The real scourge of many private houses and apartments on the ground floor is often dampness. Their inhabitants know firsthand how unpleasant it is to enter a room filled with dank, damp air and saturated with the smell of mold. It is necessary and extremely important to fight dampness in the house, since the health of all household members often depends on it.
What is dangerous high humidity
The normal indicator of relative humidity in a residential area is 45-60%. It is this humidity that is considered optimal for maintaining human health and therefore the most comfortable. If the humidity level exceeds 70%, fungus appears and related diseases begin to develop. Unfortunately, in many residential areas, factors sometimes arise that lead to an increase in dampness. 
One of the reasons high humidity air, there may be condensation on plastic double-glazed windows
Reasons for high humidity
Humidity will increase if:
- do you live on the ground floor high-rise building and the basement was flooded under it (although sometimes just the proximity of the apartment to the too damp underground is enough);
- ventilation is poor or non-existent;
- you were flooded by neighbors from above;
- the seams between the walls are not sealed, there are gaps under the doors and window frames;
- new ventilation ducts made for installation household appliances, block the main ventilation, which is an installation error and has a bad effect on the apartments located below;
- water pipes are cluttered with furniture or other items that prevent leaks from being cleaned in time;
- have been established plastic double-glazed windows without installing additional ventilation, or a room with plastic windows is rarely ventilated, which retains moisture in the air and contributes to its accumulation;
- in the bathroom and kitchen at the joints of the seams tiles humidity rises due to a large amount of evaporation.
By the way, my uncle, who was a locksmith, once told me how to determine where the source of high humidity is. To do this, you need to take any piece of glass and attach it to the wall. If after a minute or two you remove the “indicator”, and under it there is a wet spot, dampness in the house due to external conditions. But a dry wall means that the source of high humidity is in the room. 
Elimination of probable water leaks is one of the ways to eliminate high humidity in the room
The consequences of high humidity
Very often, we realize that our home is too humid only after the pieces of furniture and clothes in the closets acquire bad smell dampness and become as if wet. But this is only one, and rather insignificant, consequence of exceeding the relative humidity level. But among the more serious are the following:
- the appearance and active reproduction of mold fungus, numerous spores of which lead to inflammatory processes in the bronchi and lungs, exacerbation of allergies and even asthma;
- damage to the interior: the wallpaper falls off the walls due to the soaking of the glue, the furniture dries out and the parquet swells;
- the appearance of black spots from the fungus on clothes and textile interior items, which may not be completely washed out.
At one time, my husband and eldest son and I rented an apartment. And it would seem that everything is fine - there is all the furniture, satellite TV, the Internet, a working elevator, plastic windows, and only one small minus - black mold on double-glazed windows and metal-plastic balcony door. To be honest, I solved this problem simply - I washed the fungus with a damp cloth in detergent for dishes, and then wiped dry. But within a week everything was back to normal. The ventilation did not help much - the windows and the door continued to condensate. At the same time, I began to notice that my son began to get sick with colds more often and almost did not stop coughing. The last straw was the words of a neighbor that the previous tenants moved out after their child was diagnosed with asthma. When we heard this, we immediately started looking for new apartment and moved in a week later.
Mold is one of the most dangerous consequences of increased dampness in a residential area. How to know that the humidity in the apartment is above the norm
The easiest way to do this is to use a hygrometer - a device for determining the level of humidity, which shows it as a percentage. If you do not have this device, you can use more time-consuming and not so accurate home methods.
Assmann's psychrometric table
Procedure for determining the humidity level:
- Record the readings of room temperature on paper.
- We wrap the thermometer damp cloth from the side of mercury, and then we record new data.
- If they are higher than the previous ones, we wet the matter more strongly and again cover the thermometer with it.
- The resulting figure is again recorded and compared with the table.
- We find the dry thermometer data in the left column, and the temperature difference between the wet and wet thermometers in the top line.
- At the intersection of these indicators, we find our humidity level.
Such a measurement, although not absolutely accurate, but approximately shows whether the level of moisture in the air is increased or decreased. 
