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Indoor humidity of dwellings in a northern climate.

Author(s) : PSOMAS T., TELI D., LANGER S., WARGOCKI P.

Type of article: Periodical article

Summary

Dry air in buildings is prevalent in the Scandinavian countries, including Sweden, throughout the winter (heating season). Contrary to other types of buildings such as museums, residential buildings do not require indoor humidity assessment and control. Nonetheless, relative humidity analysis is performed in northern climates, primarily to prevent moisture damage (e.g., in the crawl spaces and attics). Moisture damage is the primary source of building structural deterioration, but also cause “poor” indoor environmental quality, such as perception of “dampness”, especially in high-occupancy spaces. The level of humidity inside a dwelling can be consequently considered as a critical quality component that affects satisfaction, health, stress level, learning and sleep quality.
The present paper describes a study aiming to: a) correlate relative humidity levels with the characteristics of residential buildings and occupancy; and b) associate low relative humidity levels with health symptoms and complaints. Both aims are achieved by analyzing a comprehensive and broad dataset from a national survey performed in Sweden.

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