The fight against high humidity in the house must begin at the first warning sign. In order to prevent the appearance of a specific smell in the home, damage to property by mold, and deterioration in health, it is important to find the causes of dampness.

Proper waterproofing of the house

On initial stage construction Special attention Pay attention to horizontal foundation insulation. Especially if there are prerequisites for increased moisture formation, high groundwater levels, the presence of reservoirs, and frequent precipitation.

If horizontal insulation is done only at the time of construction, then vertical waterproofing of the foundation can be done when the house is rebuilt. Principle of work: a trench is dug around the building, and the foundation walls are coated with a waterproofing compound. Depending on the materials used, waterproofing can be:

• Coating. It is carried out using liquid compositions based on bitumen and mastics.
• Rolled. The foundation is covered with insulating material on a paper or synthetic basis. The most common roofing material.
• Plastering. TO cement mortar the polymer component is mixed.

Insulation

IN autumn- winter period from moisture coming from outside will protect high-quality external or internal insulation Houses. Popular and cheap insulation materials include polystyrene foam, basalt fiber, and mineral wool. Each has its own pros and cons.

Ventilation

In the case when major renovation for a number of reasons, it is impossible or it has been established that the cause of dampness in the room is the slow release of moist air; correct and sufficient ventilation of the house or apartment will help eliminate or minimize the problem:

• Organize forced ventilation in the kitchen, bathroom, and toilet. It is more convenient when the built-in fans turn on automatically when the door is opened or the light is turned on.
• Mandatory tightness plastic windows often causes lack of ventilation. To remove moist air in the profile of a problematic window or doorway make additional small ventilation holes and install ventilators.
• Be sure to regularly cross-ventilate the entire house!

Household dehumidifiers

This device is “ ambulance” for a damp house. The principle of operation of the dehumidifier is to condense excess moisture by cooling the incoming air flow. The condensate flows into a special tank, the air, devoid of excess moisture, is heated and returned to the room. Thanks to this, the house becomes drier in a very short time. In adsorption dehumidifiers, moisture is removed from the air by an adsorbent located in the device.

Features of choosing a dehumidifier:

• When choosing a dehumidifier for your home, consider the square footage of the room.
• Pay attention to the power, noise level during operation, and device design.
• Be careful when using appliances and do not dry out the air. Models with automatic operation are very convenient. The dehumidifier turns on itself if the moisture level is high and turns off when the required parameters are optimized.

Other ways to deal with dampness

To combat dampness:

• Try reducing the humidity with chemicals. Pour into small containers, suitable plastic cups 200 ml each, calcium chloride powder, place in problem rooms.
• If only one wall is damp, most likely the reason is an incorrectly designed heating system. Connect an additional radiator to the “crying” wall.
• When eliminating dampness, do not forget to take measures to destroy mold and mildew.
• Use the hood when cooking.
• Household air conditioners help reduce air humidity.

If you walk into a room and feel musty, you see dark spots on the ceiling or in the corners of rooms affected by fungus and black mold - know that it’s all due to high humidity. It's like a ticking time bomb. It is detrimental to the health of all family members living in the apartment. Dampness also has a destructive effect on furniture, clothing, wooden doors, and doors.

Causes of humidity and dampness

To get rid of humidity in a living space, you must first identify it possible reasons. By tightly attaching and securing a piece of foil to the wall of the apartment for a day, you can find out from which side moisture enters the house.

If droplets of dew are noticed on the foil on the wall side, then the source of excess moisture penetration is from outside, and if it is dry there, then the source of dampness must be looked for in the apartment.

There are many reasons why mold appears in the house, the main ones are:

• there is no ventilation in the house at all, and if there is any, it means it is poorly adjusted or clogged;
• unscrupulous neighbors on the top floor who constantly flood the apartment;
• poorly plastered wall joints in the house;
• The basement in the house is constantly flooded, wet fumes rise into the apartments on the first floors;
• incorrectly installed kitchen appliances or faulty plumbing;
• The roof leaks and the apartments on the upper floors are constantly flooded.

In addition, constant dampness is often present in the bathroom and kitchen, where moisture vapor is especially intense. The greater the number of household members, the higher the percentage of humidity. The number of stages of cooking, washing, showering, bathing, drying clothes is directly proportional to the number of family members. Even with normal ventilation, the abundance of moisture in these rooms, especially in the bathroom, leads to the appearance of mold and a persistent specific odor. Gradually bad smell spreads throughout the apartment.