Reconciliation of the readings of a room thermometer with the Assmann table allows you to approximately find out the level of humidity in the room
Water in a glass
The algorithm of your actions is as follows:
- We collect cold water in an ordinary faceted glass.
- We place in the refrigerator for three hours so that the liquid reaches a temperature of 3-5 degrees Celsius.
- We put the glass away from the batteries and observe for 5 minutes.
If the glass is first covered with condensation and then dried up, then the air is quite dry. After the specified time, the glass is still fogged up - the humidity level is average. After 5 minutes, streams of water flowed down the glass - the humidity is high.
How to Reduce Humidity in Your Home
Having identified a significant excess of the humidity level, everything possible should be done to normalize it, because the health of all households depends on it.
Room ventilation
This method of drying the air is the simplest, most affordable and quite effective. It is, of course, desirable to ventilate in dry and windy weather, otherwise there will not be much sense. It is especially important to carry out this procedure after cooking, taking a bath or shower, washing, general wet cleaning.
Interestingly, even a fan is quite capable of drying the air in the room if there is no way to ventilate it.
Heaters and dehumidifiers
If the dampness in the room exceeds all possible limits, you will have to think about purchasing dehumidifiers. These devices can be used both in residential and industrial premises. For home use Of course, you need a household dehumidifier that is compact and quiet. You can turn on the device as needed. 
Household dehumidifiers air will not only reduce its humidity, but also get rid of harmful particles
In winter and in the off-season, heaters become a real salvation from dampness. The heat they give off significantly dries the air, however, for the same reason, you may later have to deal with its dryness. Therefore, in order not to overdry the room, try not to overheat it by using additional heaters in the presence of central heating. 
For heating season radiators dry out, and can even dry out the air
The use of modern finishing materials
If you want to protect the premises from dampness on a global scale, get ready for overhaul. The accumulation of moisture in the room contribute not natural materials, so try to avoid plastic and other moisture-trapping finishes. For a "drainage" repair, you should:
- Remove the remnants of all previous finishing materials.
- Find the source of increased dampness, if it is in the dwelling, and try to eliminate it.
- Thoroughly dry the room and, most importantly, the walls, it is best to use a heat gun for this.
- Carefully seal all places that provoke high humidity, usually these are wall joints and floor seams. To do this, the gaps are filled cement mortar and treated with hydro- and bioprotective agents, most often based on silicone.
- Treat the surface of all walls with a water-repellent primer or bioprotection, or even better, with both.
- Finish the prepared room with moisture-resistant drywall, which has its own characteristic green tint. The thickness of sheets of such material is usually 10–12 mm.
Moisture resistant drywall highlighted in green - To finish a home with a high level of humidity, choose vinyl-coated non-woven wallpaper. This coating resists moisture well, and some varieties can even be wiped with a damp cloth to clean. And you can also use compact vinyl wallpaper.
Compact vinyl wallpaper suitable for home decoration with a high level of humidity
Acrylic paint and putty are a great duo for treating walls in a room with high humidity. Acrylic itself is a water-resistant material, but in the form of paint mixed with putty, it creates a reliable water-repellent film. Another best option wet room decor - ceramic tile. True, because of the high cost, it is mainly used in the kitchen or in the bathroom. Although, if you have the required funds, it is quite possible to decorate with tiles and living rooms, only the tile needs to be selected large sizes than in the rooms mentioned above.
Moisture pills
Special absorbent tablets (Ceresit "Stop Moisture", Henkel "Stop Humidity") are used in conjunction with a desiccant - a container into which the saline solution formed from the absorbed moisture flows. Such a device is capable of absorbing about 0.4 liters of water per month. The area of the premises should not exceed 20 square meters. m. One tablet is enough for two to three months of use. 
Anti-dampness tablets Henkel "Stop Humidity" absorb excess moisture in the room
Folk remedies
If dampness is negligible or you do not have much Money you can try to dry the room folk remedies.
