The Rainforest of Western North Carolina

   Although the weather here in July hovers around high 70's during the day; the evening offers sweet, crisp cooler temperatures. The kind that draws two people together to snuggle on the swing. We have also noticed that there aren't mosquitos eating you alive. A big plus for a person that loves the outdoors and can Glamcamp every day in the Summer. Based on posted data on Sperling's Best Places, Foscoe gets 55 inches of rain per year. It seems that 54 inches fall in the summer. 

     As we get to know how living is like inside the walls of our house, we are more aware of humidity levels that are not conducive to healthy living. Is it maybe because my hair looks as if I teased it for days- a good natural indicator of moisture in the air. My nose is also a backup human humidistat. Any evidence of mold in the air, my nose sings the unsung melody.

     Every adventure in life comes with obstacles. Our first on This Side of Paris is a big one. The humidity level reached the 70% safe zone inside the house and a concerning 95% in the crawlspace.  We must mediate this problem before we begin removing the fifty shades of brown that cover the walls, the floors, the cabinets, and doors. We need Google and Alexa to the rescue. 

     We invested in humidistats - a standard with digital reading for the main living space and one remote access for the crawl space. We placed a Frigidaire 3-Speed dehumidifier in the main house and a heavy duty Thermastor Santa Fe Compact 2 Dehumidifier in the crawl space.  Since this house is a diamond in the rough, we wanted to rid of any possible mold spores in the air and in the HVAC ducts. We purchased an Ozonator.  At first, my husband said it is a bit much with the Ozonator. But I tell you, the thing gets the air in your house hospital clean.

     With all the research done on humidity control, we know the best products on the market and the best looking. It must pass the form and function design test!  

     One great thing about the land around the property is the abundance of ferns growing. From climbers to scrub like, the ferns' varied shades of green blankets the natural areas beautifully. We have heard that ferns are natural dehumidifiers when placed inside the house. I can't tell for sure if this is true. However, they make wonderful table accents.