Finding the right place to keep your humidifier in your house can be challenging especially if you want to ensure that the humidity released by the humidifier is spread throughout the room and that the humidifier is not placed somewhere that it can be easily dropped or knocked around.
You can put a humidifier on a wooden table as long as you ensure that the water reservoir of the humidifier is not leaking and that the cap of the water reservoir is well secured. You should also ensure that the wooden table is on a flat surface to prevent the humidifier from tipping over when someone bumps into the table.
Humidity can be both good and bad. Exposing your wooden table or furniture to excess humidity will rot the wooden surfaces. On the other hand, exposing wooden surfaces to dry air can lead to splitting and cracking of the wood.
Several considerations should be considered when placing a humidifier on a wooden table. To learn about common concerns linked to placing your humidifier on wooden tables or surfaces, continue reading this post.
In this post, we will cover the following subtopics:
- Will a humidifier damage wood?
- How humidity ruins wood furniture plus solutions
- Can you put humidifier on wooden table?
- Where should you not put a humidifier?
- Should I put a humidifier on the floor or table?
Will a Humidifier Damage Wood?
Some of the instances where a humidifier can damage your wooden table or wooden surfaces include:
Slanted, Uneven, or Rickety Wooden Table
If you place a humidifier on a rickety wooden surface, the water in the humidifier can easily spill when the table is moved or if someone or something knocks over the table.
Placing anything on a rickety table or wooden surface increases the risks of accidental falls or spills depending on what has been placed on the table.
It is safer to ensure that your table is placed on a flat flooring surface that is not slanted or uneven to reduce the risks of accidental water spills when you are using your humidifier.
Overfilled Water Tank
Overfilling the water tank in your humidifier will only increase the likelihood of water spills, especially if you fill the water reservoir while the humidifier is on a wooden table.
To avoid overfilling your water reservoir, ensure that you check the water level mark inside the water reservoir to avoid overfilling the humidifier.
Additionally, you should ensure that you wipe down the humidifier after refilling the water tank. This will remove any excess droplets of water that might have trickled down your humidifier while you were refilling the reservoir.
Leaking Humidifier
If your humidifier is leaking, there is a high likelihood that either the water reservoir has a crack, the humidifier is damaged, or the water reservoir has been overfilled.
Aside from that, your humidifier might leak if the knob or lid used to secure the water reservoir is not tightly secured.
Fix any problems leaking to water leakages to ensure that your humidifier will not continue leaking on your wooden surfaces.
If your humidifier is leaking and you are unsure about the source of the water leak, consider checking out the post recommended below to learn more about why your humidifier might be leaking and approaches that you can use to resolve the problem.
Recommended Read: Why is my Humidifier Leaking?
How Humidity Ruins Wood Furniture Plus Solutions
Stains and Discolorations
Excess humidity can discolor your furniture or stain them, particularly if they are exposed to humidity for a long time. The water stain often darkens the original color of the wooden furniture, especially if the furniture is made with light-colored wood.
The stains and discoloration occur when the finish used on the wood reacts with the water. Additionally, the mineral compounds or salts present in the water can also damage your wooden surfaces. As the water evaporates, the mineral deposits are left behind and accumulate on the wooden surface.
If you have a painted wooden table, exposing the table to excess humidity can damage the paint. You might notice chipped paint on the areas damaged by water.
If you have been using a leaking humidifier for a long time over a painted wooden table, the paint might start to chip off as the water seeps into the wood. Note that, you will only notice this kind of damage only on the specific area where the humidifier is placed.
Mold Growth
Mold can easily grow on wooden surfaces that have been exposed to water for prolonged periods. Since tables are organic, they provide a suitable surface for the growth of mold, especially in the presence of water and room temperature.
When using your humidifier, ensure that you dry the lower part of the humidifier with a dry cloth or towel to ensure that any droplets of water that might have trickled down the water reservoir, will not seep into your wooden table.
Alteration of Shape and Wooden Texture
Exposure to water or excess humidity can cause wooden furniture or surfaces to warp or become soggy over time. You might start noticing uneven areas, chipped sections or tented areas on the wooden surface.
Note that, wooden surfaces and furniture will only be damaged by humidity if they are exposed to excess humidity. Limited exposure to humidity will not affect your wooden furniture and could prolong the longevity of the wooden furniture since dry air can promote cracking and chipping of wooden furniture.
Can you Put Humidifier on Wooden Table?
Yes, you can put a humidifier on a wooden table. A humidifier will not damage your wooden table as long as you avoid water spills.
Think of a humidifier as a bowl of water placed on a wooden table. If the bowl is overfilled or someone bumps on the table, some of the water in the bowl will spill on the table. If the water is not dried immediately, it will slowly seep into the wood and damage the wood.
Similarly, if a humidifier is overfilled with water or droplets of water on the humidifier are not dried, the water will slowly seep into the wooden table and damage the table over time.
As such, you should always ensure that you dry any water spills immediately after they occur or after you have refilled the water reservoir.
Additionally, if you have wooden walls, you should ensure that you do not place the humidifier close to the wall or direct the humidifier’s nozzle towards the wall as the mist released by the humidifier will be deposited on the wall.
This can cause mold growth and damage the wall over time because of exposure to excess humidity.
Where Should You NOT Put a Humidifier?
High Traffic Area
You can place your humidifier on a wooden table or any other flat stable surface in your home that has limited traffic. If you place a humidifier in an area with high foot traffic, people can easily kick or knock down the humidifier while passing.
Placing your humidifier in an area with high traffic will also increase the risk of water spills when someone kicks or bumps into the humidifier.
Low Surfaces like Flooring
It is also advisable to place a humidifier on a raised surface like a table, drawer, or cabinet to ensure that the humidity released by the humidifier is easily spread throughout the room.
Additionally, placing the humidifier on a low surface will reduce the likelihood of damage because if you have children or pets in your home, they will not easily access the humidifier and damage it.
Near Walls or Wooden Doors
Aside from that, ensure that you place your humidifier in a central place in your room, especially if you have wooden walls, as they can easily get damaged when exposed to excess humidity continuously.
Placing the humidifier near walls or wooden doors increases the risks of mold growth in your home.
Should I Put a Humidifier on The Floor or Table?
When considering between your floor and your table, you will benefit more from placing the humidifier on your table.
Here is a simple table that can help you understand why placing your humidifier on the table is better than placing it on the floor.
| Table | Floor |
| Low likelihood of moisture damage | Humidity can easily damage your flooring because it is easier to bump into something on the floor than on the table |
| Better humidity circulation | Poor humidity circulation in the room |
| Easier to pull it closer to you when you want to feel the mist of your face/skin | Harder to reach when you want to feel the direct effects of the humidity on your skin |
| Aesthetically appealing | Not aesthetically appealing |
Conclusion
So will a humidifier damage your wooden table? Not necessarily. A humidifier will only damage your wooden tables or surfaces if the humidifier is leaking, has been overfilled with water, or if the humidifier has been placed on a slanted wooden surface.
A leaking humidifier or any water spill from other sources will place your wooden surfaces at risk of water damage.
You can place your humidifier on your wooden table as long as you ensure that you have not overfilled the water reservoir and that the humidifier is placed flat on the table.
In general, as long as your humidifier is not leaking, you can place the humidifier on a wooden table or surface without worrying about water damage.