Absorbent Products
Of food products, salt, sugar, rice and coffee beans absorb moisture well. Naturally, they do not need to be placed in bags in the middle of the rooms. It is enough to pour into some small containers and arrange in inconspicuous places - under the sofa, on cabinets, etc. True, sugar can attract unwanted neighbors - cockroaches, ants, etc. to your home. But with the help coffee beans you can make a beautiful decorative composition in a glass more often by adding other bright components there. 
Coffee beans not only absorb excess moisture, but also provide unlimited scope for creativity.
silica gel
Silica gel is a substance that we find in sachets in many industrial products (new shoes, bags, wallets), absorbs moisture perfectly. True, to drain the premises found in purchases will not be enough. You can buy silica gel at a pet store, where it is usually bought for cat litter. Be careful: small children who like to put everything in their mouths should not have access to silica gel balls. It is best to use it not in bulk, but in some kind of breathable bag (made of fabric or non-woven material).
indoor flowers
If you want to combine business with pleasure, you can have indoor flowers that absorb excess moisture from the air. These include:
Important! This method is controversial, because the flowers themselves, which need to be watered and which evaporate moisture, can become a source of dampness and mold in the room, especially if there are a lot of them.
Calcium chloride, charcoal and quicklime
The listed substances can be used to reduce the humidity of non-residential premises. They are poured into containers, which are placed in the corners of a damp building. The safest option for a dwelling is coal. However, you need to make sure that it is not a source of coal dust: it is dangerous for the health of households. Choose large pieces of coal and do not put coal in "passing" places. Lime is usually drained basements, garages and other non-residential premises. Calcium chloride before use should be dried in the oven and crushed.
If you're already dealing with the consequences advanced level moisture in your home or are thinking about preventing high dampness, try following these tips:
- try to eliminate all the causes that cause increased dampness;
- ventilate the rooms after any manipulations associated with the abundant use of water - washing, cooking, hygiene procedures. If you don’t want to open the window for a long time in winter, the easiest way is to use the so-called extreme ventilation - open the windows completely, but only for a couple of minutes;
In winter, I don’t really want to ventilate, but this must be done at least 3-5 times a day - install the hood and do not forget to use it;
surrounding us air is a mixture of various gases, which includes and water molecules. The amount of water vapor in grams per cubic meter of the mixture is called absolute air humidity. This value fickle.
As the temperature rises, the concentration of moisture in the air increases, and vice versa. That's why relative air humidity is defined as percentage the ratio of the absolute value to the density of saturated vapor at the same temperature regime.
For creating comfortable microclimate in the apartment, it is necessary to maintain relative humidity at a level normative values: not below 30% in winter and above 65% summer. Most favorable for human life is the range 45-60% .
Increasing or decreasing the humidity level in the room negative affects not only the safety and appearance objects made of natural materials, but also negatively affects health the inhabitants of the house.
Excessive humidity in the air in a residential area most often occurs due to poor ventilation. Condensation on glass window openings(in other words,) on the walls in the bathroom and in the kitchen - the first signs high humidity in the apartment.
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Classmates
high humidity
Drowsiness, dizziness, shortness of breath, palpitations - unpleasant symptoms lack of oxygen.
If a in time do not take measures to regulate the humidity in the apartment, this can lead to complications and chronic diseases of the cardiac system and blood vessels of the human brain.
To signs of dampness in room relate:
- Education condensate on cold surfaces such as window glass, bathroom mirror, polished or metal furniture, pipes, cold water faucets and valves, the inside surface of exterior walls;
- bad condition indoor plants : rotten roots, drooping stems and white coating on leaves;
- Wet towels, clothes and bed linen;
- swollen wooden doors and furniture;
- wallpaper lag from the surface of the outer walls;
- Corrosion metal pipes and details in bathrooms and bathrooms;
- Heavy, saturated unpleasant odors, air in room;
- The appearance of dark spots on the window slopes, the ceiling and in the unventilated corners of the room.
