Moisture In The Home Can Be More Serious Than Water Leaks

Most home owners think that if they never find any plumbing leaks in their home anywhere, they will be safe from water damage and mold. This is not always the case. Moisture in the home can be caused by things other than plumbing leaks and the bad thing about moisture is that it can affect large areas of the house instead of only a small area like can occur from a plumbing leak.

Moisture can be formed in several different areas of the home for several different reasons, but all of them can cause structural and cosmetic problems. In the bathroom is the most common place to get damage from moisture. This is because of frequent showering or bathing with hot water. The hot water creates the steam which will coat everything in the room. The reason the moisture can be so bad is that the room does not have proper ventilation like an exhaust fan or even if it does have one, sometimes people simply forget to use it. It is essential that an exhaust fan or dehumidifier be used in every bathroom to prevent peeling wallpaper or paint, mold growth on the walls, ceiling, and floor, and prevent wooden areas from swelling and warping.

Moisture in the kitchen can occur from cooking steam. There is normally an exhaust fan or stove hood in the kitchen that is meant to be used each time you cook, but again, sometimes people just forget to turn them on. This can allow steam from pots and pans and the grease that can accompany it, to stick to the walls, ceiling, and floors in the kitchen just like it does in a bathroom. The difference is that cooking steam can be greasy or oily and leave odors and a residue that can make your kitchen smell unpleasant after a while because of the build up.

Basements can also hold moisture. Basements can be damp because they can have water seeping into unsealed blocks or cracks in the foundation. People who use a washer and dryer in a basement must make sure that the dryer in properly vented to the outside or the moist hot air from the dryer will coat everything when it is being used. Steam can also come from the washing machine when it is being used with hot water. Moisture in the basement can cause serious structural damage in the rest of the home if it is not corrected.

Attics can hold moisture too. Heat rises from the rest of the home and it can settle here. Also , if there are roof leaks, it will contribute to this problem. Attics need proper ventilation as well. Any time there is excessive moisture in your home, you are running the risk of developing mold. Moisture must be taken as seriously as a dripping water leak because it can be even more hazardous to the home overall.