Is your home too wet? Reasons and effective solutions

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A relative humidity level of 80% in a house is quite high and can cause problems like mold, damage to materials and physical discomfort. Next, I offer you a detailed analysis of the most common causes of this humidity, how to identify its origin and some effective strategies to reduce it. We will talk about the use of paint, waterproofing of walls, curtains, paintings, decorative materials such as carpets and plants that absorb moisture, as well as air conditioning and ventilation. I will also include practical methods to help you diagnose the origin of the problem.

More common causes of humidity to 80% in housing

  1. External filters
    • Description: Water that filters from the outside due to rain, damaged pipes or drains that do not work properly.
    • Why does it happen?: Walls, ceilings or floors that do not have a good waterproofing, as well as cracks or joints that are not well sealed.
    • Signs: Watermights on the walls or ceilings after the rains, and a wet earth smell.
  2. Bad ventilation
    • Description: Hanging air that retains steam generated internally.
    • Why does it happen?: Closed windows, lack of extractors in baths/kitchens or design without cross-flow.
    • Signs: Crystals, dense and sticky air.
  3. Internal evaluation
    • Description: Vapor of activities like cooking, showering or drying clothes that accumulate on cold surfaces.
    • Why does it happen?: Hardly isolated pairs/windows with no ventilation.
    • Signs: Glasses in windows, mold in corners or near frames.
  4. Humidity by capillary
    • Description: Ground water that ascends through the walls due to porous materials.
    • Why does it happen?: Waterproof or direct contact with saturated soils.
    • Signs: Blankets at the base of the walls, painting that rises on them.
  5. External climate
    • Description: High environmental humidity (e.g. coastal or rainy areas such as Galicia) that moves to the interior.
    • Why does it happen?: Constant exposure to fog or rain without internal control systems.
    • Signs: Persistent humidity even ventilating in humid days.

How to identify the origin of moisture

To reduce humidity to 50-60% (which is the ideal level), the first thing you need to do is identify where it comes from. Here are some methods you can use:

  1. Hygrometer:
    • How: Buy a digital hygrometer (~10-20 ⬠in Amazon or ferreterà ́as) and measure in each room.
    • What to look for: If an area constantly exceeds 80% (e.g. bathroom vs. salon), it points to local condensation or filtration.
  2. Visual inspection:
    • Blades on high walls / ceilings: External filters.
    • Low handles: Capilarity.
    • Counting on windows: Bad ventilation or internal condensation.
  3. Ventilation test:
    • Open windows 15 min: If moisture does not go down or rise, the problem is external (climate or filtration).
  4. Temperature test:
    • Touch the walls: If you feel that they are cold and hummed (you can use an infrared thermometer that costs about 20 %), that can be a sign of condensation or capillaryity.
  5. Olor and mold:
    • If you notice an odor of moisture and mold in the corners, it could be a condenser or that the ventilation is not working as it should.
    • Terrific smell: Filtration or capillary.

Practical example: If the bathroom is 85% of humidity and the salt is 70%, and there are also drops in the glass of the bathroom, the most likely the cause is the condensation generated by showers that have no extractor.

How to improve and lower humidity

1. Anti-humidity paint

  • How it works: Transpirable or antimoho paints (acrylic bass or lime) prevent superficial accumulation and mushroom growth.
  • Angiosis: Products such as Titan Antihumidity (~15 â€/L) or Jotun Antimoho (~20€/L) are palliative, do not cure deep leaks (Leroy Merlin).
  • Implementation:
    1. Clean mold (lex 1:3 with water).
    2. Apply sealing print (~10€/L).
    3. 2 layers of paint (1 L covers 8-10 mÂ2).
  • Impact: Reduces surface humidity (~10-15%), ideal for mild condensation.

2. Printing of walls

  • How it works: Seals (polyurethane, resins) or waterproof mortars block leaks and capillary.
  • Angiosis: Sika Impermeabilizing (~25 â¬/25 kg) for outdoors or interior waterproof paints (~15 â¬/L) are effective (Homemania).
  • Implementation:
    1. It locates origin (rafts, wall base).
    2. Seal with butter or waterproof concrete.
    3. Apply liquid membrane (2 layers).
  • Impact: You can go down to 50-60% if you remove leaks (~90% efficiency combined with ventilation).

3. Curtains

  • How it works: Perspirable materials avoid condensing in windows.
  • Angiosis: AlgodÃ3n or linen are better than polyester (trape moisture). Heavy curtains near water crystals generate mold.
  • Implementation:
    1. Use light curtains (~20-50 €/window).
    2. Keep them clean and away from wet crystals.
  • Impact: Reduces local condensation (~5-10%).

4. Tables

  • How it works: Non-porous materials prevent them from absorbing moisture.
  • Angiosis: Untreated wooden frames are mold foci; glass or metal are ideal.
  • Implementation:
    1. Wear sealed pictures (~10-100 €).
    2. Place silica gel detrés (~5 â ¬).
  • Impact: Minimum (~2-5%), but protects walls.

5. Decoration materials: carpets and plants

  • Carpets:
    • How it works: They absorb moisture, but they must be breathable.
    • Angiosis: wool or light synthetic fibres (~50-100 â ¬) help; thick carpets trap moisture and mold.
    • Implementation: Use small carpets in dry areas, apply them regularly.
    • Impact: ~5-10% if managed well.
  • Absorbing plants:
    • How it works: Absorben steam (verse evaporation).
    • Angiosis: Plants like ferns, lilies of peace or spies reduce ~5-10% in 10 mÂ2 (Jardinatis).
    • Implementation: 1-2 plants per room (~10-20 €/unit), avoids excess irrigation.
    • Impact: ~5-10%, complementary.

6. Air conditioning

  • How it works: Removes moisture (1-2 L/hour) with dehumidifier mode.
  • Angiosis: Models like Daikin FTXM (~1000 â€) drop to 40-50% in hours (Idealist).
  • Implementation:
    1. Install in main area (3000 fridges/30 mÂ2).
    2. Use a 2-3 h/day (~0.15 â ¬ to 0.30 â ¬/kWh).
  • Impact: ~20-30% on a day.

7. Ventilation

  • How it works: Renew air, remove steam.
  • Angiosis:
    • Natural: 10-15 min 2 times/day (~10-15% if outside is not humid).
    • Extractors (~50-100 €) or VMC (~1000 €) drop to 50% (Energy and Society).
  • Implementation:
    1. Open opposite windows.
    2. Install extractors in bath/kitchen.
    3. VMC if it is chronic.
  • Impact: Key (~20-40% combined).

Plan to lower the humidity

  1. Diagnosis: Use hygrometer and inspect (handles, condensation, smell).
  2. Action according to origin:
    • Filtering: Print walls.
    • Contents: A/C + ventilation.
    • Capilarity: Seal foundations + paint.
    • Climate: A/C + plants/fombras.
  3. Complements: Curtains, light frames.
  4. Cos:
    • Cool (~300-500): Painting, extractor, plants.
    • Complete (~1500-2000: Impermisation, A/C, VMC.
  5. Outcome: 50-60% in 1-2 weeks.
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Conclusion

Humidity at 80% usually comes from filtration, condensation, capillary, poor ventilation or climatic conditions. To identify it, you can use a hygrometer and make an inspection. Then, it is time to act: waterproof (outside source), improves ventilation or air conditioning (active control) and considers painting or decoration as a reinforcement. If properly used, plants and carpets can also be of great help.