Important: if the condensate on the walls of the glass with chilled water did not dry up within 5 minutes, but began to collect in large drops and trickle down on the table, then in the room high level humidity.
And stale air and dark spots indicate the development fungal microorganisms in a favorable moist environment on the surfaces of walls and furniture. With time mold spores enter the surrounding air and the upper respiratory tract of a person.
An increased concentration of spores of toxic fungi in the air can cause allergic reactions, choking attacks and asthmatic cough. dark mold, often formed on walls in damp rooms, affects the skin and mucous membranes in children and adults.
Once inhaled into the lungs or human esophagus, spores of toxic fungal species can germinate and provoke dampness in the apartment
Causes of dampness in the apartment
Help relieve discomfort appliances heating (as an option) and regular ventilation.
Causes constant dampness in the apartment I can be:
- Absence exhaust ventilation from rooms with high humidity - kitchen, bathroom, bathroom;
- Wrong ventilation mode;
- Design features of the house- insufficient thickness of external walls, poorly insulated panels;
- Integrity breach external walls and ceilings;
- Insufficient amount heating appliances;
- Misuse living quarters - frequent drying of clothes, prolonged boiling of large volumes of liquid, open aquariums, home greenhouses.
Advice: you can determine the cause of high humidity in the room using a piece of glass. If under glass attached to outer wall, condensation will appear, which means that moisture enters the apartment from the outside.
How to solve the problem of excessive moisture
In this case, you should choose materials that have good vapor permeability.
Leakage of atmospheric precipitation through loose joints of panels or a leaky roof is excluded using seam sealing and roof repairs.
Increase in the number of sections heating appliances will help increase the temperature in the apartment, which will prevent the formation of condensation on cold surfaces. Dampness in the kitchen, bathroom and bathroom can be eliminated if organized mechanical ventilation in these premises. Axial fan small power installed in the exhaust ducts, which are pre-inspected and cleaned.
Improve the microclimate in the apartment will help household air conditioner and dehumidifiers. These devices successfully cope with the problems of excessive humidity in the apartment and can work periodically so as not to overdry the air.
Advice: oil is used as an additional heating device electric radiator with built-in fan.
Prevention of humidity levels in the apartment
Measurements must be made regularly to maintain the microclimate in the apartment at an optimal level. As preventive measures perform:
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Reading 5 min. Published on 20.10.2018
Before you decide how to get rid of dampness in an apartment, you need to find out whether moisture comes from outside or is generated inside the room.
To do this, take a small piece of glass, press it firmly against the wall and hold it for a while. If, after tearing off the glass from the wall, it is wet, you can be sure: dampness comes from the outside. Otherwise, it is necessary to look for an internal cause.
What is the reason
What can cause high humidity in the apartment? First of all, the absence or bad job ventilation. First, check if you covered it with wallpaper or when installing kitchen appliances.
This reason is easy to eliminate: cut the desired square on the wallpaper in place ventilation grill or make the correct tap of household appliances.
Perhaps your neighbors are heating you upstairs. Inspect carefully the ceiling throughout the apartment, especially in the bathroom, toilet, kitchen. When identifying wet spots on the ceiling or walls adjacent to it, go to a neighbor to sort things out.
The accumulation of moisture in your room could be due to poor thermal insulation of the walls, flaws in the seams of housing construction. In this case, these shortcomings must be eliminated.
How to prevent
If you dry at home a large number of linen, high humidity in the apartment can not be avoided. It’s worth thinking about, maybe there is a way to stretch the laundry in time, and use the balcony instead of the bathroom to dry the clothes.
With chronic dampness in the house, it is worth buying a dehumidifier, preferably with an automatic mode of operation. It will independently maintain optimal humidity in the apartment.
If the source of dampness is in the bathroom, install an electric
. It will dry not only towels, but also the air in the room.
Any damp room should be periodically heated, dried and ventilated. This must be done even in winter. When preparing food in the kitchen, use
. It will successfully cope with the absorption of moisture formed during cooking.
