Building leaks & moisture problem diagnosis & cure:

This article series discusses how to inspect, diagnose problems in, and install or repair building insulation & ventilation systems including heat loss, moisture, & interior stains. Here we provide a complete list of articles describing how to find and fix various causes of water leaks or high moisture problems in buildings.

We discuss: : causes & cures. How to identify causes of high indoor moisture. How to eliminate sources of un-wanted moisture & condensation indoors. Recommendations for use of dehumidifiers. Insulation & Heat Loss Inspection Guide; Insulation R-values, Types, & other characteristics. Attic, basement, & crawl space condensation - mold problems, mold solutions. Ventilation of building attics, crawl spaces, & other areas.

Guide to Sources of Building Leaks & Moisture Problems: causes & cures

Our page top photo shows that a leaky building foundation can form a major source of indoor building moisture problems.

The building dampness & moisture control and moisture-related building and indoor environmental contamination articles listed here explain the sources of unwanted building moisture or high humidity as well as the effect of high indoor moisture levels on indoor air quality and on buildings, such as indoor air quality and mold contamination.

Insulation, Ventilation, & Moisture Control, Diagnosis, & Repair Articles

• ARTICLE INDEX to BUILDING MOISTURE - complete index to information on building moisture and moisture-related problems
• ATTIC CONDENSATION CAUSE & CURE - proper insulation, vapor barrier placement, and ventilation can avoid attic moisture, condensation, frost, water damage, mold
  
  Also see HOW TO DETECT AND CORRECT ATTIC CONDENSATION & PREVENT ICE DAM LEAKS IN BUILDINGS
• BRICK "INSULATION" IN BUILDING WALLS how inspect, report, and repair this material. Why do we find condensation on brick-lined walls?
• DAMPNESS IN BUILDINGS - additional recommended texts provided at the end of this page.
• DEHUMIDIFICATION BASICS - understand how moisture is carried in air and how it is removed
• DEHUMIDIFICATION PROBLEMS - solve common problems with high indoor humidity
• DEW POINT TABLE - CONDENSATION POINT GUIDE - how to find the dew point in building cavities & on surfaces
• DEW POINT CALCULATION for WALLS - how much insulation is enough and where will moisture condense out of air in building cavities

• FLAT ROOF MOISTURE & CONDENSATION - how to design a flat roof to avoid moisture, condensation, and related mold and rot problems
• FOAM INSULATION SPRAY PRODUCT GUIDE If you are having trouble determining what type of foam insulation product has been installed in a building,
  
  see HOW TO MAKE A SURE DISTINCTION AMONG UFFI, ICYNENE, AND LATEX FOAM INSULATIONS for detailed on the identification of these products in the field. Spraying foam insulation may relase a lot of moisture during curing.
  
  The response of various building insulation products to leaks or high interior moisture varies depending on the insulating material.
• HEAT LOSS CALCULATIONS, Insulation Properties, Definitions of R, K, U values, Insulation Design
• HOW TO CHOOSE AN AIR CONDITIONER - BTU Chart useful when buying or replacing an air conditioner, this chart helps select the proper sized air conditioning unit - improperly sized A/C means inadequate dehumidification or moisture removal in buildings.
• HOW TO INSPECT BUILDING INTERIORS AND BUILDING INSULATION/VENTILATION list of articles about building insulation inspection, defects, design, and ventilation requirements
• INDOOR AIR QUALITY IMPROVEMENT GUIDE - home
• INSULATION PROPERTIES, TABLE OF R-VALUES, density, moisture permeability, fire safety, aging effects on various insulation materials
• LOG HOME WALL INSULATION VALUES - discusses the insulation value of solid log wall homes compared with other structures, and it explains the principal errors people make when evaluating the cause of chilly log cabins.
• LP OR NATURAL GAS PRESSURES & BTUH PER CUBIC FOOT how to properly install, inspect, and test gas piping and gas installations. LP or natural gas burning appliances are often sources of high indoor moisture levels. Burning gas fuels produces a lot of moisture.
• MOISTURE CONTROL in BUILDINGS NG HOW TO - topic home page
• MOISTURE PROBLEMS: CAUSE & CURE - an explanation of moisture sources and movement in building
• MOISTURE in BUILDING WALLS, EFFECTS - how does moisture trapped in building walls cause trouble with insulation, rot, insect attack

• MOISTURE CONTROL in BUILDINGS [PDF], (2013) U.S. EPA, retrieved 2017/12/06, original source: https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2014-08/documents/moisture-control.pdf
  Excerpts:
  
  This document was developed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Indoor Environments Division. It provides practical guidance on how to control moisture in buildings.1 It is not a textbook, code or standard.
  
