VIDEO: Controlling Moisture in Your Home
By Lucas on Mar 20, 2014
Although it’s now officially spring, it’s still pretty cold out. Hopefully the warm weather will be here soon. With this winter being one of the coldest in recent history, a common issue for homeowners is related to excess moisture.
Tarion Warranty Corporation’s latest video installment to their Online Education Series outlines the causes of moisture and how to control it during the winter months.
What causes moisture?
When warm air from inside your home comes in contact with cold surfaces, like windows and glass doors, it will cause dampness, and can possibly lead to ice buildup.
Too much moisture can damage windows, hardwood floors, trim, walls, and even furnishings. If the moisture issue is left unattended for too long, mildew or mold can develop, and then you have an even bigger problem.
What you need to know is that Tarion’s New Home Warranty does not cover moisture damage if it can be traced back to a “failure to maintain adequate ventilation.” If it’s something that you’re doing or not doing that is causing excessive moisture, Tarion’s warranty doesn’t cover it.
Many of your everyday activities cause moisture in your home, such as taking showers and baths, cooking, doing laundry, and having plants and pets. Most people do at least one or two, or all of the above.
Tarion recommends that you use a hygrometer, an affordable and easy to use tool for measuring the humidity in your home. Tracking your home’s humidity level is the first step to controlling it. In the winter, your hygrometer should read 30% to 45%.
To learn more ways to control the moisture in your home during the winter, watch Tarion’s video below.
For more information about Ontario’s mandatory new home warranty and home maintenance tips, visit tarion.com or like Tarion on Facebook.