Increased humidity in the apartment may also be due to the hobbies of the owners ornamental plants and flowers. Especially tropical species, requiring high humidity to maintain. Sometimes this hobby reaches the point of absurdity, when the apartment turns into a real greenhouse with its own specific humid fumes.

Often, high humidity in apartments appears due to defects in interpanel ceilings or insufficient thermal insulation of external walls of brick and panel houses. These shortcomings are especially evident in corner apartments, where the walls of the room form the outer corner of the house.

Why is high humidity dangerous?

High humidity has a negative impact on human health, as it causes the development of chronic diseases.

At room temperature dampness in rooms has a beneficial effect on the development of various pathogenic bacteria and is the cause of skin diseases such as eczema, fungus and allergic manifestations.

It is very difficult for asthmatics to stay in such rooms, for whom the humid air provokes attacks of coughing and suffocation. The most common cold in such conditions often drags on for a long period, sometimes with complications.

The people who suffer the most are children whose immune systems have not yet strengthened, and old people whose immune functions are already weakening due to age-related changes.

A constant companion of high humidity, black mold is a strong carcinogen that can cause cancer.

However, under these conditions, it is not only the health of the residents of the house that suffers. Mold can affect everything wooden structures, furniture, and even ruin clothes. In addition, in such premises, food products such as flour, cereals, bread, vegetables and fruits become damp and spoil. Products covered with mold should not be eaten.

The fungus affects the walls of the rooms. It is sometimes very difficult to remove it, since the mycelium spores penetrate deep into the structure. The only way out is to dehumidify the air and overhaul the premises affected by the fungus.

What is normal air humidity?

Based on the requirements of sanitary and hygienic standards for residential premises, at an air temperature of 20-21°C, air humidity should be in the range of 40-60%. In such conditions, the human respiratory system operates in the most favorable mode. It has been noticed that during an influenza epidemic, people at home and at work in rooms with optimal value humidity, they get sick much less often.

Ways and methods of getting rid of excess moisture in the house

The most effective method drainage of residential premises is their periodic heating and ventilation.

A dehumidifier will help get rid of dampness in your apartment. It can be purchased at any store household appliances. Dehumidifiers come in different capacities and with humidity sensors. The more powerful the dehumidifier, the more effectively it will eliminate excess moisture in the apartment.

It is imperative to release the steam that forms in the bathroom and kitchen. To do this, ventilate the premises periodically.

Install windows with a ventilation function that ensures constant circulation of fresh air.

In the kitchen, it is advisable to adapt a forced hood above gas stove. This will help eliminate the steam that is generated during the cooking process.

You can install an electric heated towel rail in the bathroom, which will effectively remove the moisture released during the drying process.

The air conditioner perfectly maintains the desired microclimate in the rooms. It not only dries humid air, but also perfectly preserves desired temperature in room.

Be sure to check the condition of the ventilation shafts in your home. If, when checked, the draft turns out to be weak, then this may also be the cause of dampness in the house. Fix the problem yourself or call a specialist who will help eliminate the cause of poor traction.

How to avoid high humidity

To maintain optimal humidity in the house, it is necessary to eliminate its sources. If, using foil, as described earlier, it is revealed that the source of dampness in the apartment is external factor, the following activities must be carried out:

1. Seal all interpanel cracks to prevent the influx of moist air from outside.
2. Insulate external walls apartments using mineral wool. The thickness of its blocks should be at least 10 cm. But under no circumstances should you use foam plastic for this purpose, which will not only not protect your apartment from excess moisture, but will also create a dew point on the walls.
3. Replace all windows in the apartment with high-quality metal-plastic ones that have a ventilation function.
4. If your apartment is on the ground floor, it needs additional heat sources. We recommend installing electrically heated floors.

If the source of dampness is in the apartment, you must adhere to the following rules:

• Keep the ventilation system in good condition.
• Ventilate the premises periodically.
• We recommend replacing linoleum flooring with parquet or natural wood laminate.
• It is advisable to replace wallpaper with latex, which does not “breathe,” with mineral materials.
• Ensure optimal heat exchange in the apartment by installing additional heating.
• Equip the kitchen and bathroom with an extractor hood and an electric heated towel rail.
• It is advisable to dry clothes on the balcony or outside.
• If you love indoor plants, give preference to less moisture-loving ones.
• Treat the walls in the bathroom with antifungal agents.

If you follow these recommendations, a favorable microclimate and comfort will be created in your apartment. And, most importantly, you will protect yourself from the risk of exposing your health to the adverse factors that high humidity poses. Good health and comfortable life to everyone!

