Your "Local Sunday Newspaper" Seven Days a Week!

Your Home

Put A Damper On Mold And Musty Odors

Posted: 7/6/2011

No matter how clean your home is or its age, musty odors can become a problem.

(NAPSI)—Musty odors coming from the basement or crawlspace are not only extremely unpleasant but can be both dangerous and expensive to correct if left untreated.

Excess moisture is the most common problem in basements and crawlspaces—either coming from outside or produced inside the home by everyday activities. Studies show that as much as 50 percent of the air in a home comes from the basement or crawlspace. In essence, whatever air is below the house is also inside the house. This can contribute to poor indoor air quality and cause uncomfortably high humidity levels. It may lead to costly problems such as cupping of hardwood floors, mold growth, increased air conditioner loads and swelling of millwork and cabinetry. Millions of Americans battle high humidity levels in their homes.

If you store anything of value in your basement or if you use your basement as living space, it is important to keep the moisture levels low. Relative humidity levels rising above 50 percent stimulate the growth of mold, mildew, bacteria and other biological allergens, which generate musty odors and can aggravate allergies.

Several organizations, including the Environmental Protection Agency, American Lung Association and American Medical Association, recommend using dehumidifiers to maintain humidity levels of 60 percent or less in the home.

High-capacity dehumidifiers, such as the ones from Santa Fe, are the most energy efficient on the market and are designed to effectively operate in the cooler temperatures of a basement or crawlspace. The units help maintain the structural integrity of your home, inhibit mold growth and improve the indoor air quality of your home by removing odor-causing moisture.

“Humidity has been a constant problem in our basement and my fear was that if the humidity was not addressed, that mold would eventually develop,” said one homeowner. “The small dehumidifiers I had tried had almost no impact. The Santa Fe took the humidity from over 70 percent down to 40 percent overnight. This was absolutely amazing, as our basement is 2,000 square feet with separate rooms. It feels more comfortable and smells better.”

The dehumidifier line features an oversized moisture removal coil, regenerative heat exchanger and high-capacity fan, which let the units remove two to three times more moisture per kilowatt of electricity than a conventional dehumidifier. All Santa Fe dehumidifiers feature superior air filtration, capturing allergens down to 1 micron in size.

For more information on controlling high humidity in basements and crawlspaces, visit www.DehumidifierSolutions.com.

The Mercury | Copyright Notice
The Mercury | Paul V. Scholl, Publisher
7405 Greenback Lane, #129 | Citrus Heights, CA 95610-5603 | Telephone: 916-773-1111 | Fax Line 916-773-2999
Email: publisher@PlacerMercury.com | Site Designed and Hosted by TheSiteBarn.com
ISSN#: 1948-1934

View PDF files of Back Issues