Causes of dry air in home – poor insulation

The less your home is insulated against the cold, the more likely dry air is going to seep into your home’s atmosphere. That could be poor seals around doors and windows, cavity walls, roof, or loft insulation, and even cracks in brickwork. Essentially, cold, dry air is going to try find any gaps or holes it can to get into your home!

Cause of dry air from heater

You might think that increasing the temperature would help when the air’s too dry in a home. After all, it’s cold air that causes moisture to be removed. However, when we blast the central heating, we aren’t adding any moist heat, we’re just making any moisture that’s left dissipate even further. Outside air has a chance to hold onto a little moisture from moist trees, ground and grass. However, in the home, there’s not much moisture for air to cling too.

The symptoms of dry air

When we think about the symptoms of dry air we can be split it into two categories: your house showing signs of issues, and the health implications for the inhabitants.

Starting with your home’s symptoms, the following signs could indicate dry air:

Damage to wooden furniture. Dry air can potentially cause cracks in chairs, tables, and other wooden furniture.
Damage to walls. You might see cracks in wallpaper, paint and plaster, as walls start to dry out.
Warped wooden floors. Whether it’s purely from the cold, or the dry air from heater is also exacerbating the situation, wooden floors can warp and even separate when air is too dry.
Warped window and doorframes. Again, dry air can cause wooden frames to shrink and warp.

Now onto people’s physical symptoms that can result from dry air:

Dry, itchy skin
Chapped lips
Dry hair
Respiratory problems
Dry air cough
Headaches
Sinus problems – congestion, allergies and sneezing
Irritated eyes

Symptoms like sneezing and a dry air cough can also increase the chances of viruses spreading.

Dry Air at Home Causes | Symptoms of Dry Air | Philips Home