Sydney's climate offers warm summers and wet winters, which combine to make homeowners fight a never-ending war against moisture in their properties. The reason? The weather simply provides too much of it�too much for traditional constructions, that is. In this article, we'll spell out just what I mean and offer some practical advice on how Sydney property owners can go about preventing or at least mitigating these kinds of problems in different parts of the year.
Summer: Prepare for Humidity
Sydney in the summer is muggy. The moisture just lingers in the air, seeping into your home and making the humidity inside seem almost suffocating. It's a great time to have a dehumidifier running -- especially if you're also dealing with mold or mildew problems (a common issue in damp climates). But what else can you do to keep your house feeling dry? Follow these tips.
Ensure your home has proper ventilation. You can achieve this by using exhaust fans in the kitchen and bathroom, keeping windows open when weather permits, or even installing a dehumidifier in damp areas like basements. The latter is especially important if you live in an area where the climate is generally humid or near a body of water.
Proper ventilation might not be the first thing that comes to mind when thinking about how to keep your house dry during certain months of the year, but it's really quite critical. Consider the AC unit as its own mini-environment within your home. If it's not properly installed, maintained, and/or serviced�that is, if it's not doing its job�then you're essentially running a warm swamp inside your house during summer. Even if you follow all these other suggestions and still end up with too much moisture inside your home, there's one more option: You can hire someone to Come In And Dry Out Your Home At Night After A Heavy Rainfall (emphasis mine).
Autumn brings more rainfall
Autumn brings more rainfall, which can make dampness much worse for homes. Poorly constructed homes are at risk and will suffer most from excessive moisture. However, even well-built houses can experience issues with too much water sitting around the foundation or working its way up into the walls.
Preventing these kinds of problems requires good habits during all seasons but especially in fall when a wet climate is more likely to persist for an extended period.
Besides allowing rain to run freely off your roof and down gutters into the ground (or storm drains), the home can take steps in fall to prepare against an overly wet winter. Among them: inspecting their roofs and walls for possible problem spots that need fixing well before the "wet season" conditions arrive; clearing leaves and other debris from gutters so they function as intended; checking drainage systems to be certain they aren't clogged and are directing water where it's supposed to go (away from the house or toward a storm drain if that's how your home was built).
Winter: Combat Condensation
When it�s winter in Sydney, the indoor temperatures are often cooler, thanks to the warmth of summer being a distant memory. Condensation can be more likely to form inside homes during this season because of the big temperature gap between indoors and outdoors. However, there are plenty of ways to combat that.
One is simply to look at how you�ve put your home together � how well it�s insulated, where its vulnerabilities are, and so on. Another is by using devices (like exhaust fans) and systems that manipulate airflow and/or manage humidity levels inside your home. Finally, if all else fails or seems too complicated, you could just move closer to the equator.
Spring: Prepare for Transition
Transitioning into the spring season typically brings uncomfortably warm temperatures, nonetheless, it remains an ideal time to do some maintenance and prepare the home for what's to come. Fluctuating temperatures and humidity in the season, however, can make dampness develop around your home that you need to look out for and correct straight away. During this time, it is also extremely cost-effective as well as climate-friendly compared to replacement. Part of being a homeowner includes getting too close to how mold grows inside homes because most places have excessive moisture issues during late winter and early spring when homes are least expected to be damp.