It is certain that as rainy season arrives, such moistened air can indeed make a home feel cool. If you go into detail about cool air, and its ability to hold on to moisture and then add heat from a furnace, such moisture then is more intense. Warm air holds more water. Sometimes where rooms are situated, how air is allowed to pass through and around, can affect a room if there is a direct route to an outside door. A burning fireplace draws air from the room its in, and will draw air from surrounding rooms. This often can cause cold air at the bottom ..at floor level, to feel cool on legs and feet. The fire must have air and will steal it from wherever it can. This is why some fires it is prescribed to open a window a crack. Houseplants, if they number many, can put some effect into a room with the moisture they contain....but really, they'd have to be in numbers to make such difference. I cant believe a couple, even a few, could make such a difference you'd feel it. Mind you, its a way to give moisture to a plant by giving it company of others. Where air vents supply heat to a room and another room is in direct course to the vent, I think it can affect the two rooms. Plants put in direct path of such air, will definitely feel the effect and depending on how close, can be adversely affected. In that regard, just raising the plant by placing on a table, or pedestal or hanging up, will prevent any harm. Where it feels cool, put on a sweater and think of others experiencing deep freezes and snow....lots of snow. But today, it got up into the fifties...people are out in shorts can you believe.

Fifteen plants would not moisturize your home as you describe. True, as you water the plants, such moisture might end up in the air at times, but I cant believe you water all your plants at the same time. If you do....you are not watering them according to their needs. Kitchen cooking often will put moisture into the air...that's normal and heat from an oven will put higher heat into that room that might make you feel uncomfortable...for a short time. Same with a shower.....but the bathroom should have a fan to remove such heavy moisture otherwise your mirrors would be fogged up constantly. A good way to avoid that....when it happens, is to wipe down the mirror with the shaving soap your hubby uses. Wipe on, let dry, wipe off. Take all the showers you want....no more fog....until the effects of the soap wears off. As you begin to take the shower, crack open a window. That will remove the extra moisture from the hot water. You have an attic...where hopefully some insulation has been put in. Generally, blown in insulation (paper)is easily done. If not that, then be sure to insulate with any of the usual materials...battens included. If you don't have insulation----have it done by an insulation expert. Blown in insulation is not expensive at all....but consult and get estimates. Air in that space must be allowed to vacate otherwise moisture and cold is a constant guest. Insulate your basement up to the frost line. That can add degrees of warmth upstairs. Insulate your basement ceiling and your cold water pipes. The changing of the windows can help but can also be expensive. Installing new windows is a decision based on having the funds to do it.....then call up and get estimates. There are many grades of glass and what they can do for you. Carpet your floors. You'd be surprised at how much cosier a floor can be when carpet is put down. Crack a window open to relieve heavy moisture which should be in the range of 30 - 50. Do you have a fireplace. Crack open the flue. That will relieve somewhat any build-up in the room. Cold drafts are caused by having a burning fire in the fireplace. The fire is drawing cold air at the bottom...along the floors, and can, if the draw is good, draw air from an adjoining room or rooms. Crack open a window when starting a fire in a firelace. Be sure your fireplace chimney is well open when having a fire. Have your brick walls re-pointed if they show signs of needing, if the mortar is falling out or otherwise looks damaged. Keep your drapes and curtains open so that sunshine can enter. Sunlight can cause damage to furniture so take that into account. A dehumidifier can do wonders in the basement. Put one in that you can dial the amount of moisuter you want removed. If possible, put the unit over a drain and let the dehumidifier run constantly....such removal of water then goes directly to the drain. Otherwise, run a tube to the drain. Put a timer on the de-humidifier so that you don't have to get up in the middle of the night to MT the container. (it'll shut off in any case when the container fills too much)

Thank all for the helpful advise. Martin, Thank you for confirming that my fig tree yellow leaves issue is not heat related, which allow me to narrow down to possible individual tree caring problem. It looks like that you are living in the same area as I do, I remember you have helped me in the past thread on how to winterize the trees. What type of mulch works the best according to your own experience? Frank, I will add some lime into the soil next spring, Thanks for remind me of this. In zone5, fig is not popular grown in ground. There are same people grow fig in the pots but still is not very popular plant except few people like members in this forum who really like to grow figs. John, Vinnie, Thanks for confirming the growing enviroment of the fig trees. You both are right. Hardy Chicago originally came from sicily Italy where is an island, growing climate should be very humid. It naturally should be able to take moist air without developing disease. I am looking into the overwater issue and on the caution side, spayed the fungicide which I try to use as seldom as possible. Currently, it appears the problem has stopped developing after few yellowed leave fell off. foolishpleasure, Thank you for the Spectracide info. I do have a small vegetable garden and occasionally have blosom rot on those large heirloom tomatoes.

I think the answer to your question is airflow or lack thereof. Think about the last time you were in a "big" greenhouse, notice the "big" fans along one end? Keep the air moving and you'll definitely control moisture issues. Are you willing to put a humidistat in to turn a fan on and off? I know a lot of folks who have purchased small greenhouses, set them up, planted things and did not have any automatic provision to vent heat or moisture. The cost of the greenhouse and labor to erect were wasted. Useful in the fall perhaps to extend growing season. I would suggest going with netting, three 4X4 areas wouldn't be that expensive or difficult to protect. Additional benefit would be some protection from sun scald, etc. also watering and observation would be easy.