5 Tips To Controlling Humidity In Your Buildings

Humidity can be a blessing and a curse. There are very fine lines between "skin-witheringly dry," "comfortable and hygienic," and "swampy mold haven." Summer weather can make maintaining proper humidity levels even more challenging -- air conditioning tends to remove humidity, while summer storms return it in spades. If you're dealing with humidity challenges right now, here are five tips for keeping things in a safe, comfortable, and healthy range:

1. Avoid dipping below the right temperature threshold.

This happens when temperatures get a little cooler than intended. Also called "sub-cooling," it can happen because there isn't enough airflow to circulate warm and cool air, insufficient heating, or a simple miscalculation in how quickly a building regains heat. When temperatures dip too low, it creates serious moisture problems. Picture an empty glass on a hot summer's day. The temperature is the same inside and outside of the glass. Now fill that glass with ice water. The temperature inside is much lower than outside, and condensation begins forming on the outside of the glass. In a building, condensation can saturate building materials, fabric, and wallpaper, creating an ideal environment for mold to grow.

2. Modulate air conditioning as needed.

Here's where things can get a little tricky. Inside of a building, humidity problems are very likely when air conditioning isn't running at max capacity. The reason for this is simpler than it seems: When the air conditioner isn't running, the compressors aren't working. When the compressors aren't working, the unit isn't removing humidity from the air. This is a challenge because buildings are generally outfitted with HVAC units of an appropriate size -- meaning that their air conditioners are designed to handle peak cooling needs. That's great when the temperature soars, but not as good when full-blast cooling isn't needed.

When the air conditioner doesn't need to run constantly, it automatically cycles the compressors in a way that prevents excessive wear and tear. Unfortunately, this doesn't do much to decrease humidity. One solution for this is a digital scroll compressor. This can help save energy and allows for incremental modulating of the air conditioner's load. Even if the unit is only experiencing 10% of its peak demand, a digital scroll compressor can keep things running smoothly.

3. Remove humidity at the source.

There is more than one potential source of humidity. Modulating air conditioning capacity can certainly help handle environmental humidity, but there are other sources that need different solutions. Activities that require large volumes of water, like washing, cooking, or certain industrial processes, will add moisture to the air. Slow leaks from pipes and standing water in clogged drains will, too. If high humidity is a consistent problem, it's worth looking at building activities that might be contributing factors. When this is the case, it's best to remove humidity where it originates.

Strong ventilation fans can help shunt it outside, decreasing moisture levels indoors. Tracking down and repairing pipe leaks is a big help, too. Unclogging clogged drains won't just reduce moisture levels in the air, it will also remove a potential breeding ground for mosquitoes, fungus gnats, and springtails.

4. Seal up the building envelope.

A building envelope is its walls, windows, doors, foundation, and roof -- all of the things that serve as barriers between the interior and the outside world. Ensuring that windows and doorways are properly sealed can keep rainwater from infiltrating. Adding high-quality insulation will reduce heat transfer, limiting moisture buildup. In buildings with suspended timber floors, it's not uncommon for damp ground to increase indoor humidity levels. This can be prevented with adequate ventilation and a good vapor barrier.

5. Improve airflow within buildings.

If you've ever walked into a dank, closed-off basement, you know how still air and humidity can lead to mildew. This is a particularly problematic situation right now, with so many facilities coming back online after shuttering due to COVID-19. Areas that were sealed off are seeing use again, and humidity problems that went unnoticed are becoming apparent. The easiest way to keep areas from becoming damp and mildewed is to ensure that they have adequate airflow. Ventilating air to the outdoors can help, but it's also important to make sure that there's sufficient ventilation between rooms. This is particularly important for rooms that don't have windows or other access to the outdoors.

Ensure that these rooms have ventilation fans connected to air ducts, or, if that isn't possible, install in-door air registers. Humidity can come from many sources, including building activities, the weather, and even the ground. The first step to correct any moisture problem is to identify its origin. At that point, you can work to correct it. By adjusting your air conditioning, removing moisture at its source, protecting the interior from external humidity, and improving ventilation from room to room, you can ensure that your facility doesn't experience humidity issues.

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