawl spaces, it's crucial to manage humidity throughout your entire home. This guide covers humidity control for different areas and explains its impact on you and your home. Feel free to ask questions or share your thoughts in the comments below.

Why Your Home is Humid

High humidity can develop easily, especially in crawl spaces and basements. Encapsulation and waterproofing are crucial but not always sufficient. Proper humidity control involves more than just plastic barriers or concrete floors.

Basement Humidity Control

Basement humidity often comes from soil moisture evaporating into the home. Plastic vapor barriers can help but are not a complete solution. The real key is managing moisture with a dehumidifier.

Attic Humidity Control

Attics are typically drier but can suffer from roof leaks and high outside humidity. Sources of indoor humidity include garages, showers, overwatering plants, oversized or poorly maintained HVAC systems, and plumbing leaks. These contribute to overall humidity issues.

Impact of Humidity on Your Home and Health

High humidity can affect building materials, increase mold and bacteria growth, and make your home feel hotter in summer and cooler in winter. It also impacts comfort by inhibiting sweating, making you feel warmer. For asthma sufferers, high humidity can worsen symptoms by triggering airway constriction and trapping allergens.

Ideal Humidity Levels

The optimal indoor humidity level is between 45% and 55%. Levels above 60% encourage mold and dust mites, while below 40% can lead to viruses, respiratory issues, and discomfort.

Crawl Space Humidity Control

Effective crawl space humidity control requires more than just plastic and air sealing. A properly sized dehumidifier is essential. Many encapsulation projects neglect this crucial component, which is vital for controlling moisture levels.

Basement Dehumidifiers

Basements, like crawl spaces, can suffer from humidity issues, even with waterproofing systems. If your basement is cooler and your HVAC system runs less, it might not control humidity effectively. A dedicated basement dehumidifier is often necessary to manage humidity levels independently of your HVAC system.