  Chapter 1 focuses on principles of moisture control: how water moves into and within a building and why the movement of water should be controlled or managed.
  
  Chapters 2, 3 and 4 provide professionspecific guidance for the design, construction and maintenance phases of a building’s life.
  
  To illustrate how core concepts and principles relate to each stage of a building’s life, each guidance chapter contains hyperlinks to relevant principles described in Chapter 1 and other related material throughout the text.
  
  Each guidance chapter also includes methods for verifying the appropriate implementation of the moisture control recommendations and a reference section that identifies additional related resources for readers interested in more detailed information.
  
  This guide can be used by anyone who designs, builds, operates or maintains buildings and heating, ventilating and air conditioning (HVAC) equipment.
  
  ... the epidemiologic evidence shows an association between exposure to damp indoor environments and adverse health effects, including:
  
  Upper respiratory (nasal and throat) symptoms.
  
  Cough.
  
  Wheeze.
  
  Asthma symptoms in sensitized persons with asthma.
  
  The committee also determined that there is limited or suggestive evidence of an association between exposure to damp indoor environments and:
  
  Dyspnea (shortness of breath).
  
  Lower respiratory illness in otherwise healthy children.
  
  Asthma development.
  
  In addition to causing health problems, moisture can damage building materials and components.
  
  The document continues to cite colonization of building materials and HVAC systems by mold, bacteria, insects, chemical reactions with building materials causing damage, and other forms of building damage.
• MOISTURE in CELLULOSE INSULATION - what happens to cellulose insulation if it has been wet
• MOISTURE CALCULATIONS
• MOISTURE CONTROL in BUILDINGS - home
• MOISTURE METER STUDY - what works and doesn 't work reliably when using instruments to measure moisture in buildings and building materials
• MOISTURE PROBLEMS: CAUSE & CURE - How to identify causes of high indoor moisture. How to eliminate sources of un-wanted moisture & condensation indoors.

• MOLD APPEARANCE - WHAT MOLD LOOKS LIKE - Photos of what mold looks like in buildings, organized by mold color and appearance.
• MOLD CONTAMINATION IN BUILDINGS - home page: causes of & cures for building mold contamination

• MOLD in FIBERGLASS INSULATION hidden mold can be a serious contamination problem in fiberglass insulation that has been wet, even though mold is not visible
• SWEATING (CONDENSATION) on PIPES, TANKS - pipes don't really sweat but they do collect condensation
• UN-VENTED ROOF SOLUTIONS - How to Prevent Attic Condensation, Ice Dam Leaks, Roof Mold, & Roof Structural Damage in buildings with Un-vented Roof Cavities
• VAPOR BARRIERS & CONDENSATION in BUILDINGS - prevent moisture from collecting in building cavities
• VENTILATION, WHOLE HOUSE STRATEGIES - to avoid excessive indoor humidity as well as indoor air quality problems
• WATER ENTRY in BUILDINGS - causes and cures of wet basements & crawl spaces
• WINDOW FLASHING & SEALING GUIDE - keep leaks out of walls
• WINDOW LEAKS INTO BASEMENT - and keep windows from leaking into a basement

Useful & Historic Research on Building Moisture Control

• ASHRAE resource on dew point and wall condensation - see the ASHRAE Fundamentals Handbook, available in many libraries.
  • 2005 [or newer] ASHRAE Handbook : Fundamentals: Inch-Pound Edition (2005 ASHRAE HANDBOOK : Fundamentals : I-P Edition) (Hardcover), Thomas H. Kuehn (Contributor), R. J. Couvillion (Contributor), John W. Coleman (Contributor), Narasipur Suryanarayana (Contributor), Zahid Ayub (Contributor), Robert Parsons (Author), ISBN-10: 1931862702 or ISBN-13: 978-1931862707
  • 2004 [or newer] ASHRAE Handbook : Heating, Ventilating, and Air-Conditioning: Systems and Equipment : Inch-Pound Edition (2004 ASHRAE Handbook : HVAC Systems and Equipment : I-P Edition) (Hardcover)
    by American Society of Heating, ISBN-10: 1931862478 or ISBN-13: 978-1931862479
    
    ASHRAE Handbook - HVAC Systems and Equipment The 2004 ASHRAE HandbookHVAC Systems and Equipment discusses various common systems and the equipment (components or assemblies) that comprise them, and describes features and differences. This information helps system designers and operators in selecting and using equipment.
    
