Dehumidifiers are a valuable tool in preventing dampness, but they will not resolve the issue entirely. If your home or business is suffering from a dampness problem, the use of a dehumidifier will only help contain the problem as opposed to damp proofing – the more permanent solution.

What is Humidity?

Keeping it simple, humidity is just moisture in the air, typically caused by the evaporation of water. It can be caused by anything from local/global weather patterns to taking a long, steamy shower, to just making several cups of coffee.

There are two main ways to measure humidity – relative and absolute. Absolute refers to the absolute amount of water in a given measure of air, usually in grams per metres cubed. Relative humidity refers to a more complex set of variables linked to everything from air pressure to temperature of the air to the temperature of the environment. What’s important to understand is that the closer the number is to 100%, the closer the air is to what’s called “dewpoint” which is when water will condense.

How are Humidity & Dampness Connected?

It is important to understand that humidity inside a home or building is a symptom of dampness, not the cause. Perhaps your gutters are blocked, weather damage to your roof has let rainwater get in, or something else altogether. These reasons all mean that the air in the space is in contact with more moisture than it should be. This creates humidity and also creating ideal environments for mold spores to settle in and grow.

3 Ways Dehumidifiers Help With Dampness

First, dehumidifiers pull the air into your house. Using their filtration systems, dehumidifiers extract the water expelling clean, dry, air. Dehumidifiers are widely used for all kinds of issues, ranging from allergies to quarantine procedures, as they provide a deeply valuable and functional service to make sure air is dry, clean, and safe.

Secondly, as more spores and moisture collect, condensation and mold sprouting is inevitable. The only way to effectively combat this is to design your spaces with either as little dead air as possible or mark out the spaces where this air might be and move things around regularly.

Thirdly, a whole house dehumidifier creates a better chance of eliminating almost all the moisture in the air and stops new collections of spores sprouting into mold on other surfaces. Unfortunately, it wouldn’t kill the existing mould, as that can only be removed with thorough cleaning. Mold is deeply resilient and needs only the most limited supplies of water to survive.

For more information on the services that we provide, or to request a quotation, please call Hobson Plumbing & Heating today at 630.761.3400 and we will be happy to help.