What Is Making My House So Dry?

For many people, by the time you’re able to feel the dryness in the air, it’s unbearable. Respiratory symptoms like difficulty breathing, headaches, and sinus concerns get worse in this type of environment. To avoid this issue altogether, consider these seven reasons why your house might be dry, along with our recommendations for addressing the dryness.

1. Air Leaks

When you have cracks or leaks embedded anywhere in the perimeter of your home, air seeps through and impacts the quality of your indoor air. Typically, outdoor air lowers the humidity levels of indoor air. Consequently, this combination makes your home more prone to dryness.

One of the main reasons why it’s important to inspect the perimeter of your home is to check for leaks and cracks. When inspecting the doors, close them and feel around for a draft. If you can feel a draft, that’s a key indication that there’s an air leak. When inspecting the windows, pay attention to how easy it is to move them.

If it’s not difficult to shake or rattle the windows, air leaks are probably present. While energy-efficient windows and doors are an excellent investment, replacement isn’t the only way to resolve this issue. Various insulation methods like caulking and weather stripping are excellent solutions.

2. Running the AC Too Much

When the forecast calls for high temperatures, it’s nice to get relief from the heat when you walk into a house where the air conditioner is perfectly set to cool you down. Unfortunately, running the AC offers its own set of issues. One of those involves the dryness of your home.

When you turn on an air conditioner, it employs the process of condensation, which pulls moisture from the air. As the temperature drops, the humidity drops as well. In addition to harming your respiratory system and your skin, running the cooling system can cause wooden furniture to crack or split and damage other surfaces in your home.

Thankfully, you don’t have to turn the appliance off. Start by regularly replacing the HVAC filters and calling professionals for maintenance. To improve indoor air quality and regain a healthy amount of moisture, invest in a whole-home humidifier.

3. Excessive Dehumidification

The purpose of a dehumidifier is to remove moisture from the air. If your home previously experienced excessive amounts of moisture due to a crisis such as flooding, a dehumidifier is an extremely helpful tool to employ. However, once you’ve been able to comfortably regulate the moisture in your home, it’s not wise to run a dehumidifier indefinitely. Doing this will dry out the inside of your home.

When you use a dehumidifier in tandem with a hygrometer, it’s easier to gauge the levels and know when to turn it off. To feel comfortable and maintain a healthy indoor environment, your hygrometer needs to display a humidity level ranging from 30% to 50%. In addition to decreasing the number of times you run the dehumidifier, look for simple ways to counteract the lack of moisture. Strategically placed indoor plants and a powerful whole-home humidifier can provide a healthy balance.

4. Home Materials

Did you know that your beautiful home decor can play a role in making your home dry? Interestingly enough, furniture, decorative objects and other home furnishings can pull moisture from the air. Many people love hardwood flooring because it’s a healthier alternative to carpet. However, it can also impact indoor air quality as it reduces indoor humidity levels.

When you replace your insulation, choose an option that doesn’t absorb moisture. Drywall is another material you’ll need to pay attention to when you’re looking for the culprit behind your home’s dryness. Before you use a standard drywall product, read the labels to look for moisture-resistant drywall. If plan to install new flooring and want hardwood floors, invest in engineered wood flooring. It’s less likely to absorb too much moisture.

5. Ventilation

Healthy ventilation requires an appropriate amount of indoor air connecting with outdoor air. Even though it’s best to avoid issues with air leaks, it’s still important for a house to have a healthy amount of ventilation. Moisture needs somewhere to go to maintain a healthy balance of humidity levels. Take a closer look at the places that receive the least amount of ventilation.

In many cases, the bathrooms and kitchen are problem areas in the home. With a lot of showering and high amounts of steam circulating, it’s wise to turn on the exhaust fan or crack open a window to encourage ventilation. When it’s time to cook a meal on the stovetop, use the exhaust fan. It’ll take care of the humidity generated during the cooking process.

Other outlets for proper ventilation include your vents and ducts. Never place furniture or other items over your vents. Your vents and ducts are pivotal in ensuring air flows freely throughout your home.

6. High Elevation

While living in the Wheat Ridge, Arvada and Denver metro area allows you to experience the beauty of the mountains, the high altitude can be a challenge. Living at high altitudes directly impacts your efforts to maintain balanced humidity levels.

Atmospheric pressure plays a major role in the conversation about indoor air quality. When a building is located in an elevated area, there are two factors to consider. The higher you go, the thinner the air naturally becomes. As the air thins, the less moisture you’ll experience.

Living in a home at a higher altitude requires a different approach to eliminating excessive dryness. In addition to purchasing a hygrometer to measure the humidity levels, you need a humidification system. While a single, small humidifier is nice for adding moisture to one large room, a whole-home humidifier makes a major difference in the indoor air quality throughout the entire building.

Circumvent the high-altitude issue by applying a multi-pronged approach. Get professional assistance for routine maintenance of your whole-home humidifier. Consider indoor water features and large indoor plants that help circulate more moisture as well.

7. Household Items

Especially with products that involve an aerosol feature, checking the ingredient list is essential to your overall well-being. These products contain chemicals that come into contact with the air, your respiratory system and more.

Avoid cleaning and grooming products that include chemicals that can cause harm. The fact that you found these products in the local grocery store doesn’t mean they’re the best ones to use. Many of the chemicals found in these products lead to the dryness of the air. The wisest solution involves research.

Find out which types of chemicals to avoid. Then, do some research to learn more about non-toxic, eco-friendly, or natural cleaning solutions as healthy alternatives. If you love a specific cleaning product that contains harsh chemicals, and you’re not ready to give it up, you don’t have to throw it away. Instead of using it five times a week, whittle it down to three times a week. As you slowly transition away from these harmful chemicals, dryness becomes less prominent.

Call Us for Professional Assistance

Whether your home is situated at a high altitude or your obsessive cleaning hobby has caused the dryness, dry air doesn’t have to haunt your home forever. By using these tips, you’ll impact the quality of your indoor air positively and directly.

Employ the expertise of professionals who can guide you through ways to address the dry air. At Mighty Pine, our Wheat Ridge team is equipped to provide various solutions for indoor air quality and dryness.

For more information on how we can provide IAQ testing, products, and services to meet your needs, contact Mighty Pine today!