    Major sections include Air-Conditioning and Heating Systems (chapters on system analysis and selection, air distribution, in-room terminal systems, centralized and decentralized systems, heat pumps, panel heating and cooling, cogeneration and engine-driven systems, heat recovery, steam and hydronic systems, district systems, small forced-air systems, infrared radiant heating, and water heating); Air-Handling Equipment (chapters on duct construction, air distribution, fans, coils, evaporative air-coolers, humidifiers, mechanical and desiccant dehumidification, air cleaners, industrial gas cleaning and air pollution control); H
    
    eating Equipment (chapters on automatic fuel-burning equipment, boilers, furnaces, in-space heaters, chimneys and flue vent systems, unit heaters, makeup air units, radiators, and solar equipment); General Components (chapters on compressors, condensers, cooling towers, liquid coolers, liquid-chilling systems, centrifugal pumps, motors and drives, pipes and fittings, valves, heat exchangers, and energy recovery equipment); and Unitary Equipment (chapters on air conditioners and heat pumps, room air conditioners and packaged terminal equipment, and a new chapter on mechanical dehumidifiers and heat pipes).
  • 1996 Ashrae Handbook Heating, Ventilating, and Air-Conditioning Systems and Equipment: Inch-Pound Edition (Hardcover), ISBN-10: 1883413346 or ISBN-13: 978-1883413347 ,
    
    "The 1996 HVAC Systems and Equipment Handbook is the result of ASHRAE's continuing effort to update, expand and reorganize the Handbook Series. Over a third of the book has been revised and augmented with new chapters on hydronic heating and cooling systems design; fans; unit ventilator; unit heaters; and makeup air units. Extensive changes have been added to chapters on panel heating and cooling; cogeneration systems and engine and turbine drives; applied heat pump and heat recovery systems; humidifiers; desiccant dehumidification and pressure drying equipment, air-heating coils; chimney, gas vent, fireplace systems; cooling towers; centrifugal pumps; and air-to-air energy recovery. Separate I-P and SI editions."
  • Principles of Heating, Ventilating, And Air Conditioning: A textbook with Design Data Based on 2005 AShrae Handbook - Fundamentals (Hardcover), Harry J., Jr. Sauer (Author), Ronald H. Howell, ISBN-10: 1931862923 or ISBN-13: 978-1931862929
  • 1993 ASHRAE Handbook Fundamentals (Hardcover), ISBN-10: 0910110964 or ISBN-13: 978-091011096
• Rowley, Frank B., MOISTURE CONDENSATION [PDF] (1947) Small Homes Council, Circular F6.2, University of Illinois. Frank R. Rowley was director of the University of Minnesota Engineering Experiment Station.
• Damp Indoor Spaces and Health - executive summary [PDF] Quoting:
  
  Damp Indoor Spaces and Health [Amazon link to purchase book], Institute of Medicine, National Academy of Sciences, 24 May 2004. - Web Search 6/23/2010 - original source: http://www.iom.edu/Reports/2004/Damp-Indoor-Spaces-and-Health.aspx
  
  Almost all homes, apartments, and commercial buildings will experience leaks, flooding, or other forms of excessive indoor dampness at some point. Not only is excessive dampness a health problem by itself, it also contributes to several other potentially problematic types of situations.
  
  Molds and other microbial agents favor damp indoor environments, and excess moisture may initiate the release of chemical emissions from damaged building materials and furnishings. This new book from the Institute of Medicine examines the health impact of exposures resulting from damp indoor environments and offers recommendations for public health interventions. "Damp Indoor Spaces and Health" covers a broad range of topics.
  
  The book not only examines the relationship between damp or moldy indoor environments and adverse health outcomes but also discusses how and where buildings get wet, how dampness influences microbial growth and chemical emissions, ways to prevent and remediate dampness, and elements of a public health response to the issues.
  
  A comprehensive literature review finds sufficient evidence of an association between damp indoor environments and some upper respiratory tract symptoms, coughing, wheezing, and asthma symptoms in sensitized persons. This important book will be of interest to a wide-ranging audience of science, health, engineering, and building professionals, government officials, and members of the public.
  
