Does Your Home Need Commercial Grade Dehumidification?
Virginia is classified as and well known as a mixed-humid climate, meaning that we receive more than 20 inches of annual precipitation, have approximately 5,400 heating degree days* or less, and the monthly outdoor temperature drops below 45°F in the winter.
Most experts, like the American Medical Association, American Lung Association and the Environmental Protection Agency, all agree that our homes should be kept at a relative humidity of 30 to 60 percent. So we can all probably agree that it’s a good idea to keep excess humidity in check.
It is common to use a system to heat, ventilate, and air condition (HVAC) to control interior moisture levels, but an HVAC system can’t always handle the level of humidity in our region, especially when your HVAC system is typically not in use, but the humidity is high. Under such conditions, you may well need a dehumidifier in your basement or an encapsulated crawl space.
Top 5 signs you need a dehumidifier:
- Musty smell or odor
- Condensation
- Allergies and asthma
- Mold and mildew growth
- Insects and spiders
In addition to the infiltration of outside air, homes have other sources of humidity: plants, pets, people, cooking, washing, and standing ground water.
To avoid the problems caused by moisture, a properly sized dehumidifier is necessary to maintain relative humidity between 30-50% throughout the home—including the basement. This creates a less hospitable environment for mold, allergens, dust mites, centipedes, silver-fish, spiders, and other pests. Your basement can then be used for additional comfortable living space and the safe storage of clothing, books, heirlooms, and collectibles.
The basic principle of dehumidification (moisture removal) assumes that the room is closed. No or at least very little outside air should be allowed to enter the room. The air is continuously circulated through the dehumidifier and gradually the humidity is condensed into a water container with no resulting heat loss to the outside. Quite the opposite to the traditional method of heating and ventilation. Besides the obvious advantages of lower energy consumption, the dehumidification process is much easier to control as long as the room stays closed.
At Weatherseal, we strive to provide durable products that offer the best value and performance to our customers. We install Therma-Stor’s Sante Fe dehumidifiers, offering the best industry warranty of 5-years. Whether your home is large or small, Therma-Stor has a dehumidifier to suit your needs.
Please contact us if you are interested in learning more about our moisture control solutions or for a free assessment of your home’s moisture issues.
* Heating degree days are defined relative to a base temperature—the outside temperature above which a building needs no heating. The most appropriate base temperature for any particular building depends on the temperature that the building is heated to, and the nature of the building (including the heat-generating occupants and equipment within it). The base temperature is usually an indoor temperature of ~65°F which is adequate for human comfort.
