When you enter a room that has been closed for days, weeks or even a few hours, the first thing that often comes to mind is to open all the windows to allow fresh air in. Now, after you open all the windows, you expect to breathe in fresh air right? Well, that’s not always the case. In some houses, even after opening the windows wide for hours, the air can still feel heavy. Sometimes you might even wake up the next morning to find that your beddings are slightly cool or you may see condensation form on glasses. This is a common scenario in most rooms and it is normal for homeowners to be confused when ventilation fails to improve air condition. If you’re in a similar situation, then sit tight as we find out reasons why a room may still feel damp even when it has the windows wide open.
So, let’s jump to the simple answer in a few sentences.
The answer is that dampness in a room often depends on the balance between factors such as humidity, temperature, airflow and the surfaces within the house itself. So, when you open the window, it can actually help reduce dampness in a room in most cases. But the truth is that it doesn’t always remove or eliminate the conditions that made the room feel damp in the first place. To understand this better, let’s take a closer look at what people actually mean when they say their room feels damp.
What Does “Damp Air” Actually Feel Like?
When a homeowner says a room feels damp, it’s usually not so easy for the person to explain or confirm it. This is because during normal day to day life, we usually do not have the tools to measure moisture content in surfaces like walls using devices like a moisture meter or even check moisture content in the air with the help of tools like hygrometer. So how then does a homeowner confirm that the air is damp and what exactly does this dampness really feels like or look like?
Dampness has its characteristics and it is a sensation that most people can recognize immediately even though they can’t explain it.
If the air in a room is damp, you’ll notice that the air feels somehow heavier than normal air. Even while breathing in and out, you’ll observe that the air is not as light in your nostrils as fresh air outside the house. It’ll feel almost as though you’re breathing in warm steam from a kettle of boiling water. And even when the temperature inside the room is moderately comfortable, the air will still feel unpleasantly cool or sticky. That’s how a dampy air feels.
So how do you confirm that the air is damp?
One of the first things you’ll notice about damp air or dampness in a room is that the room will feel very cold or unusually colder than it used to be. Even when you turn on the air conditioner to heat the room, you will observe that the room is not getting warmer as you’d want it to and this is usually because moist/damp air transfers heat differently when compared to dry air. Your skin is also a good sensor that can tell you if the air inside a room is fresh or damp. When there is a high level of moisture in the air inside your room, even if all the windows are open, it can still make your skin feel wet or moisty.
For some other people, a damp room can be described as one that has a stale or muggy air. Another way to take note of a possible dampness in a room is when the windows fog up during colder mornings. Bedding and clothes will also feel somehow damp when you first pick them up.
If you see any of these signs, it doesn’t necessarily mean that there is a serious problem in your house, instead, it’s an indication that the air in the room contains more moisture than the room can comfortably handle. Whenever moisture levels in the air reach a certain point, the room begins to feel damp even if fresh air is entering through all the windows.
Why Opening Windows Doesn’t Always Remove Dampness
When the windows of a room are opened, fresh air is supposed to flow inside and the stale or damp air is supposed to move outward, but this is not always the case. A room can remain damp even though the windows are open because;
Outdoor Air Isn’t Always Dry: The first thing that you need to have at the back of your mind as a homeowner is that air coming from the outdoors is not always dry. During humid seasons or rainy weather, the air coming from outside your house may already contain high levels of moisture. So, when you open your windows and this new moisty air enters, it may not be able to lower the humidity or dampness in the room. To you and everyone else in the house, there’s new air coming in, but in reality, the new air coming in may just carry almost the same moisture levels as the air inside the room. In the end, there’s no change in humidity level.
Moisture Is Still Being Produced Inside the Room: If the amount of moisture that is being produced in the house is higher than the air coming from the opened windows then the room will still remain damp. Normal daily chores like cooking creates steam and if your kitchen window is small or the steam from the cooking is much, it travels into other parts of the house. A hot bath is another indoor activity that can raise the moisture content of air in a house. Another factor is breathing. When two or more people sleep in a room, they can release a surprising amount of moisture from their breath into the room.
If these indoor sources continue to produce moisture faster than the ventilation from the window is removing it, then the room will still feel damp.