From this article you will learn about the main causes of dampness in an apartment or house. We will also talk about how to eliminate these causes and restore the normal microclimate of your home. You will learn about the traditional and most modern methods solutions to the problem of air drying.

When the seasons change, almost all owners are faced with high humidity due to snow melting. The range of negative phenomena is wide: from mild discomfort to “crying” walls and mold. Let's look at some of the most popular cases and causes of dampness in residential premises, as well as ways to combat this unpleasant phenomenon.

Any changes in the microclimate have their own reason, by influencing which it is possible to change it. Dampness has its own “sources,” which the owner may not know about or may not attach importance to them.

Reason No. 1. Poor ventilation

Owners often “forget” about installing forced ventilation during renovations to save money, relying entirely on windows and doors. In our apartments, the design provides for ventilation of two rooms - a bathroom and a kitchen. Residential premises have vents, windows and balconies for ventilation. Of course, ventilation lowers the temperature of the room by blowing out warm (and humid) air, so it is rarely used during cold periods.

The drying effect in summer is achieved by mixing dry air from the street with steam-saturated internal “exhaust” air. During transition periods, especially at the beginning of spring, the atmospheric air is saturated with vapor, but remains cold. Accordingly, ventilation does not bring the desired effect.

How to fight

Check the ventilation arranged according to the project - the draft should be noticeable. If there is good draft in the kitchen and bathroom, but dampness is not removed, there are three options for solving this problem.

1. Forced exhaust ventilation. The installation of such a system, although it will entail certain costs and inconveniences, will solve the problem of dampness once and for all. A branched hood has its drawbacks - energy consumption, channel system, background noise. The minimum that can be done is to install a fan in the kitchen duct.

2. Installation of the recuperator. A ducted room heat exchanger such as “PRANA”, “Reventa” or an analogue is a more modern and ergonomic element that solves two problems at once - the exhaust of humid air and the influx of fresh air. Many models are heated for winter operation. The cost of a duct recuperator is from 340 to 380 USD. e.

Video: channel recuperator "PRANA"

3. Use a dehumidifier. This device passes air through itself, collecting excess moisture and filtering it. This device is very effective - it removes dampness from the room within an hour. At the same time, the composition of the air remains unchanged. The moisture is collected in a separate container and drained. Filters, ozonizers and flavors can optionally be integrated into the device. The cost of such a device for a room of 30-50 square meters. m ranges from 140 to 220 cu. e.

Reason No. 2. Source of moisture

In private homes, these are septic tanks or shambo located close to the house. They saturate the soil with water, the water passes under the house, the soil surrounding the foundation or basement becomes damp. The same with atmospheric waters flowing onto the split blind area. Dampness in the basement and in the floor of the 1st floor is ensured.

In apartments this could be:

• leaking roof;
• a defect in the gutter or roof overhang that directs atmospheric water to the wall of the apartment;
• windy side of the house - rain constantly falls on the wall of the apartment;
• constantly running taps, plumbing;
• a large number of water on the lower floor - aquariums, swimming pool, sauna;
• evaporation of condensation on the windows (which collects due to poor ventilation).

It is difficult to name other trouble-free open sources of moisture in an apartment, but in each individual case everything is possible.

How to fight

Eliminate the source. Fix a roof or gutter, move a septic tank, protect a wall from atmospheric waters. If the reason is an open source, waterproofing should be done with a liquid composition. Remember that waterproofing is applied from the side of the moisture source.

Reason No. 3. Unheated room

Extreme savings on heating according to the principle “only warm air in the room" is the most common cause of dampness in the "crying walls" of an apartment or house. The wall must be heated to at least half its thickness. Then the dew point (the place where condensation forms) will face the street. A frozen wall shifts the dew point closer to the warm area, and sometimes even to the inner plane.

This problem often works in conjunction with a lack of ventilation. Abandoned or poorly heated rooms become damp very quickly - Decoration Materials are destroyed in 2 seasons, the structure loses up to 5-6% of its strength annually (in addition to natural wear and tear). It is extremely undesirable to combine heated and unheated (according to the design) premises under one roof.

How to fight

Increase heating. Try to calculate how much damage your home can suffer from merciless dampness and the amount you will save on heating. Then compare these amounts and draw a conclusion. Of course, insulation must be of high quality and timely.

If it is not possible to increase the temperature, install fans on heating devices and provide short-term ventilation - the humidity will level out. Do not leave the house unheated; if you are going to return, find someone who will heat it.

