How to get rid of humidity in an apartment: methods of dealing with high humidity in a living room

High humidity and a feeling of dampness are a scourge not only of private houses, but also of city apartments. Even apartments located in modern elite new buildings often suffer from high humidity: the lower part of the walls is a favorite place for molds.

A completely natural question arises - what to do in order to prevent such an undesirable phenomenon, to ensure a decrease in the humidity in the room and not to face such a problem in the future.

To answer it, you need to understand the reasons for the increase in humidity and, as far as possible, try to reduce their influence.

Factors contributing to the increase in humidity

Unfortunately, it is much more difficult to eliminate dampness in an apartment building than in a private one - if the latter has enough to solve problems to provide normal ventilation or install thermal insulation materials, then in the case of an apartment everything is much more difficult.

But, first, let's look at the most common causes of high humidity in a living room.

The most common causes of high humidity are:

• Poor quality of insulation between the foundation and the wall.
• There is a leak in the pipes located in the basement.
• Insufficient ventilation. It often happens that the ventilation in the apartment is either poorly debugged or absent a priori. Most often, residents themselves impede normal ventilation by wallpapering the ventilation holes. In addition, it is unsafe and prohibited by the regulations of the housing and communal services.
• Unscrupulous neighbors or a leaky roof. And if in the latter case you can at least see traces of water leaks, then the intrigues of neighbors from above can be purely physically unnoticed - unless, of course, a full-fledged flood. The thing is that water does not always seep through the ceiling and enters the apartment located one floor below. Small portions are absorbed by the overlap. Or the suspended plastic ceiling may not miss it. It is these situations that create high humidity with all the ensuing consequences.
• The presence of poorly sealed inter-wall seams. If during the repair work violations were made, including the finishing and plastering of the walls, you will not have to wait for normal humidity either.
• Basement flooding. The reason for this can be not only a burst pipe, but also the usual flooding with melt water. It is enough for the water to stand in the basement for several months, and the fungus appears on the first floors.
• Breakage of a pipe built into the wall. An accident of such a plan poses a great danger to the whole house, because dampness will be not only in the apartment where the leak formed, but also in all the others. The current situation is also problematic because access to such pipes is difficult - they are inside the boxes, and it will not be possible to quickly determine the place of the leak.
• Incorrect installation of any equipment, one way or another related to water. A constantly flowing tap or even a banal accumulation of condensate on the toilet cistern - all these things will cause dampness.

Defects that cause the presence of high humidity are hidden in the first stages of construction. And, if in the case of private home ownership everything can be fixed, then the apartment owners have a more difficult time.

Developers very often make gross mistakes, forcing apartment owners, thus, constantly struggle with high humidity and its consequences. Moreover, a long stay in such a room can adversely affect the health of all household members.

The most common diseases that occur in people who stay in an apartment with high humidity for a long time are bronchial asthma, tuberculosis and aspergillosis.

In theory, the management company should deal with the elimination of problems of this kind, but not all of them are conscientious about their obligations.

There is one effective way to identify the source of excess moisture penetration. Take a flat piece of glass and lean it against the wall. Close. After a couple of days, remove the glass.

If, after removing, there is moisture on the surface of the wall against which it was leaned, then it penetrates into the apartment from the street. If the surface remains dry under the glass, it is necessary to look for a source of dampness in the walls of the apartment.

We also recommend reading our other article, where we talked in detail about inline of air humidity on human health.

Effective ways to reduce moisture

And yet, the problem of high humidity in the apartment can be solved. Several ways to deal with it are discussed in detail below, which will not be difficult to implement. To achieve the desired result, it makes sense to simultaneously use several of them.

In order to make sure that the humidity in the room is exceeded, we suggest using following instruments.

Option number 1 - airing the apartment

The proposed method of air drying is simple and affordable, but at the same time it is quite effective. Please note that you need to ventilate the room only in dry and windy weather - otherwise the event loses all meaning.

It is especially important to ventilate after cooking, taking water procedures, washing or general cleaning accompanied by use washing vacuum cleaner.

An interesting point about how to reduce the level of humidity in the apartment in summer, spring and winter. Everything is very simple - to solve the problem, if the humidity is high, but not too much, a powerful fan will do.