Air Movement Is Too Weak: Another important factor is the strength of the air flowing through the window. Two things can affect the strength of airflow; the first is size of the window while the second factor is the position of the window relative to the direction of air. If the window is small or it is partially opened, there won’t be enough air flowing through and it may not circulate far enough to remove moisture effectively. When it comes to the positioning of windows, there’s so many subfactors or scenarios to consider and they are:
- Windward or Leeward Orientation: If the window of your room is facing the wind (windward side), then you’ll experience stronger wind pressure and more air will be forced in, but if your window is on the wrong side of the wind direction (leeward), you’ll experience lower air speed and ventilation inside the room will be poor. Any window that is on the “shadow” side of a building will not get the maximum breeze even if the windows are wide open.
- Perpendicular or Parallel to wind: Windows that are directly facing the wind direction (perpendicular) receive the strongest amount of air compared to windows positioned parallel to the wind.
- Cross-Ventilation: Cross ventilation is very important in a room. If your room has two windows that are positioned on opposite or adjacent walls, there’ll be proper cross ventilation and damp air will not be able to hide in corners but if both windows are positioned in the same walls there’ll be stagnant air at the other corner of the house which will lead to continuous dampness.
Furniture Blocks Airflow: Furniture like large wardrobes and beds pressed against walls can serve as hiding spots for damp air. Even if you open all the windows in the house, it’s possible to still have pockets of damp air hiding behind furniture. So if you want adequate ventilation after you open your windows, you must make sure that there’s enough room behind these furniture otherwise there won’t be space for stale air to move. Opening the window will only refresh the air at the center of the room while you’ll have to deal with stagnant air and dampness hiding in those places.
Outside Temperatures Is Very Low: When you open your room windows during colder months, cold air will definitely rush into the room. There’s one fact about cold air which is that it usually holds lesser moisture when compared to warm air, but the problem is that it also cools down the room and reduces indoor temperatures which can make relative humidity rise and end up increasing dampness. So opening windows during this season can make the room damp.
Windows Opened for Short Periods: As a homeowner, if you don’t have security threats or worries, it’s best to leave your windows open throughout the day. If you lock your window all day long and only open it in the evenings or at night, there won’t be enough time for the indoor air to fully exchange with the outdoor air so the overall change in air conditions may be very small. So you’ll think you open your windows for those short periods daily and expect enough ventilation, but what you’ll get is more dampness.
Cold Surfaces Continue to Attract Moisture: When your windows are open, there’s more ventilation inside the room but this does not change the temperature of surfaces like walls, ceilings, windows and floors. These surfaces usually remain cooler than the surrounding air. By the time warm air comes in contact with these colder surfaces condensation will form and moisture will gather there. Cool surfaces always have a way of encouraging dampness regardless of air circulation.
Windows Opened But Doors Closed: For your room to be properly ventilated, you might have to open the doors too. Sometimes, opening only the window is not enough especially if the room is large and has limited windows. In these situations, fresh air will actually enter from the window but because of the distance from the window, the air may not get to parts of the room, especially spaces closer to the door or furniture. So, if possible, open as many exit or entry points into the room so that air coming from the window can circulate well.
Why Bedrooms Feel Damp in the Morning
If you’re very observant, you must have noticed that dampness is usually most obvious in the morning and it occurs more in bedrooms than other rooms in a house even though the windows are left open throughout the night. So, why is this happening… Let’s look at some of the common reasons why bedrooms experience more dampness than other spaces in a house.
Limited Air Movement Overnight: Some homeowners shut their windows throughout the night for several reasons like privacy, security, insects and pests and even noise reduction. In this case, there’ll be less air circulation and humid air would be trapped inside the room until the windows are opened in the morning. But even when the windows are opened throughout the night, it’s still possible to experience dampness in a room because the doors are locked and the overall movement of air slows down at night.
Overnight Moisture From Breathing: As you sleep, the breathing process increases the amount of humid air inside your bedroom and it is believed to add almost half a pint of moisture to the air overnight. You may be wondering how this works, well, it’s simple. As you inhale air through your nostrils, your body starts working on the air immediately by heating it up and making it warm so as to protect sensitive tissues before the air reaches the lungs. This warm air has a high relative humidity when it is exhaled and every single exhalation releases moist air into the bedroom space. Even if the windows were open overnight, you’ll find out that your bedroom still feels warm or damp when you wake up in the morning.