Reason No. 4. Improper insulation

Thermal insulation of walls with cheap and lightweight polystyrene foam or expensive modern extruded polystyrene foam has already gained momentum and is becoming a welcome event for residents apartment buildings. Almost no one ever does thermotechnical calculation walls of the apartment to determine the thickness of the insulation. Therefore, when choosing a layer of insufficient thickness, the wall continues to freeze and become damp.

Living in such a “thermos” can be ruined by dampness in the apartment and inevitable fungus. The reason is the same dew point, which is comfortably located between the panel (wall) and the insulation board. In addition, the vapor permeability of the sounded materials is close to zero and this is not the only problem with foam. Cheap material, produced by handicraft methods, is extremely flammable and toxic when heated. Keep this in mind when preparing to insulate your apartment.

Video: problems with polystyrene foam

How to fight

Study useful articles where engineers and builders with extensive experience speak out. Understanding the physics of processes will save you not only from dampness, but also from many other troubles. There are two sure-fire options for insulating an apartment:

1. A deliberately excessive layer of polystyrene insulation. A thickness of 100-150 mm guarantees that the dew point is located outside the wall (in the thickness of the insulation) for any region.
2. Vapor permeable insulation. Mineral wool, ecowool, any type of ventilated facade. This is guaranteed to get rid of moisture in the walls.

Dampness in an apartment can cause the appearance of mold, which, when it enters the body, causes viral diseases person. In addition, humid air itself is not suitable for everyone. Weakness, soreness, spontaneous loss of performance - this is what can happen due to excess moisture in the air. Therefore, eliminating moisture is a concern not only for your own walls, but also for yourself and your loved ones.

The optimal level of air humidity at home is 30-60%. These are the conditions when a person does not experience discomfort while staying indoors for quite a long time. For comfortable temperature and humidity in the house, the norm is determined according to regulatory documents, such as SNiP 2.04.05-91 and SanPiN 2.1.2.2645-10. These documents establish the rules and regulations for the design, construction of buildings, installation of microclimate systems and their maintenance. What humidity in the house will be favorable both for the inhabitants and for the house itself also depends on climatic features area and time of year.

What are the dangers of violating the humidity level in a private home?

Along with air temperature, which also determines the microclimate of the living space, optimal humidity in the house provides not only comfortable conditions residence, but also contributes to maintaining the health of the inhabitants. Excessive dry air or, conversely, dampness has no less detrimental effect on the condition of the house. Violation of microclimatic conditions during construction or improper operation of heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems can lead to either a decrease or an increase in humidity levels. Both are dangerous. Too dry indoor air negatively affects the condition of the body's mucous membranes. Violation of their normal activities leads to deterioration of well-being, decreased immunity, and fatigue. As for the house, all wooden objects suffer from low humidity: furniture, parquet. If the house is wooden, then the structures will quickly begin to lose natural moisture, dry out and become deformed.

High humidity in the house is especially dangerous, since moisture not only destroys structures and contributes to the appearance of mold and mildew, but can also cause serious illnesses in the residents of the house. Dampness is one of the main causes of allergic diseases and asthma.

What can cause high humidity in the house?

What's in the house too high humidity, it becomes noticeable to the inhabitants immediately. At the same time, the walls are damp, the windows quickly fog up, and condensation occurs under the ceiling. Due to mold, an unpleasant odor appears in the premises.

The main reason for high humidity in the house is a violation of construction technologies. Poor foundation waterproofing leads to the penetration of moisture from the soil into the living space of the house. This is especially true for houses built in areas with high level groundwater.

Damp in the house can also be due to poorly performed work during the construction of the house, the use of low-quality or unsuitable material for the given climatic conditions. Walls that are too thin and have improperly selected and installed hydro- and thermal insulation do not reliably protect the interior from cold and dampness.

Wooden houses, due to the excellent qualities of wood, are less susceptible to problems with the microclimate inside. Thanks to modern technologies timber used for the construction of houses is treated with special moisture-proofing agents at the production stage. Construction of a house from timber natural humidity with subsequent finishing is an excellent choice for those who want to maintain a good indoor microclimate.

High humidity in a new home is an almost inevitable phenomenon. The materials from which the house is made must be given time to dry. If absolutely necessary, you can use heating devices and heat fans. But it is better for the process to occur gradually, naturally. This will help avoid uneven drying of surfaces and deformation of wooden elements.

The problem of high humidity in the house is aggravated with the approach of cold weather, when the sun no longer sufficiently warms the external surfaces of the building, and windows and doors are opened less frequently for ventilation. Insufficient heating and improperly organized ventilation can also play a role.