First floor
The reason for the dampness in the apartment on the first floor is the flooding of the basement. If this happens all the time, and complaints to the housing office do not give results, you should think about installing waterproofing. But she does not give a full guarantee against dampness.
The apartment on the ground floor also needs additional heating.
How the room is heated - by the rays of the sun, warm air from the air conditioner or underfloor heating with a built-in electric heater - does not matter. By heating the apartment, you will expel moisture from it.
If you are thinking about how to get rid of dampness in an apartment on the 1st floor, you should know: the flow of moisture from basement increases sharply in spring and autumn.
Therefore, if you correctly place the heating devices in the room, the problem will be solved. You should not be afraid of energy overruns: you will need to turn them on only twice a year, in spring and autumn, for periods lasting a maximum of a month.
Fifth floor
If you are facing the opposite problem and do not know how to get rid of dampness in an apartment on the top (stained) floor, perhaps these tips will help you.
In Khrushchev on the 5th floor, the cause of dampness is usually external. The high humidity here is a direct consequence of the lack of gable roof, wall insulation, low-quality interpanel seams, cast iron batteries heating with extremely low efficiency.
Oddly enough, technological progress only exacerbates these problems. The design of the Khrushchev suggests Fresh air constantly enters the room through the cracks in the windows, and leaves outside through the ventilation shafts.
Installation plastic windows shuts off the outside air. And the ventilation on the last floor of the five-story building does not work well, since the lower floors are ventilated in such a structure. As a result, always on the 5th floor
in the corners and rivers on the windowsill.
To solve the problem, it is necessary to install an alpine window. This is a system of valves punched into the walls of each room, combined with a powerful hood.
Fresh air enters the apartment through the valves, the hood draws out the exhausted moist air from it.
It is easy to verify its effectiveness in winter: large icicles are necessarily formed on the valve pipes in frosts outside. This is the moisture from the air in your apartment.
Folk remedies
Is it possible to get rid of dampness in an apartment with time-tested folk remedies? Let's turn to the experience of our grandmothers.
Salt, sugar, coffee grains perfectly absorb moisture from the air. If you place open bags or jars with these products in the corners of the room, in cabinets, the apartment will “dry out”.
For the same purpose, the furniture in the room should be regularly wiped with a weak solution of potassium permanganate. At
wipe all wet surfaces dry. Thoroughly ventilate the room after each cleaning.
Against mold
The mold must be scraped off the wall, then the walls should be smeared with a solution of copper sulfate or a special antifungal mixture.
You can use bleach, bleach, soda, vinegar, oil for this tea tree and normal soapy water.
It is necessary to make high-quality ventilation in the house - fresh air will not allow mold to develop.
When cooking, it is better to use forced ventilation. It is also necessary to repair the leaking water supply in time, do not supercool the room, and wring out the laundry well before drying.
Should be for the winter
a special cord in a cotton sheath or porous pads. Fill gaps in frames with plain window paper.
And from replacement wooden windows on plastic with problems with dampness it is better to abstain.
If you still decide to install plastic windows, think over the ventilation system. Fresh air will not be able to get to you through the window now. And not everyone will dare to open the window in a twenty-degree frost.
Dampness and repair
If you started a renovation and intend to radically solve the problem of dampness in the apartment, it is advisable to use natural materials for it. They tend to absorb excess moisture from the air.
When repairing, it is also necessary to use waterproofing materials. Include antifungal ingredients in grouts.
Think ahead about the future installation of furniture. It should not be placed close to the walls, be sure to leave a gap.
To eliminate the causes of dampness, it is necessary to thoroughly deal with floor insulation, external and internal insulation walls. The walls must be wiped with a bleach solution and re-plastered.
High humidity in the house can be caused by various reasons. Almost every second owner of an apartment and a private house faces this phenomenon. Moisture causes mold.
Therefore, excess moisture in the house must be dealt with. The source that causes this phenomenon should be found and appropriate measures should be taken. It is worth saying that the fungus and mold in the house appear just because of the high humidity. In addition, dampness worsens the health of all residents living in the house. Therefore, today the portal will tell you about how to get rid of dampness in the house with folk remedies?