Using this device, you can dry the air in the room - it is not always possible to ventilate it.

Option number 2 - heaters and dehumidifiers

If the humidity in the room exceeds all permissible limits and you constantly feel dampness, you will have to think about buying household dehumidifiers. Unlike industrial devices, these are compact and quiet. And they should not work constantly - for a successful fight against humidity, it will be enough to turn on the device 2-3 times a week.

In the cold season and in early spring, they perfectly save from dampness heaters. The heat emitted by them significantly dries the air - but here you need to be careful, because there is a risk of overdrying it.

In order not to overdo it in the fight against high humidity, do not use heaters during the heating season.

Option number 3 - modern finishing materials

Would you like to provide protection from dampness for a long time? Prepare for a major overhaul.

The use of unnatural materials contributes to the increase in humidity in the apartment, therefore there is it makes sense to avoid the use of plastic and other moisture-retaining varieties if possible finishes.

Carrying out "drainage" repairs involves the following activities:

1. Removing the remnants of the previous finish.
2. Eliminate, if possible, a source of increased dampness.
3. Using a heat gun - this allows you to dry out the walls very well.
4. Diligently seal all possible sources of high humidity. First of all, you need to pay attention to the joints of the walls and the floor seams. For this purpose, the slots are poured with cement mortar and treated twice hydro- and bioprotective compositions. The most commonly used silicone-based sealants.
5. Walls should be treated with a water-repellent primer or biosensor. The ideal option is to use both.
6. The prepared room must be finished moisture resistantdrywall - one that has a green tint. Thickness of sheets drywall is about 10–12 mm.

For interior decoration of dwellings with high humidity, use non-woven wallpaper with vinyl spraying. This coating effectively resists moisture.

What's more, when cleaning non-woven wallpaper can be wiped with a damp cloth. If you don't want to use non-woven wallpaper, compact vinyl wallpaper is suitable.

Acrylic paint and putty is a combination ideal for treating walls in rooms with high humidity. Acrylic itself has a high water resistance, and when mixed with putty, it provides a reliable water-repellent film.

Another suitable decor option for wet rooms is ceramic tiles. But its high price limits the scope, therefore, in the overwhelming majority of cases, the scope of its use is limited to the kitchen and bathroom.

Although, if funds allow, you can tile and living rooms, only the tiles themselves should be large sizes than those used to prevent an increase in humidity in the rooms mentioned higher.

Option number 4 - tablets for dampness

An effective remedy is special absorbent tablets. For example, Ceresit «Stop Moisture", Henkel «Stop Humidity". They are used together with a desiccant - a container where the saline solution formed from the absorbed moisture flows down. The proposed tool can absorb about 0.4 liters of water per month.

Please note that the area in which the absorbent tablet is used cannot be more than 20 square meters. m. 1 tablet can be used within 2-3 months.

Option number 5 - folk remedies

If the air humidity in your apartment is slightly exceeded and dampness is not particularly felt, at least it does not lead to fungus.

Or the problem is acute, and you need to solve it urgently, but at the moment you do not have enough money for in order to begin a full-fledged repair, you can try to deal with high humidity in the room with folk means.

Products with absorbent qualities

Foods with proven absorbent properties are:

• salt;
• sugar;
• rice groats;
• coffee beans.

It is clear that you do not need to put bags of salt, rice or sugar right in the middle of the rooms. It is quite enough to pour the above products into small containers and place them in inconspicuous places - under the bed, on the chest of drawers, etc.

At the same time, one must remember that the use of sugar as a quality moisture-absorbing means is fraught with attracting unwanted neighbors into your home - all kinds of insects like cockroaches, ants, etc., which are much more difficult to fight than with high humidity.

Therefore, it is better to use any other products as absorbents of natural origin. By the way, with the help of coffee beans you can make a beautiful decorative composition in a glass thicket - for this it will be enough to add other bright components there.

Using silica gel

Silica gel is a compound that can be found in sachets in many industrial products made from genuine leather (shoes, bags, wallets). The compound perfectly absorbs moisture. The only thing is that the amount of silica gel that you get with shoes and other leather goods will obviously not be enough to reduce the humidity in the room.

