Condensation / Discussions

Hi we have a new home with a finished basement, last year I noticed condensation on the concrete behind the vapor barrier and insulation while doing a project.  I had never noticed any issue prior, no water on the floor and no smells.  It was by accident that I noticed it.  It is in a corner of our house and after open...

Has hydronic radiant cooling advanced enough to be a viable, cost effective option for an average 2300 sq ft residential house? Hydronic radiant cooling can be done, but we would strongly advise against doing it in a humid climate. So we're not the ones to check in on about pricing since we aren't advocates of it as a ...

I currently have two skylights installed by previous owners (probably many years ago), one in a stairwell, and one in a bathroom. The bathroom one is definitely dripping with consensation post-shower, and the stairwell one is also showing condensation damage with paint bubbling up around it. And they let in a lot of he...

...condensation and a little bit of mold in between the bat and the polyiso. Did I do something wrong here? The humidity in my basement is 45%.

...condensation on windows, is that there can be a number of causes. 40% RH isn’t unusual, and at -30C its not a surprise you’re seeing condensation form. Your HRV is not likely the problem I don’t think, it’s bringing in whatever air is outside. What climate zone are you in? I some regions there can still be quite a bit ...

...condensation from the cold air. What can we do...help!

I finished a basement for a contractor and what we did was put tar paper on the concrete walls the left about 3/4 to an inch of air space than a 2x4 wall I think 16 on centre and used pink fibreglass insulation with vapour barrier break under the bottom plate and over the insulation on the interior warm side and then d...

...condensation under your vapor barrier can be a little disconcerting to look at sometimes and it may seem like something is wrong, but that’s only because it’s see-through! if you had an opaque vapor barrier and you couldn’t see it you may be a bit more comfortable about it I imagine :-)  While it is working, if there i...

...Condensation forms when humid air meets a cold surface, so if there is condensation on a ceiling then there be either thermal bridging - a lack of insulation. Or, if there is a reasonable amount of insulation then it may be that the air in your home may have high relative humidity. This page about condensation will pro...

...condensation/moisture that would be potentially trapped in there by a barrier would cycle on its own. Water vapor, condensation, evaporation - and 55% is above what I would hope to have wood framing at for extended periods.  

...condensation issue?  If I install 1” or 2” foam insulation board sliding them in behind the studs and directly to the concrete wall will this stop the condensation or will it just build up on the inside of the foam board and still be a problem? Hoping to just be able to apply foam to regulate the concrete temps and pre...

...condensation on our windows just a part of living in Michigan in winter?  Condensation on double-glazed windows in cold climates is fairly common unfortunately. Despite being common it can be a problem, particularly in extreme cases, which yours seems to be. First I would point you to a page we have that should give yo...

...condensation issue, so is this contractor about to finish your walls (and is anticipating failure) or is this a solution that the contractor is proposing for an existing wall with condensation issues? A floor drain will in no way prevent mold due to condensation inside walls, the only way to do that would be strip the ...

We had a water leak in our basement earlier this year and when the contractors started pulling off damaged drywall we were disgusted to find that our basement wall framing was rotten in multiple areas and the insulation was full of mold behind the vapor barrier. The scariest part is that our house was only built in 200...

...condensation again. Please help me figure out what is causing this and how to fix it! Thank you Condensation in the home is bad news for sure, but for the moment you have two subjects here. One is the condensation issues, the second is the roof ventilation and moisture issues – and they may or may not be linked. So in ...

...Condensation forms when humid air comes in contact with cold surfaces. So you will get more condensation with double-pane than triple pane, and more when the air in the home has a higher relative humidity (RH). To understand all about condensation on windows, and how to prevent & cure it - see here.  But to answer ...

I have a newly built home (3 years) that is extremely well-insulated and airtight house that had a blower door with results near 1 ACH. I am thrilled with it in every way except that on the coldest days and nights my door lock freezes and I can’t get in and out of the house. My contractor says he followed every procedu...