Problems of humidity and air quality (last part)

Eliminate the other sources of humidity

Certain sources of humidity are hidden, causing condensation inside the house. But it is also necessary to check the more obvious sources of water like leaks from the roof, leaks inside the walls, or leaks in the plumbing.

Maintain air circulation

Condensation and the growth of moulds often occur in not very busy places such as in closets,  in the corners, on the walls behind the furniture and in unutilized rooms. By increasing the circulation of air in these places, one will increase the temperature of the surface and one will locally reduce the humidity rate and, consequently, the risks of condensation.

Get rid of moulds

Even if you eliminate condensation and lower the humidity rates in your house, the existing moulds will probably survive and continue to release spores.

The moulds must be removed. To do this, use pure bleach water to clean mildewed surfaces and a mixture of one part bleach for two parts of water with a little detergent to clean nearby surfaces. Let soak for 15 minutes, then rinse well.

To note : These solutions are irritating, wear gloves and protective glasses and air the premises well.

Maintain the humidity rate at a salubrious level

Health Canada recommends to maintain a relative interior humidity from 30 to 55% in winter time. A lower rate worsens cutaneous allergies and infections of the respiratory tracts; higher rates support the propagation of moulds, bacteria and viruses. Detriticolous acarina are propagated when humidity is higher than 50%.

Use the dehumidifiers judiciously

Dehumidifiers are generally ineffective in winter time since they cannot lower a relative humidity rate which is higher than the 50 to 60% range. On the other hand, to make a dehumidifier function in the basement during the hot and wet days of summer can be effective to avoid condensation on the foundation walls and on the floor paving. To evacuate the humid air of the basement can be useful provided that the replacement air is not quite as wet.

Good to know

There are tens of thousands of moulds and their identification is a difficult and expensive task, even for the experts. The persons in charge of public health thus recommend to eliminate all the moulds inside your house.

The majority of the fungic spores need free water (in other words, condensation or humid materials) to germinate. However, as soon as the colonies are installed, a good number of them produce their own moisture and can survive even under dry conditions. The moulds need also moderate temperatures and a source of food like house dust or wallpaper.