You can buy an absorbent at a pet store - where silica gel is sold as a component for cat litter. When working with silica gel, be extremely careful: under no circumstances should small children have access to the silica gel balls, who want to try everything “to the teeth”.

The ideal option is to use silica gel not in bulk, but to spread out fabric bags filled with this material.

Calcium chloride, coal and quicklime

If high humidity is observed exclusively in non-residential areas of your apartment - pantry, vestibule, balcony, then it is permissible to use the substances listed above as absorbents. But in no case should they be used to reduce the humidity of the living room - this can cause a sharp deterioration in the health of households.

The principle of using the above substances as absorbents is extremely simple. Calcium chloride, charcoal and quicklime are poured into containers previously placed in the corners of a damp room.

That's it, nothing else is needed - after six months, the composition of the containers will need to be replaced, because the substance will be saturated with moisture to the limit.

The safest option for reducing humidity in living rooms is coal. However, care must be taken to ensure that it does not become a source of coal dust: this will adversely affect the health of households.

Choose only large pieces of coal and never place coal in walk-through areas. Lime is suitable for reducing humidity on a loggia / glazed balcony. If you are going to use calcium chloride as an inexpensive absorbent, do not forget to dry it thoroughly in the oven before using it, and then grind it.

Indoor flowers in the fight against moisture

Many do not even realize that some plants effectively absorb moisture, so indoor flowers can be used to solve the problem with increased dampness!

So, if you wish, you can combine business with pleasure - having got indoor flowers that absorb excess moisture from the air. Please note that not all plants are able to effectively absorb moisture.

Naturally occurring absorbents include:

• geranium;
• spathiphyllum;
• fern;
• myrtle;
• lemon;
• a coffee tree;
• laurel noble;
• syngony.

Only geraniums can be grown at home. Because all the other plants listed above need abundant watering.

Accordingly, they themselves can easily become a source of dampness and even the appearance of mold in the room. Especially if there are several flower pots on the same windowsill.

Recommendations for dealing with dampness

It is very important to dehumidify the air in the apartment even if the dampness and high humidity itself do not bother you.

The thing is that these conditions contribute to the emergence of mold - dangerous fungi, the vital activity of which can become cause serious diseases in humans, as well as provoke damage to property and materials used for decoration premises.

If you missed the moment and are already struggling not only with the increased level of moisture in the apartment, but also with the consequences of this phenomenon.

Or are you thinking about taking preventive measures aimed at preventing an increase in humidity, it makes sense to follow the tips listed below:

• do your best to identify the causes of the high humidity and try to eliminate them. Otherwise, the fight against increased dampness will be permanent;
• be sure to ventilate the rooms after any manipulations, one way or another related to abundant use of water - this is true for washing, cooking, and hygiene procedures.
• if there is no desire to keep the windows open for a long time in winter, and there is, by and large, no special need for this - snow does not get into the house will bring a decrease in humidity, the easiest way is to use the tactic of "extreme ventilation - open the windows completely, but only by 2-3 minutes;
• install a hood and use it daily - at least 30-40 minutes, even if you are not preparing food;
• systematically heat the house during the cold season - at least until the district heating is turned on. Remember: saving on heating is fraught with the appearance of fungus and the need to fight it. Believe me, it is better to dry the air a little than to allow an increase in humidity;

Use plastic double-glazed windows with built-in ventilation - absolute tightness becomes the reason for a significant oversaturation of the room with moisture.

It will also help the use of an air conditioner with an air purification function and a function that regulates humidity.

Conclusions and useful video on the topic

How to get rid of humidity in a room with a moisture absorber:

The humidity level in the room will be discussed in the following video:

An increase in humidity is not so dangerous in itself as the consequences that it is fraught with - a constant feeling of dampness, the appearance of a fungus, the incidence of household diseases and other, very unpleasant things. Only an integrated approach to solving the problem can normalize the air humidity in the apartment.

Have you had problems with high humidity in your living area and how did you manage to cope with them? Please share your experience with our readers. The communication block is located under the article.