Why Is My House So Dry?

Firstly, don’t panic. You aren’t the first, and definitely won’t be the last person to worry about why your house is so dry. So how can you be sure your problem is dry air in the house? Some of the most common effects include:

Static shock - have you noticed more static electricity when you touch the fur of a pet or on your favorite jumper or did you get a shock opening a door with a metal doorknob? Static electricity builds up in dry air conditions, as it can’t dissipate as well, leaving you with some rather unpleasant shocks.

Nose and throat irritation - has your throat and sinuses been left dry and parched? Dry air causes the nose, throat and sinuses to also become dry, causing pain and in some cases nosebleeds.

More colds and illnesses - have you noticed you and your family are suffering from more colds, flus and bugs? And your general immunity to more common colds seems lowered? This is because your throat and noise are lined with tiny membranes. Their job is to trap dirt, viruses and bacteria that are the common causes of flus and colds, so that these nasty bugs don’t reach your lungs and cause colds or infections. Now, when the air is dry these membranes will lose moisture to the air and they become much less efficient at their job, leaving you more susceptible to illness.

Skin irritation and allergies - have you noticed that your skin has become really dry? No matter how much you moisturize, it’s cracking? We are made of a lot of water, so unsurprisingly when the air is dry, our skin also starts to dry out. This leads to chapped lips, cracked heels, itching and skin flaking. It can also exacerbate any existing skin allergies or conditions you may already have,

Peeling wallpaper and cracks in the floor - have you noticed your wooden floors cracking and creaking? Has your wallpaper started peeling from the walls? This is because dry air is doing its best to seek out moisture wherever it can, so your walls and floors are not safe. You may have noticed wooden doors are harder to open and close, and in really bad situations you may see wood furniture or books start to crack and wrinkle.

If it’s a yes to some or all of these common effects, then it sounds like you need to find a solution to the dry air in your house. It’s a problem with a relatively simple explanation and various solutions.

Commonly, dry air is caused by your furnace heating the air in your house, reducing the humidity, and increasing the amount of dry air. The answer is adding water vapor to the air, it’s humidification. You can try a whole-home humidifier. You want your home’s humidity to get between 30% and 50%. Don’t be tempted to increase the humidifier up higher for a quicker solution, as you could end up with a mold problem!