Most homeowners believe a professional inspection is necessary only when buying a home. However, inspecting your current home is equally crucial because it ensures your family’s safety. Managing humidity is essential in hot and humid regions, such as Louisiana. The key to understanding that is to know the relationship between heat, humidity, and your home. Stay on top of the safety of your home with professional inspections. Keep reading to find out why…
What is the Impact of Humidity on Your Home?
Hot weather and humidity go hand in hand. This condition is a recipe for disaster because it encourages mold growth.
Mold thrives in different conditions but can significantly grow in temperatures of 70-80 degrees F. However, mold can still survive in temperatures as low as 32 degrees F to as high as 95 degrees F. Even though mold requires moisture, it can still thrive in limited humidity.
In the summer, Louisiana experiences intense heat that causes humidity levels to rise significantly. It is especially true in areas within the home that experience low ventilation, such as the basement and the attic. These factors combine to encourage mold growth and compromise the structure of the home.
Aside from mold growth, rising humidity levels can affect your roof. Since humidity is a fact of life for Louisiana homeowners, you must pay attention to your roof and the impact of humidity. The surface of the roof is likely to be compromised since the water vapor rises in the air due to increased humidity.
Humidity can promote mold and mildew growth. These organisms thrive in humid environments, and if mold and mildew develop on the surface of the roof, it can negatively impact the materials of the roof. The negative impact of humidity on your roof can exist regardless of the roofing material, such as asphalt shingles or metal roof surfaces.
Why is Professional Inspection Essential in Humid Regions?
A professional inspection is necessary when you live in hot and humid conditions, like Louisiana. Given the relationship between humidity and roof damage, a regular inspection ensures you can identify damage and fix it before it worsens.
Early Detection of Mold and Roof Damage
Mold and moisture can rapidly increase with humid conditions. It can appear within the first 48 hours of exposure. The longer your home is exposed to humidity, the more damage it can cause to the structure of your home. If the roof is damaged, it can threaten the structural integrity of your home.
Regular checks from a professional home inspector ensure you can prevent or control mold growth and roof damage. It can also protect your family against various health issues associated with excess mold in the structure and roof of home.
Safeguard Your Family’s Health
Identifying signs of mold and roof damage without trained eyes is difficult. A professional inspector can easily identify those signs and prevent health hazards from developing and threatening your family’s health. Consistent inspection ensures you can prevent toxins and hazards from harming your family.
Regular checks are essential for maintaining your family’s health because they can improve indoor air quality, avoid unpleasant smells, and prevent infestation. A regular inspection is also crucial if you or any member of your family has, as excess humidity can aggravate respiratory illnesses.
Preserve Home Structure and Stability
Regular home inspections can identify areas where mold thrives due to high humidity. Excess moisture from humidity can infiltrate the interior walls and structure of your home, including the roof. Over time, the moisture can weaken the materials and reduce their stability.
Once you identify those concerns, you can address and fix the roof before it affects the structural integrity of your home. Averting the potential damage caused by humidity growth can protect the structure of your home, especially the roof, and avoid costly repairs.
Protect the Value of Your Home
Regular home inspections can protect the value of your home by ensuring it remains structurally strong. As mentioned, there are some things that only professional home inspectors can see. If they can be identified, you can conduct maintenance and timely repairs to maintain the structure of your home.
In addition, improving the appearance of your home can protect its value. Excess humidity can damage the roof materials, causing them to crack or the shingles to loosen. These factors can negatively affect the perceived value of your home, as they can affect its curb appeal.
How to Protect Your Home from Humidity in Louisiana
Aside from a regular professional inspection, Louisiana homeowners should protect their homes against the damaging effects of humidity.
The first step in protecting your home from humidity is regularly cleaning your roof. In addition to regular inspections, cleaning the roof discourages mold growth and other forms of damage from mold and mildew.
If your home inspector identifies damage, you should fix it immediately. Prolonging repairs can cause more damage that would be costly to repair.
If you want to replace your roof, you can also choose one made of cooling materials. Choose a roofing material that can reflect the sun’s rays instead of absorbing heat. This will reduce the heat on the roof, which can damage the materials over time. In addition, it will keep your home cooler and lower humidity levels, especially during the hot summer months.
Metal roofs are durable and can withstand humid climates. Different types of metal roofs exist, such as galvanized steel, copper, and aluminum. Consult an expert about which metal roof materials are best for protecting against humidity. Another option for the best roofing materials against humidity is a tile roof. Tiles are also suited for humid climates because they repel water to prevent moisture absorption and are thicker, making them more resilient to humidity damage.
Finally, maintain proper ventilation inside your home. It will allow air to circulate properly and prevent too much humidity that can damage the interior of your home and the roof. Keep vents open to allow good air circulation. Using a dehumidifier in your home is a practical step toward promoting adequate ventilation. It helps to manage the humidity of your home below 60% to prevent mold growth and roof damage.