Why is there dampness in the house?
The cause of dampness is directly sought on the territory of the house itself. To quickly get rid of dampness in the house, you need to find a place where mold accumulates, and only then think about what can be done in such a situation. If a wall facing the street is exposed to increased dampness, then it must be lined with a reliable insulating material. Mold does not only appear in private homes. Quite often, mold occurs in modern apartments. Very seriously, this problem worries the owners of apartments on the ground floor. Usually in such rooms, mold forms in the lower part of the walls. There are a number of unfortunate reasons for this. It could be:
- Poor insulation of the foundation with the wall.
- Damp basement with leaking pipes.
- Bad ventilation.
It is worth saying that it is much easier to eliminate dampness in a private house. After all, you just need to organize proper ventilation or install thermal insulation materials. AT apartment buildings it is very difficult to deal with this phenomenon. Here, the main reasons for the appearance of this factor are hidden in the first stages of construction. And if the developer misses important points, then the apartment will always deliver unpleasant problems to its owners. Moreover, being in this room will adversely affect the health of all household members. People who are constantly in an apartment with high humidity can get sick: asthma, tuberculosis and other more serious diseases.
What ways will help get rid of dampness in a private house
Now it's time to understand what to do with dampness at home and how to get rid of this unpleasant phenomenon in your home. Dampness in the house must be dealt with without fail.
In this case, you need to use all modern methods.
- So, a special tool that can be purchased at any supermarket will help get rid of mold and dampness in the house. However, this remedy may seem ineffective if the cause of the mold lies in other factors. For example, the use of special tools will be useless if there are problems with ventilation or ventilation in the house. If the wrong construction of the building was carried out, then the remedy also cannot bring an effect. After all, you need to fight the main causes of mold.
- Mold on the walls in the house can form due to poor heating. Indeed, the walls of the blocks are able to pass the cold. In addition, they are crowded with bulky furniture that does not allow heat to pass through. All these reasons contribute to the formation of mold, which releases dampness and unpleasant substances into the air for years. Some people believe that such problems are very easy to solve with a special product from the supermarket. However, it is not. Here drastic methods are required. Even an air conditioner that will simply drive damp air around the apartment will not bring the desired effect. But there is no need to despair! After all, if the house is constantly damp, you just need to install plastic windows that will not have partitions. The window will allow natural light keep getting into the house. In addition, with such an item it is possible to carry out high-quality and constant ventilation of the room.
- Fighting mold is very difficult. And this should be remembered by every homeowner with such an unpleasant problem. In this case, you will need not only patience, but also a lot of effort. To make your family nest comfortable and cozy, you need to remove fungus and mold from the walls of the house. For such work, you will need to purchase a high-quality antiseptic that will clean the walls of the fungus and make them aesthetic again.
- If the walls of the house are covered with wallpaper, then they are removed. In addition, the plaster affected by the fungus is removed. In order not to harm your health, all work must be done in a mask. Walls before treatment with an antiseptic must be cleaned of fungus and mold. Only after that they can be treated with an antiseptic and creosote. For the treatment of walls, other compositions are also allowed. For example, you can dilute stationery glue with water in a ratio of 1:4. It is allowed to treat the walls with urea. All of the above funds should be applied only to the affected areas of the walls. Before applying, the affected areas on the walls must be heated to 50 degrees. After finishing work, the walls must dry completely.
How to get rid of dampness in the apartment and in the house? This question will be relevant at any time. As mentioned above, this process is difficult and painstaking. In addition, after removing the mold in the room, it is necessary to create special conditions that will prevent the formation of mold and increased dampness.
High humidity in the house: methods of struggle, causes So, to prevent the appearance of mold and dampness in the apartment will help sunlight and fresh air. In addition, you need not to force all the walls in the room with furniture. Some plants can increase the humidity in rooms. Therefore, it is necessary to remove from the room where there is high humidity: geraniums and violets. If the dwelling is observed normal level humidity, then mold and fungus can be forgotten for a long time. Experts do not recommend drying wet clothes in the apartment and house. In addition, for repairs, you need to purchase dry building mixes.
