A damp home is uncomfortable to live in, expensive to heat, and more likely to be mouldy. In the wetter seasons such as winter and the start of spring, keeping your home dry can be challenging. With increased rainfall and colder temperatures, your home will be damper during these months.

Install Insulation

A warm house is more likely to be a dry house. Warm air can hold much more moisture than cold air, meaning that the moisture is less likely to condense on the walls and windows. Insulation is a fantastic way to keep your home warm and dry, especially in cold and wet seasons such as winter. If you currently have insulation, but your home is still cold and damp, you may need an upgrade or top up. To find out more about your options, as well as the state of your existing insulation, contact Bay Energy Solutions for a free insulation assessment.

Cook With Pot Lids On & Use Extractor Fans

It may seem small, but cooking with pot lids on is a good way to avoid moisture entering your home’s air. The moisture generated by cooking will be confined to the kitchen rather than spreading throughout your home. Additionally, running an extractor fan while you’re cooking will help pull damp air out of the kitchen and push it outside. These steps help to ensure that your kitchen stays dry, and therefore help to keep your home dry.

Keep Your Windows Dry

One of the main battles with keeping a home dry is condensation on the windows. If your windows are cold, they will result in condensation and contribute to damp areas of the home. The most effective way to keep windows dry is to install double glazing. However, if you are unable to double glaze your windows there are still other options available. Window film helps create a double-glazed effect although to a lesser degree. Additionally, heavy-lined curtains or thermal curtains can help keep warm air (that can hold more moisture) away from the windows, lessening condensation.

Dry Your Clothes Outside

Drying your clothes is one of the challenges during the wetter months. While drying your clothes inside shelters them from the rain, the moisture inside your clothes also enters your home’s air. One of the ways to get around this is to dry your clothes under a carport, or in the garage. This way they are protected from the rain but won’t add to the moisture in your home.

Open Your Windows

This may sound counter-intuitive, but even in the coldest and wettest months, airing out your home by opening windows can make your home drier. If the weather is fine, opening your windows can allow the damp, stale air to leave your home and drier air to enter in.

Run a De-humidifier

De-humidifying a home is a power-intensive process, but that doesn’t mean you should never do it. If you have tried everything else, running a de-humidifier for a short time can improve the air quality of your home. Like many electric solutions, de-humidifying works best in smaller properties. If you live in a larger home, focus on dehumidifying the rooms that you are using the most such as bedrooms and living spaces. This way the areas that need to be dry remain dry, and you won’t be spending excess power dehumidifying the rooms you’re not using.

Conclusion

Removing or reducing moisture from a room or even an entire home can be challenging. From drying clothes to steam from cooking, moisture finds its way into the air inside the house. From there it can form condensation on the walls or windows. We find that the best long-term solution to this is installing insulation and double-glazed windows. This way the moisture in the air is unable to form on surfaces and become a habitat for mould. If you have questions about installing insulation, or would like to get a free no-obligation quote, get in touch today.