Why Some Home Experience Dampness More Than Others
Do you know that it is possible for two houses in the same street to experience dampness in very different ways? If you talk to homeowners in a specific area, you might discover that some do not even know what it means to experience dampness while others are dealing with dampness every time. Before we look at the major reasons why some houses face dampness and others do not, it’s important to note that dampness in any house is usually as a result of how the building interacts with moisture and airflow. Some reasons for dampness are;
Modern Airtight Homes: When designing modern homes, many developers usually focus on how best they can make the house highly energy efficient. What do we mean by this? Modern homes are built with tightly sealed windows and thick insulations so that heat doesn’t escape when you turn on your HVAC system. Although this can be classified as a smart design because it helps homeowners to pay less energy bills, but it also has a disadvantage because moisture will have very few ways to leave the building by itself. On the flip side, modern airtight homes always need mechanical ventilation systems and this might reverse the initial savings on energy bills.
Meanwhile, in older homes, you’ll find out that there are small gaps around windows and doors that naturally allows for steady exchange of air between the indoor and outdoor environment.
Older Homes With Colder Surfaces: You’ll think that since modern airtight homes have a ventilation issue, then older homes should be the direct opposite. It’s not always so. Older homes can sometimes have poor insulation which doesn’t help with dampness issues. Poor insulation means that a change in external temperature will directly result in a change in the temperature of the exterior walls and windows, leading to a much colder wall or window surface when compared to the surrounding air. If warm indoor air comes in contact with these colder surfaces, it’ll make moisture gather easily on such a surface and the end result is dampness. A cold surface is a magnet for moisture.
Homes With Limited Ventilation: A house with limited ventilation will always experience dampness. Aside from windows, a well ventilated house should have other ventilation pathways. For instance, bathrooms and kitchens carry out heavy moisture spreading activities therefore it’s reasonable to have extractor fans installed as supplementary ventilation pathways. These fans help to channel moist air outside the house to prevent trapped moisture from forming dampness.
Practical Ways To Reduce Dampness Even When Windows Are Open
Some of the preventive measures you can take to reduce dampness and its impact in your home are:
Reduce Moisture At Source: Most of the moisture inside a house usually comes from daily activities like cooking and bathing. To reduce dampness, make sure that you install extractor fans in your kitchen/bathroom and turn on the fan long before you start cooking/bathing and then let it run for some time even after you’re done with cooking or bathing. These simple habits will go a long way in ensuring that warm or humid air doesn’t leave the kitchen/bathroom and travel to other parts of the house where they sit and form dampness.
While cooking or boiling water, it’s also a good idea to cover the pots so that all of the steam doesn’t escape and fill the space.
Use a Dehumidifier: In situations where opening the windows alone doesn’t remove enough moisture from the air, you can bank on a dehumidifier. This device is designed to extract moisture from the air and this moisture is collected in a tank or drainage system. Since a dehumidifier doesn’t rely on the ventilation from the windows it can be very useful for lowering humidity during cold months or humid seasons.
Improve Air Movement: There are so many ways you can improve movement of air within a house. One of the most popular ways is through cross ventilation. Another simple step is redesigning your house in a way that furniture like the wardrobe and beds have enough space between them and the nearest wall.
When Damp Air Could Signal A Bigger Problem
If your house experiences dampness once in a while then there might be no cause for alarm as this can be linked to humidity from normal daily activities like cooking/bathing or even seasonal weather conditions. But if your bedroom or other spaces in your house experience persistent dampness, then it is more than just humidity as there might be deeper issues within the house.
Mold: Whenever you see mold or dark patches in your house, just know that dampness has accumulated in the house for a very long time. Mold is usually formed on walls or ceilings and sometimes around windows and it grows when moisture is trapped in a particular area for long periods. If you see mold growing or spreading in your apartment, do not ignore it as it can cause problems like weakening the structural integrity of the house and even health issues like frequent sneezing, headache and the likes.
Peeling Paints: Another problem that can be caused by long term accumulation of damp air is peeling off of paints but if your walls are sealed with wallpapers, you’ll notice that the wallpapers will start bubbling.
Musty Smell: When a house smells musty every time and the smell doesn’t disappear after the windows are opened, then you can be certain that damp air or moisture is hiding somewhere within the walls or furniture in your house. Musty smell doesn’t always mean that there’s mold growth but if the smell is persistent or doesn’t reduce after proper ventilation then it could be a result of hidden mold growth.
Leaks: If there are leaks in the plumbing or a hole in the roof, it can allow moisture to build up slowly in certain parts of the house and if this is not discovered early enough, you’ll notice some of the signs we mentioned above like musty smell, bubbling wallpapers and even mold growth. So, your house can remain damp even when you open the windows because the moisture is not in the air but is coming from hidden leaks.
Whenever you notice any of these signs, you should act fast before the dampness issue develops into a more serious problem that’ll affect the entire house or the health of everyone staying in the house.
