It’s humid enough in the Northland to make you say, “Uff da!” High temperatures combined with intermittent rain storms have left us with wet and sticky conditions. Many people in our service area of Minnesota and Western Wisconsin do not have home air conditioning and turn to dehumidifiers and fans to help curb uncomfortable conditions in the home. But how sustainable is that, and does it really solve the issue? DBS is your local expert in whole-home energy science and we are committed to helping homeowners reach healthy, safe, and comfortable conditions in their homes. 

To get to the root of temperature and humidity issues, it is important to consider the way that air circulates throughout your home. This is called the Stack Effect, and is essentially the concept of heat rising, from the moment air enters the home via the basement, it travels upwards through the levels of your home, eventually escaping through the attic. This is problematic when your basement is absorbing moist air at upwards of 70% humidity from the soil around your foundation.

A comfortable level of humidity in the home is around 35-45%. Anything higher than that will result in sticky conditions in the summer and a clammy feeling in the winter. With the soil calculated at 70% humidity, that leaves a lot of room between the relative humidity goal of your home and the actual air that is entering your basement. Beyond temperature issues, constant humidity above 50% is a breeding ground for mold spores, and respiratory issues. Excess moisture can also compromise the structural integrity of the home over time. 

What can you do to combat this? Call us, of course! Our highly-trained team works hard to custom diagnose humidity and moisture issues via these services:

Basement Waterproofing

Eliminate any chance of water pooling in your basement! We have a suite of nationally-backed products that cover drainage systems, sump pumps, and wall coverings.

Dehumidification 

Our SaniDry™ dehumidifiers are ENERGY STAR® certified and can be connected to your home’s existing sump pump, so there is no need to consistently empty the tank as it fills with water. These dehumidifiers are much more powerful than anything you’ll find on the shelves, pulling up to 100 pints of water out of the air daily.

Dr. Energy Saver® Solutions

Attic Insulation 

The money you spend on your home’s energy shouldn’t be allowed to escape through your attic. We use TruSoft™ cellulose insulation as an alternative to fiberglass, as well as SilverGlo™ rigid foam insulation that is up to 25% more effective than traditional foam insulation.

Crawl Space Encapsulation 

Stop the humid air its source by encapsulating your crawl space. As we discussed above, the air your home is absorbing from your dirt crawl space is incredibly humid, promoting uncomfortable conditions overall. We use high R-value insulation, vapor barriers, and spray foam to seal and insulate your dirt crawl space. 

If you need some help addressing the moisture and humidity in your home, call us today to schedule your free, no-obligation estimate at 218-525-0720. 

DBS is proud to service the North Shore in towns like Tofte, MN, Finland, MN, and Grand Marais, MN. We also do work of this kind in Douglas, Ashland, and Bayfield Counties in Wisconsin.