Humidity refers to when the air has a large amount of moisture. If you’ve ever lived in a coastal area at summer or traveled to a tropical climate, you probably know what we’re talking about. It makes summer heat harder to bear for many people. However, humidity isn’t simply an inconvenience, as it can be quite damaging, and in ways you may not know. Here are reasons why humidity is a problem for your health and safety.

Mold

Mold usually occurs in a wet environment that has not dried out. A moldy home is the after-effect of a flood, a leak, or intense humidity. According to CNET, mold can begin creating spores in as little as 24 to 72 hours on a wet surface. Once mold takes hold, it can spread on your walls, ceilings, and floors. Unfortunately, mold will not stop spreading on its own, which is why you would need a professional mold removal service. If you don’t stop mold in its tracks, it can create several respiratory problems for you and your family. Asthma, bronchitis, lung infections, as well as skin rashes, are some of the health side effects of living in a moldy environment. That’s not to say of the other damage mold can cause, more below.

Plant Destruction

Do you pride yourself on having a green thumb? If so, you understand that plants need a certain amount of humidity to thrive. If your plants are in an intensely humid environment, it can cause them to wilt and die prematurely. Then, your home would no longer have the natural access to clean air that plants naturally provide. Being surrounded by plants and flowers is also good for your mental health. If you’re prone to bouts of anxiety or sadness, watching your plants and flowers fade away due to humidity won’t help.

Structural Integrity

Humidity can affect several aspects of the integrity of your home. Do you have beautiful wooden furniture that you take pride in? If your home is too humid, it can destroy your wooden pieces and make them more fragile. As mentioned, humidity breeds mold, which can eat into your drywall and foundation. If that part of your home weakens, it could easily cause a wall to collapse. Humidity can begin by destroying the paint on your interior by causing it to peel or bubble. Your interior paint protects your drywall from harm, but as that paint begins to deteriorate, your drywall will be more susceptible to further destruction from humidity or other elements in the air.

Heat Stroke

Your human body regulates temperature a few different ways. One of those ways is sweat. Sweat needs to be able to be wicked off the body, either through clothing or through evaporation, so that more can be cycled. If your body is too damp, and can no longer sweat, then your temperature can reach dangerous levels. With long times in the heat and humidity, you can be subject to heat stroke. Forever the bane of golfers, runners, swimmers, and other athletes spending perhaps hours in the sun, among just average joes on a walk. Be wary of your body’s response to the humidity.

As demonstrated, humidity goes beyond making you sweat on a hot summer day. It can make your home an unhealthy place to live despite your best efforts. Therefore, always maintain the humidity levels in your home so you won’t have to fight off the problems with your health, mold, and a declining structure.