Learn about seven ways humidity impacts your life:
1. Family Health in the Home:
Sinus, respiratory, and even skin irritation can develop when mold and mildew grow in or under your home – which happens more rapidly in damp environments where humidity is above 60%. Keep your family healthy with indoor humidity sensors to monitor the dampness in the bedrooms, attic, and basement or crawlspace.
2. Heat Index:
A hot day can feel more uncomfortable when the humidity is high. It’s that sticky, muggy feeling when there is excess moisture in the air. This makes you feel hotter because your body is unable to cool itself by sweating. Take caution and keep an eye on the heat index during outdoor activities when the Heat Index is above 91°F (32 °C) to reduce risk of heat exhaustion and heat stroke – especially for young children and the elderly.
3. Asthma:
Humid air is heavier and harder to breathe. Humidity above 50% increases asthma trouble, while prolonged exposure to humid environments (above 80%) can be highly dangerous for asthma sufferers. With indoor humidity monitors you can learn how to keep your home at the safe level between 30%-50%.
4. Dry Rot and Wood Damage:
Dry Rot occurs when damp environments allow for fungus to grow and spread. It can be damaging to siding, roofing, plumbing and decks. Highest risk occurs with humidity at or above 95%. Inside your house, your wood furniture and wood floors are also affected by humidity. Keep the inside humidity between 35% and 55% to reduce risk of drying and cracking or swelling wood.
5. Home Maintenance:
Schedule your renovations, remodels, and maintenance around the weather. Most paint requires humidity between 40% and 70% to dry and set correctly, while concrete requires 80% to 85% humidity for moist curing. When concrete dries out during the curing process it can create pores and become weaker than if it remained moist during curing. Like humidity, temperature also affects many building and remodel materials. Use this spot check temperature sensor to know the conditions before you start a project.
6. Planning Outdoor Activities:
Whether you have a kid with asthma or are planning a hike with the grandparents, keep an eye on the humidity and heat index. Also be informed of heat safety: take breaks in the shade, drink plenty of water and watch for any symptoms like dizziness or nausea.
7. Bad Hair Days:
We’ve all experienced bad hair days, right? Frizzy, unmanageable, or just flat?! Have you ever correlated these bad hair days with the outdoor humidity? On rainy days or high-humidity days, the increased hydrogen molecules in the air allows a strand of hair to form more hydrogen bonds in the internal keratin proteins, causing a strand of hair to fold back on itself at the molecular level. This is the science of frizzy hair! Monitor your outdoor humidity to learn how to manage your hair in all environments.