Can Insulation Help You Control Humidity?

Can Insulation Help You Control Humidity?Here in Central Florida, controlling humidity must be one of our number one priorities. The ever-present risk of mold means humidity is a constant enemy. Besides, too much humidity in the home can make you uncomfortable. It’s like breathing through a wet blanket in the summer. It makes you feel clammy and unpleasant during the winter.

However, unless we’re talking about insulating cold water pipes, most of the time proper insulation does not directly impact humidity in your home. You can usually control humidity with storm windows, storm doors, dehumidifiers, and proper roof ventilation.

Making sure you’re pulling moisture from your home with normal systems is important as well. For example, you want to run the bathroom fan every time you take a shower. You want to run the kitchen exhaust fan any time you cook. These two activities are big culprits when it comes to leaving moisture in the home.

Making sure you don’t leave too much standing water in your home makes a difference as well. When you mop your floors, make sure you wring the mop out so that it’s damp, not soaking wet. Empty the bucket as soon as you can. Move laundry out of the washer as soon as it’s ready to go to the dryer.

None of these solutions have much to do with insulation at all.

However, improper home insulation can make a moisture problem worse, and contribute directly to a mold problem. The causes can vary: contractors who use the wrong type of insulation, contractors who don’t do a good job of insulating and ventilating the home, and homes which simply did not have good insulation in the first place. Improper insulation can trap moisture in your home that wouldn’t have been there otherwise.

Thus, if you’re concerned about keeping your home mold-free (and who isn’t), it pays to have a reputable, well-vetted insulation contractor come and have a look at what’s going on in your attic and behind the walls. Not only can you save up to 30% on your energy bills, you could take a positive step towards protecting your home from mold and mildew by reassuring yourself that insulation is not contributing to the problem.