How to Get Rid of Moisture in the House

Excessive humidity in your home can lead to numerous problems, including mold, structural damage, and even health issues. This isn’t a problem that you can afford to ignore.

In this guide on how to get rid of moisture in a house, we’ll cover the following steps:

• Step 1: Assess indoor humidity and signs of moisture
• Step 2: Stop water intrusions and everyday moisture sources
• Step 3: Ventilate high-moisture rooms the right way
• Step 4: Dehumidify and optimize your HVAC system
• Step 5: Prevent future issues and monitor humidity

Your home should be a place that’s safe and comfortable. Don’t live with uncomfortable — and unsafe — humidity levels for another day.

Schedule a Humidity Assessment with Advanced Air

Advanced Air offers all the air quality services you could need, including humidity assessments. Our honest and professional technicians will be at your doorstep in no time, so your home can get back to a comfortable setting.

So, wondering how to get rid of moisture in the house? The first step is to confirm that you, in fact, have high moisture levels in the home. The ideal indoor relative humidity is between 30% and 50%. Anything greater than 60% signals a problem.

Some of the warning signs that you likely have excessive moisture indoors are:

• Window condensation
• Musty odors
• Visible mold or mildew
• Warped wood
• Peeling paint
• Clammy rooms
• Water stains
• Increased allergies or respiratory issuesr

Certain hotspots of the home are at a higher risk for increased moisture levels. Check for signs of high moisture in bathrooms, kitchen, laundry room, closets, attics, and crawl spaces.

A hygrometer can help you understand which rooms have high moisture.

Once you’ve determined that you have a moisture issue, it’s time to check for (and repair) plumbing leaks. Check for leaks under sinks, ice maker lines, water heater, and air conditioner drain pans.

When it comes to worrying about how to get moisture out of the house, you can’t forget about checking exterior sources. A leak could be from roof flashing, broken gutters, grading that's moving away from the foundation, or inadequate window and door weatherstripping.

Your moisture problem could also be a result of small, daily habits that are contributing to the issue. Make sure to practice humidity-reducing actions, such as covering pots when cooking, running your dishwasher at night, and air-drying towels outdoors when possible.

Also, don’t forget that your laundry room is a “wetter” room in the home. Reduce your moisture in the laundry room by venting dryers outdoors and avoiding drying racks in small rooms without ventilation.

If you have HVAC systems in place, ensure they’re operating properly to reduce overall moisture. Here are some tips to optimize your systems:

• Your AC unit should be properly sized and operating well. A short-cycling air conditioner doesn’t run long enough to effectively remove moisture from the air, and an oversized AC cools the area too quickly, leading to short cycling.
• Keep your AC fan on “auto,” not “on,” so coils can drain and avoid re-evaporating moisture.
• Opt for a MERV 8-11 filter for your AC, which offers a good balance between filtration and airflow. Check your filter monthly. A dirty filter reduces dehumidification.
• Keep up with proper AC maintenance, including cleaning evaporator and condenser coils and clearing the condensate line.

When working correctly, your HVAC system can be a powerful tool in removing moisture from your house.

Ensure you have a seasonal checklist for preventive tasks that will help maintain your home’s humidity levels in check. Here’s a sample checklist:

• Spring: Roof/gutter check
• Summer: A/C tune-up
• Fall: Weather-sealing
• Winter: Check bath and kitchen fans

Throughout the year, continue to monitor the room's humidity with hygrometers or a smart thermostat equipped with humidity sensors.

If you have persistently high RH, schedule an Advanced Air evaluation to assess load calculation, duct leakage, and right-sizing.

Prevention and monitoring are key to maintaining humidity within a safe zone year-round.

Get the answers you need by scheduling an Advanced Air evaluation of your HVAC system. Established in 1989, Advanced Air is the local Southwest Florida favorite for all AC services. Our thousands of 5-star reviews tell the tale of customer satisfaction!