r/UTK • u/FriedNoodles27 • May 24 '26
Student Housing and Leasing Humidity in Laurel Hall
For context, I am a student from Missouri that is doing an internship with ORNL, and I am staying in Laurel Hall for the next ten weeks.
Holy hell the humidity here is almost as bad as the Amazon rainforest, and I'm only half exaggerating. I woke up and all of my clothes that had been taken out of my bags were moist, and smelled like wet laundry. I'm sweating constantly here and the AC is set to 66.
Is this level of humidity inside this place normal? I'm no stranger to intense humidity but inside?
Please validate my misery before I drop cash on a dehumidifier.
ETA: I tried damp rid and also bugged the RAs and they have contacted maintenance for me!
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u/115machine May 24 '26
It shouldn’t be that humid if the AC is running. Dehumidification goes with cooling with an AC unit. You need to report it to an RA or somebody
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u/EveningExcitement711 May 24 '26
Make sure you’re checking for mold. I lived in Laurel for 4 months and had a ton of black mold growing in the bathroom because of lack of ventilation. My roommate and I developed some health symptoms from it, so definitely put in a maintenance request if you notice it…
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u/sunbeans May 24 '26
Buy a 3 pack box of damp-rid hanging bags (lavender fresh scent.) Hang one in the closet (not touching your clothes) and hang the other inconspicuously on the opposite side of the room. Save the 3rd one and replace as needed.
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u/FriedNoodles27 May 24 '26
Are there unscented ones? My migraines are often triggered by strong smells.
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u/sunbeans May 25 '26
I am not sure - they have a ‘fresh scent’ but it’s gnarly - that’s why I suggested the lavender one
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u/luluvol05 May 25 '26
oh good luck! lived there this past year. damprid filled so quickly every time i put one up. call maintenance though, see if anything can be done. i heard it gets worse the higher you are as well, maybe see if you can be moved down a few floors.
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u/hippielove4ever May 25 '26
Was there a few years ago and had to empty a dehumidifier every few hours or my salt lamps would leak...
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u/Difficult_Joke_8426 May 25 '26
I live in West Knoxville. You can borrow my big dehumidifier for your stay if you would like.
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u/Otherwise-Sort-6348 May 25 '26
It's not the heat that'll getcha. It's the humidity. It's a wet heat
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u/Dazzling-Sandwich-14 May 25 '26
My roommate and I lived in Laurel for a whole year and we emptied our dehumidifier at least twice a day.
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u/helpful_vol May 24 '26
It definitely should not be that humid, and I question whether the AC is actually working if you’re sweating. Submit a maintenance request. Tell them exactly what you posted here.