A good effect can be given by the insulation of facades with a heater or foam. Dampness in an apartment is quite common. Therefore, everyone should know how to get rid of this phenomenon. In a room with high humidity, normal air circulation should occur.
That's why interior doors better to keep it open. But the doors to the kitchen should be closed during cooking. In this case, it is recommended to use a hood and vents to ventilate the kitchen.
For high-quality ventilation of the bathroom and the bathroom, you need to equip good ventilation. There is no need to invent something new and look for expensive solutions.
conclusions
To maintain good health and well-being, it is necessary to remove from the rooms: mold, fungus and high humidity. In addition, you need to monitor the condition of your home and prevent this problem from occurring. For example, if an apartment or house is equipped with low-quality heating, then you need to purchase a heating convector that will dry the walls with warm air. During wet cleaning, you should wipe the floor well and monitor the condition of the walls, on which the appearance of the fungus has already been recorded.
If all methods to combat the fungus have already been tried, if there is no good result, or there is no time to deal with such problems at all, you need to contact a special company that will send competent employees to deal with this problem.
Increased humidity in the apartment slowly and gradually Negative influence on the health and well-being of a person, on the condition and decoration of rooms, on books and various products made of leather, wood, and clay. With excess humidity in the room, immunity weakens and lung function worsens.
As a result, a person often gets sick and catches a cold, suffers from chronic and skin diseases. These are various rashes, allergic reactions and eczema. Therefore, it is very important to deal with dampness and humidity in the apartment, if it is increased.
High humidity in the house provokes the rapid reproduction of fungus and pathogenic bacteria. As a result, mold, dark spots form on the walls and ceiling, wallpaper peels off in the apartment and an unpleasant smell appears.
Moreover, the unpleasant smell of dampness and mold eats into furniture, bedding and even clothes for a long time. It is impossible to store fruits and vegetables, cereals and flour products in such a room for a long time, as the products spoil for short term.
Most often, too humid air occurs in brick houses, but this problem is also familiar to residents of panel high-rise buildings. Let's find out in more detail how to remove humidity in the apartment and get rid of the smell of dampness in the house.
Causes of high humidity in the house
- Clogged hood or completely broken ventilation in the apartment. In this case, you need to contact management company. What to do if the hood does not work well at home, see;
- The apartment is constantly heated;
- Dampness in the apartment on the first floor may appear due to the flooded basement, from where the humidity rises into the house;
- Unsealed seams between the walls in the apartment;
- Water leakage in the house, which was incorrectly or untimely installed, or which cannot be determined due to closed water pipes;
- Poor installation kitchen appliances and overlapping ventilation;
- Regular drying of laundry at home in a large volume;
- Constant humidity in the kitchen or in the bathroom can be observed due to improperly installed plumbing;
- A large number of flowers create an overly humid indoor climate.
How to get rid of humidity and dampness
Before you get rid of dampness in the apartment, it is important to identify the cause of this phenomenon and eliminate it. Be sure to check the operation of ventilation and pipes for leaks, the quality of installation of kitchen appliances and plumbing fixtures.
In most cases, including a flooded basement, a non-working hood, and damaged batteries, you need to contact the housing office or the management company that controls your home. If the organization does not respond and does not correct the problem, you need to go to higher authorities.
A special dehumidifier will help you get rid of humidity and dampness in your house or apartment. When choosing, keep in mind that the more powerful the device, the more efficiently and quickly it can remove dampness in the house and remove unpleasant odors.
Experts advise using modern dehumidifiers with a humidity sensor in the apartment and changing the heating temperature depending on the percentage of moisture in the room. This eliminates the drying of the air and helps to avoid excessive consumption of electricity.
A damp apartment should be regularly heated with hot batteries and radiators. Devices dry the room and help fight mold, fungus and bacteria. But keep in mind that continuous heating should only be in the cold season, and sudden temperature changes are not welcome.