  Copies of Damp Indoor Spaces and Health are also available from the National Academies Press, 500 Fifth Street, N.W., Lockbox 285, Washington, DC 20055; (800) 624-6242 or (202) 334-3313 (in the Washington metropolitan area); Internet, http://www.nap.edu. The full text of this report is available at http://www.nap.edu.
  - Quoting:
  The Institute of Medicine serves as adviser to the nation to improve health.
  The Institute of Medicine (IOM) is an independent, nonprofit organization that works outside of government to provide unbiased and authoritative advice to decision makers and the public.
  Established in 1970, the IOM is the health arm of the National Academy of Sciences, which was chartered under President Abraham Lincoln in 1863. Nearly 150 years later, the National Academy of Sciences has expanded into what is collectively known as the National Academies, which comprises the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, the National Research Council, and the IOM.
  IOM Phone (202) 334-2352  IOM Email: iomwww@nas.edu
• US DOE, INSULATION: Adding Insulation to an Existing Home, [PDF] U.S. Department of Energy - tips on how to do your own check for the presence of absence of insulation in a home
• US DOE, INSULATION: Selecting Insulation for New Home Construction, [PDF] U.S. Department of Energy - "Your state and local building codes probably include minimum insulation requirements, but to build an energy-efficient home, you may need or want to exceed them.
  
  For maximum energy efficiency, you should also consider the interaction between the insulation and other building components. This is called the WHOLE HOUSE SYSTEMS DESIGN APPROACH [PDF] US DOE
• NIST A Parametric STUDY of WALL MOISTURE CONTENTS Using a Revised Variable Indoor Relative Humidity Version of the "Moist" Transient Heat and Moisture Transfer Model [PDF], George Tsongas, Doug Burch, Carolyn Roos, Malcom Cunningham; this paper describes software and the prediction of wall moisture contents. - PDF Document from NIS
• WHO Guidelines for Indoor Air Quality: Dampness and Mould (World Health Organization Europe), WHO Regional Office for Europe, ISBN-10: 9289041684, ISBN-13: 978-9289041683
  
  When sufficient moisture is available, hundreds of species of bacteria and fungi -- particularly mold -- pollute indoor air. The most important effects of exposure to these pollutants are the increased prevalence of respiratory symptoms, allergies and asthma as well as disturbance of the immune system. Preventing (or minimizing) persistent dampness and microbial growth on interior surfaces and building structures is the most important means of avoiding harmful effects on health.
  
  This book provides a comprehensive overview of the scientific evidence on the health problems associated with this ubiquitous pollution and provides WHO guidelines to protect public health. It also describes the conditions that determine the presence of mould and provides measures to control its growth indoors.
• Olalekan F. Osanyintola, Carey J. Simonson, Moisture buffering capacity of hygroscopic building materials: Experimental facilities and energy impact, article within Energy and Buildings,
  Abstract
  
  Research into dynamic moisture storage in hygroscopic building materials has renewed interest in the moisture buffering capacity of building materials and shown the potential for these materials to improve indoor humidity, thermal comfort and indoor air quality in buildings. This paper complements previous research by estimating the effect of hygroscopic materials on energy consumptions in buildings.
  
  The results show that it may be possible to reduce heating and cooling energy consumption by up to 5% and 30%, respectively, when applying hygroscopic materials with well-controlled HVAC systems. The paper also describes two different experimental facilities that can be used to measure accurately the moisture buffering capacity of hygroscopic building materials.
  
  These facilities provide different convective transfer coefficients between the hygroscopic material and ambient air, ranging from natural convection in small, sealed jars to fully developed laminar and turbulent forced convection. The paper presents a numerical model and property data for spruce plywood which will be used in a companion paper [O.F. Osanyintola, P. Talukdar, C.J. Simonson,
  
  Effect of initial conditions, boundary conditions and thickness on the moisture buffering capacity of spruce plywood, Energy and Buildings (2006), doi:10.1016/j.enbuild.2006.03.024.] to provide additional insight into the design of an experiment to measure the moisture buffering capacity of hygroscopic materials. Keywords Moisture buffering capacity; Energy savings; Experimental facility; Uncertainty; Indoor air quality; Convective transfer coefficients; Spruce plywood
• Olalekan F. Osanyintola, Prabal Talukdar, Carey J. Simonson Effect of initial conditions, boundary conditions and thickness on the moisture buffering capacity of spruce plywood Energy and Buildings, Volume 38, Issue 10, October 2006, Pages 1283-1292
• In addition to citations & references found in this article, see the research citations given at the end of the related articles found at our suggested
  
  CONTINUE READING or RECOMMENDED ARTICLES.

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Reader Q&A - also see RECOMMENDED ARTICLES & FAQs

Question:

(May 10, 2014) Anonymous said:
I noticed thermal stains on ceiling heared garage radiant floor more so when started washing cars in winter months

Reply:

Anon your comment makes some sense if you figure you've increased the moisture level in the area.

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Continue reading at MOISTURE PROBLEMS: CAUSE & CURE - topic home, or select a topic from the closely-related articles below, or see the complete ARTICLE INDEX.

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