When we moved into our house 4 years ago, the inspector told us that because of the way it was constructed and vented, we should always expect to have high humidity levels in our hours. No worries, we thought. That was something that doesn’t bother us as much. However, this summer it’s been getting almost unbearable. It has rained sooo much this summer – we’re on track for having one of the wettest years on record. Needless to say, we’re feeling the effects of that in the humidity level in our house.

So, I started researching dehumidifiers. I tried to get one off Craigslist but was unsuccessful. There just weren’t many listed, and the ones I did contact never got back to me. I price-shopped online and went to several discount appliance stores only to find they weren’t in stock, and finally just ended up getting it at Home Depot. I went with a 50-pint size, which seemed to be the best size for our room. (I found this article really helpful for figuring out what size was best.) We got it Saturday night and set it up in the den. When we woke up Sunday morning (about 11 hours later), the unit had automatically shut off because the tray was full of water. It ran all day and shut off about 12 hours later. Wow! It has run continuously for almost 3 days now and I’m already noticing a difference. The thermometer up in the dining room says the interior humidity level is around 40%. (Normally it’s around 60%.) Our house feels so dry, but not uncomfortably so. I just didn’t realize how humid it was.

The den especially feels more comfortable. That room has so much potential but looking back I’ve realized that the humidity in the room was really affecting how much time I wanted to spend there. I’m glad it’s becoming a nicer place, because I have been busy fixing it up! I’m almost done – just need to finish organizing the toys, and I’ll be sure to post some pictures.