Mold & Humidity
 

While this will keep you warm, it can also lead to indoor air quality problems, especially if your house is not equipped with an air exchanger. No fresh air comes in and no stale, moist air goes out.

Thanks to the media, it is currently fashionable to blame mold for virtually all house-related ailments. But the fact is that damp houses provide a perfect environment for all kinds of undesirable guests—mold, dust mites, viruses and bacteria—that can contribute to ill health.

Here are some tips for keeping home humidity levels down:

• Use bathroom exhaust fans during and after all showers (leave the fan running at least until the condensation on the bathroom mirror clears). To see if your fan is working properly, turn it on and hold a square of toilet paper up to the air intake. If the toilet paper is not drawn tightly against the casing, the fan may need to be cleaned or replaced.
• Range hoods that exhaust to the outside should be used anytime you are cooking. If you don’t have one, crack open a window or door to allow some of the moisture created by cooking to escape.
• Furniture should be located at least six inches from exterior walls and mattresses and box springs should be raised several inches above basement floors. This will allow warmed air to circulate fully and avoid creating “cold spots,” which can lead to condensation, which can lead to mold.
• Firewood must be stored outside. Bringing one day’s worth of wood into the house at a time will not create a problem, but a larger quantity will add considerable moisture (and mold spores) to the air.
• If your house becomes overly dry, instead of damp, during the winter, you may use a humidifier to bring the moisture level to a more comfortable level (45-50%). If you are using a humidifier, be sure to clean it thoroughly and often to keep bacteria from flourishing.

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