Regular ventilation and fresh indoor air are the best ways to eliminate excess and high humidity in the house. Fully open every window in the apartment so that the air circulates in all rooms.
Be sure to leave the bathroom door open for at least two hours a day. Instead of ventilation, you can use an air conditioner that maintains the desired temperature and dries the air.
To eliminate dampness in a private house, if it comes from the street, you need to insulate the walls and ceiling. This will prevent moisture from entering the room, protect it from temperature extremes and condensation.
How to remove dampness in the bathroom and closet
Many are interested in how to get rid of dampness in the bathroom, because this room has the highest humidity. Periodically ventilate the room and try to keep the door open, be sure to check the operation of the hood.
To do this, bring a small piece of thin paper and bring it to the grate. The door must be open. It is desirable that the windows were open in the apartment.
If the paper is attracted, the ventilation works. If the sheet does not hold and falls, it has stopped working. In addition, the paper may fly off the grate, which indicates reverse thrust. In this case, not only does the unpleasant smell not leave the apartment, but an outsider also gets in.
Therefore, it is necessary to repair and establish the operation of the exhaust structure. Also, a heated towel rail will help to increase the level of dryness in the bathroom, with the help of which you need to periodically warm up the room.
Sometimes dampness appears in the closet, causing things to become damp. To solve the problem after washing, be sure to dry the clothes in washing machine or iron with a steam iron.
Folk remedies
To fix the problem, you can also use folk remedies, which are distinguished by availability and cost-effectiveness. Arrange sugar, salt or coffee throughout the rooms, as they quickly absorb moisture. You can interestingly beat the interior, using coffee beans to decorate the room or any items.
Silica gel can be used for more than just cat litter. A universal remedy is used to store things and get rid of moisture. To do this, put the universal remedy in bags and tie it up, put the products in a closet with linen or in a box with shoes.
Pour the product into a container and place under the sink or bathtub in the bathroom. But make sure that small children or pets do not accidentally eat the silica gel!
Use flowers that don't need to be watered often or that absorb moisture from the air. These are geraniums, ferns and cacti. In addition, essential oils will help improve the microclimate in the house.
Tea tree, fir and coniferous extracts, grapefruit and lemon kill harmful bacteria, normalize the air condition and fill the apartment with a pleasant aroma. Therefore, oils are best suited if the apartment smells bad. In addition, ethers have a positive effect on the state and well-being of a person, improve sleep and mood.
How to prevent dampness
- Clean with “draining” products, including vinegar, potassium permanganate and bleach. Wipe furniture and floors with solutions. If there is moisture, wipe the walls as well. At the end of cleaning, wipe the surfaces and remove excess water with a dry cloth;
- Do not dry clothes and linen in the apartment every day. For drying, it is better to use a balcony, loggia or a special mode in the washing machine. If there are no such opportunities, dry things indoors no more than twice a week;
- Misted windows accumulate water and increase humidity, especially in winter time. Rinse windows and mirrors regularly, and then wipe with a dry cloth or paper;
- For regular ventilation, install special alpine vents that can be safely opened even in the cold season;
- Instead of traditional plastic windows, it is better to install wooden ones with double-glazed windows. wooden frames distinguished by environmental friendliness and naturalness, high breathability, because the tree “breathes”;
- Before repairing an apartment prone to increased dampness, treat the walls with antifungal agents;
- When repairing, give preference to natural building and finishing materials mineral based. They don't create Greenhouse effect and do not form condensate, regulate the level of humidity and absorb excess moisture. Avoid latex-based materials, as they accumulate even more moisture and have low permeability.
We looked at how to remove the smell of dampness in the apartment and eliminate excess moisture. However, many apartment owners suffer from the reverse problem when the air is too dry.
Insufficient humidity also causes a lot of trouble. In the house, dust and dirt accumulate in a short time, it becomes uncomfortable and uncomfortable, it is difficult to breathe and there is not enough fresh air.