In Malaysia, we coping with high humidity levels of weather with 2 common seasons which is hot-like-summer and monsoon rainings. And while it is essential to devise ways that will keep your skin comfortable in the high humidity, our bodies are not the only thing we should be worried about.
Did you know that extreme changes in humidity can damage household items? Well, if you didn’t, below is all the information you need to know about how humidity can damage household items and how to dehumidify a room to protect your items from potential damage.
Changes in humidity levels can lead to the following damaged household items:
1. Cracked Artwork
Oil paintings are highly susceptible to cracking when exposed to humidity changes. This is because the change in air moisture causes the canvas fibres to expand and contract. This expansion and contraction cause the oil paint to crack and peel off, resulting in damaged artwork. If you are an art collector or have precious art in your home that you would like passed down to your next generation, changes in humidity levels could be your biggest threat.
2. Warped Musical Instruments
Have you played the piano in your home recently? Did it sound out-of-tune or different from how it sounds typically? If so, then changes in humidity levels are probably to blame. Wood is known to absorb and desorb moisture as humidity levels change. Musical instruments that have wooden parts such as the piano, violin, and guitar are prone to suffer from damage caused by changes in humidity levels. These changes in the wood conditions are what cause your musical instrument to be out-of-tune or bent out of shape, making it impossible to enjoy the good music they can make when in perfect condition.
3. Frail Books
Low humidity causes the paper in books to lose moisture and become brittle. This can cause the ink on the pages to become flaky while the covers become warped. On the other hand, high humidity creates a perfect environment for mould and mildew to grow on books. The result from either change in humidity levels is damaged books and unsalvageable information. Your library may not last long if it is subjected to extreme changes in humidity.
4. Ageing Photographs
Photographs are great at telling your family’s history as well as keeping special memories alive. However, storing your photographs in an environment that does not have moderate levels of humidity can cause them to age rapidly and end up damaged. High humidity makes photographs uncharacteristically soft and sticky while low humidity makes them discoloured and curled at the edges. The final result is damaged photographs and forgotten memories.
5. Creaking Wood Furniture
Remember what we mentioned about the changes caused by extreme humidity levels to the wood in wood-constructed musical instruments? Now, imagine the impact these extreme changes in humidity levels can have on wooden furniture. The sudden expansion or contraction of the wood, depending on the amount of moisture content in the atmosphere causes the joints of the furniture to loosen and even pull apart. This is probably why that armchair that is a family heirloom is now wobbly and creaks every time you sit on it.
6. Faulty Electronics
One of the most common household items that suffer under changes in humidity levels is electronic devices. It is common knowledge that electricity and water never go well together. Therefore, it should come as no surprise that high levels of humidity pose a great risk to electronic devices short-circuiting. This happens due to condensation that forms on their internal components. On the other end, with very low levels of humidity is the risk posed by the build-up of static electricity in the internal components of electronic devices that also leads to damage. This damage is often irreparable.
As you can see, extreme humidity levels can cause plenty of damage to various household items. However, your household items do not have to be doomed. There are available humidity solutions that you can practice in your home to reduce the probability of damage to your household items from extreme humidity levels.
How to Dehumidify a Room (4 methods)
To address the humidity problems inside your home you can give one of or all of these 3 solutions a try:
1. Using an Air Conditioner
When battling the high humidity levels in Malaysia, an air conditioner is vital to not only let the homeowner live in a tolerable condition but can be useful for the household equipment as well. Air conditioners help ensure there is a steady flow of air in and out of the room. This helps the household items to not suffer the stress that comes with the local temperature and humidity.
Maintaining a good performance is vital with a proper aircond service in Malaysia.
2. Improve Air Flow Indoors
Improved airflow inside your home reduces the extremely high humidity to moderate and manageable levels. You can achieve this by running a fan in the room, installing a window fan in windows that accommodate one, or set your air conditioner to adjust humidity to between 55%-60% and run it regularly.
3. Absorb Excess Moisture
You can absorb the excess moisture in your home by using desiccants. A desiccant is any material that naturally absorbs and retains moisture. Easy to access desiccants include silica gel and charcoal briquettes. You can put either in containers then place them strategically in your home, and they will absorb all the excess moisture in the atmosphere. Check on your desiccant every 5 days or so to pour out the collected water.
4. Dry the Air Indoors
To dry the air in your home you need to use a dry heat source. A dry heat source can be a wood stove or running a fire in your fireplace. Ensure that you don’t warm your house beyond 90 degrees Fahrenheit. You can run a fan while drying the air indoors to provide a more effective humidity solution.
