Buying a home is not easy. It takes meticulous planning and research to buy our dream home. We consider a lot of factors like location, design, architecture, construction, and condition of a home before buying it. Budget is another factor that makes us spend many sleepless nights before buying a home. Apart from all these, we checked the humidity of the house also. Humidity is something that most home buyers or sellers do not take into consideration. However, the humidity level of the home is an extremely important thing to consider before purchasing any home.

Most people are not aware that low humidity levels inside the house can cause various illnesses like cold, flu, and dry skin. Low humidity can also cause an itchy throat and help spread the virus. High humidity is also not good for the health as it helps spread infections caused by bacteria. Apart from health hazards, humidity levels can also compromise the foundation and construction of the home. Humidity levels can cause molds that leave stains on the walls, they ruin wooden furniture, and cause fungal growth on clothes. In most homes, humidity levels ruin the interiors of cupboards and cabinets. Therefore, if you are considering buying a new home then make sure to check the humidity levels of the home. On the other hand, if you are planning to sell your home then make sure you control the humidity levels in your home before putting it up for sale. Here are some signs to look for to know the levels of humidity in a house.

How to Check Humidity of a Home

The ideal humidity level of any house should be between 35%-40%, it can also vary between 50%-60% depending on the weather of the place. An ideal humidity level is required for the good health of both you and your home. There are certain tell-tale signs to let you know that something is wrong with the humidity level of the house.

Signs of High Humidity Level

 If you see obvious condensation against the windows then it could be a sign of high humidity. Often you may witness water droplets on the glass window panes. This is a typical problem in homes in cold places, where the humidity inside the home increases. In a cold climate, people try to keep their homes warm, while the outside temperature is cold. The warm air inside the home retains the moisture and spreads it across the home. Moisture accumulates on floors, ceilings, walls, furniture, and every corner but it is not visible. Accumulated moisture can weaken the structure of the house. The structural damage can include rotting of the beams, rotting of wooden structures and furniture, and even ceiling and wall collapse. They also ruin the plaster and paint of the house. Humidity gathers on curtains, clothes, and cushions spreading the mold. You may even have to throw away curtains due to excessive mold. Clothes cupboards often start stinking and clothes start rotting due to this. Therefore, always check for dampness inside the home before buying.

Signs of Low Humidity Level

Signs of low humidity can be seen in wooden furniture, floor, and doors. If the home has low humidity it will make the glue and caulk dry giving rise to cracks. You will find gaps around door and window frames. It will also give rise to cracks around fixtures and electric boards. Wooden objects are the worst affected in a house that has low humidity. If the house has a wooden floor you would find gaps and not fitting properly. If the house has antique furniture then you will find them in bad shape. If the water in the flower vase dries up quickly and the flowers wilt then that is also a sign of low humidity.

Also, enquire about the health of the people living in the house. If you find that they suffer from allergies, strep throat, get frequently affected by flu, suffer from tickly coughs and sinus issues then this is a good clue to conclude that the humidity level of the house is extremely low. People living in a house with low humidity suffer from chronic dry skin and eyes. In the worst-case scenario, chronic dry skin and strep throat can cause psoriasis. An easy way to check the humidity level of the house is by keeping a glass full of ice for a few minutes. If you find droplets on the outer side of the glass then the humidity level is fine but if there are no droplets then the house has low humidity.