How to Clear Damp Heat

Damp, stagnant heat in the home leads to an unpleasant, musty smell.

Damp heat is an inevitable, yet often problematic, occurrence in most homes. While living in a warm, humid area will contribute to damp heat in your home, normal activities such as cooking, showering and doing laundry can cause the ambient air in your home to become warm, muggy and damp, even in cooler, less humid climates. Over time, damp heat can cause mold or water damage and exacerbate sinus and allergy problems. Learn how to clear and prevent damp heat to keep the rooms in your home comfortable and damage-free.

Instructions

1. Create ventilation to clear and prevent damp heat from building up. If the air outside is dry and cool, open windows to allow fresh air to circulate through your home. Make sure windows are properly fitted with screening free of holes and tears to prevent pests from entering the home and to keep dust and pollen to a minimum.

2. Install ventilation fans in rooms with few or no windows. Bathrooms, kitchens and laundry rooms often produce damp heat caused by steam and vapors. Ventilation fans will help draw warm, damp air out of rooms where moisture and elevated temperatures often occur.

3. Use air-to-air heat exchanging fans in windows to help circulate air and clear a room of damp heat. Air-to-air heat exchangers utilize two fans to clear warm, humid air -- while one fan draws damp heat out of a room, the other fan pulls cool, dry air in, helping to clear a room of warm, humid, stagnant air. Install a whole-house air-to-heat exchanger to clear and prevent damp heat throughout your home.

4. Use a dehumidifier in rooms with excessive damp heat, such as basements and attics, or to clear a room of thick, warm air with high humidity. The dehumidifier works to draw the moisture out of the air and will also help draw moisture from walls, carpets and furniture.

5. Use a wet-dry shop vac on damp carpets to remove moisture and prevent it from being absorbed by warm air.

Tips & Warnings

• Keep dresser drawers, nightstands, and furniture from absorbing dry heat by placing a fabric softener sheet in or underneath them. The sheet will help to absorb the moisture in warm, humid air.

• Keep closets from becoming damp and warm by placing only fully dried clothes inside. If you prefer to air-dry your clothes, hang them on an outdoor clothing line to prevent moisture from being absorbed into your home's ambient air.

• Use a window, wall or free-standing air conditioning unit to keep a room from becoming warm and humid.

References

• UGA College of Family and Consumer Sciences; Moisture Control in Homes; Dale Dorman
• Better Homes and Gardens: How to Remove Moisture from Your Home