Winters in Minneapolis are full of dangerous things. From slippery ice to dangling icicles, there are plenty of things we worry about during the winter. It would be nice if we had one less thing to worry about, but this worry can be easily remedied. Dry winters will often leave your home with low humidity, which can cause many health and home problems for you and your family.
Dry skin and eyes
It might be obvious that low humidity can lead to your skin and eyes drying out, but it has more of an effect on your health than you might realize. Dry skin will try to pull moisture from outside as well as inside your body. This creates cracks in your skin that can lead to bleeding and increased risk of infection. That is why bloody noses are more common in the winter than in the summer. Dry eyes can lead to itchiness and pain, but it can also create a film over your eyes, making it harder to see. Blinking more from dry eyes can also decrease productivity at work and school.
Increase risk of sickness
Viruses can survive longer in lower humidity, meaning that your family is more prone to being sick in dryer conditions. It doesn’t help that the body’s air passages and lungs dry out faster in low humidity, making you and your family more susceptible to allergies, asthma, and other respiratory conditions. If you notice that your family is getting sick more frequently in the winter, you might want to consider increasing the humidity in your home.
Damages your furniture
Your health isn’t the only thing affected by low humidity. Your home also suffers and can take damage from lack of moisture in the air. It is most evident in wood furniture and flooring as the air takes moisture away from the wood. This can make it crack, splinter, shrink, and creak more often. These symptoms don’t just happen to wood, even though it is most noticeable on wood furnishings. It can happen to your drywall, books, and other belongings in your home.
Damages your house
Not only will dry air make your drywall more crumbly, it can also make your paint peel, wallpaper tear, and remove moisture to the wood in the foundation of your home. With no solution to dry air in your home, your home will break down faster. It is important to your property value and to the safety of your family that your home stays normally humid to keep you safe and healthy.
How to avoid dry air
The best part of knowing the dangers of dry air is that there is an easy way to fix the problem. Whole-home humidifiers are programmed to keep the humidity levels safe for you and your family so that you can stay healthy throughout the winter. After the program is set by HVAC professionals, your home and family will feel much better.
If you have dry air and need a whole-home humidifier, call the HVAC experts at Twin City Heating and Air. We have many humidifiers to choose from to find the best solution for your home. Call us today, or check out our air quality products to find out more.
