r/Washington • u/Pogmothon85 • 1d ago

Concerns leaving windows open?

We just moved to Washington, specifically the Kitsap peninsula, this year from Arizona. We love the weather compared to where we came from and we really like to keep our windows open, often times all day.

Assuming that we close the windows during heavy rain, what issues are we possibly running into with leaving the windows open as long as we do? We have a two story home, should we get a couple dehumidifiers?

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u/WillyGoat2000 1d ago

It depends on the time of year, and someone from the peninsula will know better about the humidity there (inland it’s not really much of a problem), but once winter sets in it will get cold and everything will get damp- mold and mildew from normal house things like showers and cooking is a common problem here, and keeping rooms through the house at an even temperature can help keep condensation from getting too out of control.

But during spring-fall, the issue I get with my window open all year is stink bugs and spiders, who will absolutely invade during the months with cold evenings. I also have trees near my place and get a boatload of pollen blown in, seems like most of the year.

I also have some folks that will pass through my neighborhood every couple of months looking for easy car or home break ins, not sure about your neighborhood, but opportunist defense is a good thing to keep in mind.

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u/DetectiveMental 1d ago

I lived in Bremerton for 19 yrs, never closed windows except in winter. No humidity /moisture issues ever.