Protect Your Investment: The Importance of Properly Humidifying Your Home

With winter still here and spring feeling like it is still months away, the topic of in-home humidity has been one that has surfaced around the office a lot.

You’re likely to feel the lack of humidity in your home in a variety of ways, including such physical discomforts as:

• dry itchy skin
• cracked lips
• dry sinuses
• bloody nose

Not to mention, the static electricity in a home with low humidity makes the thought of a handshake or a hug to a loved one a shocking experience!

You may even notice that there has been some shrinking in the wood products throughout your home. Perhaps your hardwood floors have larger gaps between the boards, or your picture frames seem to have cracks along the seam. Even worse, your cabinetry could be showing signs of cracking. All of these things could be caused simply by a lack of humidity in your home. 

Often when we think of home humidifiers, we think of the bedside table kind, blowing mist into the room. But there are more options; the best being a whole-home humidifier that you install on your furnace.

Ideally, the level of humidity in your home should range between 35 to 45%. Having the right level of humidity can mean feeling better, having less itchy skin, and extending the life of your wood products, as well as your artwork, paperwork and electronics.

Ensuring your home remains at the optimal humidity levels protects your health, and your investment in your home.

Beyond the Wine Rack -- How Sub-Zero Protects Your Wine and Enhances Your Experience

While most of the wine we purchase is consumed within 24 hours, fine wines are often set aside for special occasions. One of the few things that actually improve with age, wine is capable of having its quality deteriorate rapidly if stored improperly. Inadequate lighting, temperature and humidity are just three ways consumers ruin a treasured bottle of wine.



Sub-Zero wine storage unit employs a suite of technologies to protect wine from its enemies:

Light: A full spectrum of protection  Dark bottles afford some protection for the wine inside, but invisible ultraviolet light still gets through. One answer is to store your wine in utter darkness — but how satisfying is that? Sub-Zero shields wine from harmful rays with UV-resistant, bronze-tinted glass. Your wine will be both beautifully protected and gloriously displayed. 

Heat: Doubly worth defeating  Most wine drinkers believe they protect their bottles from heat by storing within their home or refrigerator. However, even wine stored inside these places can suffer from temperature swings —for example if the sun shines on a wine rack for part of each day. The wine may continuously warm up and cool down, spoiling your wine in the process. Temperature can also be the enemy of the enjoyment of wine. You might be surprised what "too high" means when it comes to serving temperature. Today’s normal room temperature of 70-plus degrees is too warm for reds. Only at cooler serving temperatures, typically in the low to mid 60s, will the flavor of red wine be balanced. 

Humidity: Neither too little nor too much  When it comes to humidity, wine appreciates moderation. To keep corks from drying out and letting the wine oxidize, Sub-Zero technology ensures sufficient moisture in the air. But not too much. As one professional points out, an excess of humidity can create problems of its own. 

Vibration: Bottles need to be babied  A rough, noisy compressor would disturb not only the wine; it would disturb the peace of your household. Sub-Zero’s exceptionally quiet compressor rests on isolation mounts to minimize sound and vibration. Bottles are cradled on rustproof, coated shelves that glide out smoothly on a roller assembly, further protecting against agitation.

Sub-Zero’s six wine-storage products offer limitless design options. Classic stainless or with any custom cabinetry you desire. Undercounter, freestanding, all wine or with refrigerated storage drawers. Storage capacities range from 26 to 147 bottles.

To learn more about incorporating Sub-Zero technology into your new kitchen design, drop by the Monarch Kitchen & Bath Centre showroom or call 905-686-2001 and speak with a member of our design team.

Images courtesy of subzero-wolf.com