What to do if there is high humidity in your home?

Dealing with high humidity is not an easy task. First of all, you need to determine the cause, and then think about how to remove moisture in the house. If moisture penetrates into the house due to poor waterproofing of the foundation, then large-scale work is ahead. You should also dry it periodically basements. High-quality thermal insulation of the house will help improve the microclimate in the house.

It is worth checking for leaks in the water pipes and replacing them if necessary. It is also worth checking the condition and effectiveness ventilation system, since the humidity in the house largely depends on its quality work.

In some rooms, such as the kitchen and bathroom, the humidity level is almost always high, and good ventilation is especially important here to avoid mold. In order not to increase the level of humidity, when preparing food, you should cover the dishes with lids and ventilate the room. Drying clothes in the bathroom or room is not recommended, as this helps to humidify the air.

In a house with stove heating It is especially important to heat the premises well during the cold period. Additional heating devices may be needed to ensure that the entire living area is heated evenly. In summer, you should not tightly curtain the windows, but rather give the sun the opportunity to warm the rooms.

If necessary, you can use special household appliances to dehumidify the air. The principle of their operation may be different. Some contain absorbent substances that absorb moisture from the air, while others condense moisture using a cooled evaporator. There are models that combine both principles.

High humidity in the house can be a source of many troubles, so you need to start dealing with it as early as possible. Maintaining the correct indoor microclimate is necessary not only for the health of the people living in the house, but also for the safety of the house itself.

Video - Finishing rooms with high humidity

Good evening everyone.
I’ll clarify my position a little in previous posts; I’ll try to make it accessible to participants who have not encountered issues of indoor air conditioning.

1) Naturally, there is always moisture in the air of a house (apartment) - water vapor. In summer the quantitative (mass) content is higher, in winter – less. This is, roughly, absolute air humidity. That is, if 1 cubic meter of street air in winter contains, for example, 3...5 grams of water, then when it enters the house, the same amount of water will be there.
But the temperature outside and inside the house is different. Moreover, the higher the temperature, the more water vapor this cubic meter can “absorb”; the lower the temperature, the less. This is relative humidity.
Visible formation of moisture (for example, dew, condensation) occurs at the moment when the air temperature drops to the so-called “dew point” temperature, i.e. the relative air humidity in this place becomes equal to 100% (roughly: the air can no longer hold water in its volume). In our case, the air near windows and floors becomes supercooled, coming into contact with a cold surface, and moisture “falls out” of it. At the same time, in parts of the room remote from cold places, the relative humidity in winter can remain within 20...40% at a temperature of 18...25 degrees C.

2) About ventilation. If all requirements for building structures As a rule, 0.5...0.8 times the air exchange is enough for housing, taking into account all the “consequences of life” - cooking, exhalation of vapors, etc. If there are no special emissions of harmful substances. Sometimes such a multiplicity is ensured only due to air infiltration through cracks and leaks in the house structure.
From my own construction experience wooden house: to maintain normal conditions, a periodically switched on (during use) forced exhaust ventilation in the bathroom (duct diameter 80mm). The house is 2-storey, 6x6m, plastic windows. In addition to the bathroom, the house has a sauna and shower.

3) Speaking about indoor circulation, I meant the possibility of mixing cold and warm layers of air, to eliminate this very “dew point”. At the same time, cold surfaces will also warm up with the warmth of the air. The corners of rooms are especially critical to air exchange.

4) About waterproofing. PM-9mm, it’s not entirely clear what kind of house design you have. I can assume the following: if there is no protective layer between the walls and supporting pillars, then moisture from the ground penetrates through the capillaries of the wood into the structure of the walls (and if the temperature of their surfaces in some part is above 0 degrees Celsius, then this “migration” of moisture will always be present to a greater or lesser extent).

5) Needed good thermal insulation floor. It is most effective to do it from the basement side with a small base height (up to about 600mm).

All of the above is what I meant when I spoke of “eliminating the causes of moisture formation.” Those. There will always be moisture in the house. But it is necessary to eliminate as much as possible the conditions for its “visible” appearance: insulate the structures, prevent local overcooling of surfaces, check the waterproofing. And at the same time decide: do you need additional forced ventilation or is the system enough? Entrance door- chimney".

With respect to all participants.
PM-9mm, if you have more specific questions, you can write in a personal message. Many participants know what I wrote above, so I would like to exclude accusations of “flooding”.