Do you ever wonder if the humidity and moisture in your home damaging your health or your children's health? Growing up in the South Island I had never really experienced humidity like in Auckland. It wasn't until I moved in there in 2011 that I discovered how unhealthy some of the homes are.

Flatting in Auckland

My first Auckland Flat in my early 20's in the suburb of Mt Albert, it was an art-deco flat really not built for the environment in fact so much so that mould grew on the walls after I had been living there for a few months. And I later discovered had even started to grow on my shoes . I found I was always sick, my family would tell me I smelt musty and moldy when I visited them on holidays. 

Dampness, Mold and Asthma

I decided to move out and find something newer in Sandringham, this was a 90's townhouse, which felt (and smelt) much better than its predecessor. But after a just a few weeks of living in that house, I started to experience difficulty breathing, especially at night and my asthma which has not really been a problem since I was a child, came back and I was taking my inhaler several times a day.

Toxic Mold

After several weeks of rain, my flatmate discovered a leak in her room. The landlord send someone to fix it, and after moisture testing our rooms they asked us if we had been getting recurring respiratory issues or difficulty breathing. To which I responded "YES! Is that why I can't breathe?". They informed us that it was toxic mold and we could no longer sleep in these rooms and we would have to move our stuff our immediately. 

What is Hidden behind the walls

And this was a house that did not look damp in comparison to its predecessor. This is why it is so important to measure the humidity of your home. Cameron (the Watchdoctor) had a similar experience with this Grandson after the Christchurch Earthquakes Which you can read about here... after the house developed cracks allowing moisture to leak.

How can you optimise the humidity in your home.

First things first you want to know how bad the humidity and moisture levels are in your home. Things like showering, cooking and even boiling the jug can add to the level of steam and water in your home. You want to measure the humidity in your house so you know when to open windows, or turn the dehumidifier on. This can be done with a tool called a hygrometer. You can also find a hygrometer, along with a thermometer (for temperature) and a barometer (to detect changes in weather patterns) on a weather station.

What level of Humidity is healthy in my home

To support a healthy living environment you want the humidity of the room to be between 35% - 65% humidity. If it is to humid you start to see tell tail signs like condensation, mold spores growing on the walls (very common up in Auckland), most bugs, and asthma. If it is not humid enough this can cause dry nose, throat and skin.

If you are keen to know the level of humidity in your home, or you are worried about the health of a loved one living up in Auckland Browse our range of Weather Stationsand Hygrometers. They make excellent wedding presents, house warming gifts, corporate gifts and are perfect for that person who already has everything that is impossible to shop for.