Humidity Control for Atlanta Homes

It is that time of the year, when your door knob is wet and slippery, and water droplets start forming on the surface of your wall. Does thehumid, rain forest-like air make you feel uncomfortable and allergenic? Or do you know that you live in an average humidity drier than the Sahara during the winter? Here are some tips for humidity control for Atlanta homes. At Heirloom Design Build, we can help you install home humid control system, or remove heavily-damaged building materials due to humidity.

What is humidity?

Humidity is the amount of water vapor in the air. Low humidity indicates dry air, while high humidity indicates moist air. Unfortunately, Atlanta experiences extreme humidity swings from season to season. For example, the humidity inside an Atlanta home can range from as low as 21 percent in the winter to as high as 70 percent in the summer. The average humidity in the Sahara Desert is 26 percent, so many Atlanta residents live in conditions even drier than a desert during the winter. Experts recommend a winter humidity of 35 percent or higher and a summer humidity of 50 percent or lower.

What to do?

Too little humidity dries out the skin, makes you feel cold or chilled even at relatively high room temperatures, and causes wood to shrink. Shrinking wood causes furniture joints to loosen, cracks between crown molding and the drywall, and cracks between boards in wood floors. Too much humidity causes mold, mildew, odors, and increased allergies, and it also warps furniture and wood floors. One of the leading causes of allergy problems in the Southeast is the airborne feces of microscopic insects called dust mites.

In order to control humidity during the summer, a standard central air conditioning unit is usually used to remove some of the humidity. However, in order to maintain a relative humidity of less than 50 percent, an automatic whole-house dehumidifier, used in conjunction with your air conditioning system, is often required. If you are suffering from stuffy nose, allergies, or spot wet stains on walls and ceilings, or detect musty smells, rotting wood and condensation on windows, you should consider turning on your air conditioner and dehumidifier, for the sake of your health and the good condition of your house.

Heirloom Design Build is Atlanta’s top tier unrestricted general contractor, specialized in design build, new home construction, renovation & addition and other special projects. Our goal is to work with you to create the home of your dreams within your budget. We are members of the United States Green Building Council, the Atlanta Green Building Council, Builder America, Earthcraft, and Energy Star. We are also EPA- Lead Free trained and certified, and we have LEED (AP) certified staff in house.

Please call (404) 537-1827 or email us at info@heirloomdesignbuild.com for more information.