Did you have humidity problems in your cottage this year from all the high heat and humidity this summer?
Well join the club, most people with older cottages found that there cottages were "moist" this year, wet to the point of growing surface mold in a lot of places.
With the weather getting warmer every year this summer will probably be more the norm then the exception, that means that you will need to start getting used to the high humidity.
Since high humidity is going to be common you need to come up with a plan to deal with it.
Here are some idea's to remove the high moisture content in your cottage;
Air Conditioning
Air conditioning removes moisture from the air, so the act of cooling your cottage when it is to hot does the double duty by removing the moisture out of the air. Whether its from an air conditioner that is attached to a furnace or its small window air conditioner they all work to remove humidity out of the air, doing this helps keep the cottage dryer.
Dehumidifiers
Dehumidifiers remove large amounts of moisture from the air. Whether they are the portable kind our the bigger ones that are a permanent fixture dehumidifiers do what they are designed to do and they work best when placed in a basement and left on as much as possible.
Insulation
Better insulation in the walls and in the basement slow or stop the air exchange in the cottage when the windows are closed. This allows you to regulate the humidity and the temperature more easily inside the cottage.
New Windows
New windows do the same thing as new insulation as they help regulate the air exchange in the cottage and new windows open easier allowing more airflow when there is a cooling breeze.
Whatever you do you need to do something to limit the humidity, if you do nothing you risk having mold grow unchecked in area's that does not get cleaned a lot and this can lead to health risks. If moisture builds up inside the wall cavity rot can start along with the growth of mold.
Rob Abbott
Great Lakes Custom Homes Inc.
