Ongoing moisture issues in a 1950 rental home, Central NC

Itsnotme1988 · 10-30-15, 06:06 AM

I have been having ongoing humidity issues in the 1950 house I've been renting for two years now. It's especially bad as temperatures are beginning to drop. My thermostat regularly shows the moisture 85%+ and there is often condensation leading to mold/mildew on the large glass window in the living room as well as some on the vinyl windows throughout the house. It is a concrete house which I'm sure hurts some. I expect it to be a bit worse for at least a little while this year as I have added several aquariums which are being run open top but I may be forced to cover them to help alleviate this issue. Again, this problem existed well before they were setup so they are not the cause, they just make it worse.

Where should I start/what would you guys/gals recommend as my first steps? There is no outside ventilation (kitchen fan is only a recirculating hood through a carbon filter, and no fan or window in the bathroom.) I tried a dehumidifier when I first moved in but it caused my power bill to sky rocket. It was however an older model that was no where near large enough and put off a lot of heat. The home is heated by CNG.

I will also have to be concerned with power drawer as the wiring through the breaker box is not right. There are at least 4 rooms running through only one breaker (most of the living room and kitchen, the bathroom and both bedrooms....) Not quite sure how this passed code unless the town was not concerned as long as they were paid for their permit (which was obtained during the massive repairs before I moved in.)

Yeah...it's got problems here....haha

Thanks!

jeff5may · 10-30-15, 08:45 AM

Since you rent, there is probably not a whole lot you can do with the house without landlord permission. That may or may not happen, and even if so, you may or may not be reimbursed for your efforts.

If the house leaks air all over, the local utilities offer cheap or free audits, and if the home is bad enough, they may do an 80% quick winterizing on the house for free. Sealing air leaks is much more effective than insulation as far as cost and energy savings go. Once the envelope is sealed, the air and humidity doesn't just fall in and out of the living spaces, carrying heat with it.

Please describe the home more. Square footage, basement or not, construction style and materials. More details will render better answers.

JRMichler · 10-30-15, 12:23 PM

Humidity inside the house in cold weather means that moisture is getting in, and not getting out. Moisture gets in from people breathing, showers, aquariums, water leaks, and other sources. Moisture gets out by ventilation.

Most older homes are built so leaky that dry air inside in cold weather is the problem. Humid inside in cold weather means that the house is relatively airtight, a lot of water is getting into the air, or both.

What you can do:
1) Look for sources of moisture, such as leaks. Fix them.

2) A dehumidifier. Newer dehumidifiers are much more efficient. Energy Star dehumidifiers are worth the slight extra cost.

3) Ventilation. Open two windows on opposite sides of the house until the humidity gets down below 60%. Then leave them cracked open to keep the humidity below 60%.

4) Raise the temperature. The warmer you keep the house, the lower the relative humidity.

5) Add an air to air heat exchanger. This is another way to increase ventilation. The advantage is no drafts and reduced heating bill. You may be able to persuade the landlord to put one in if you explain that the condensation causes rot and mold.

where2 · 10-30-15, 08:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Itsnotme1988

I expect it to be a bit worse for at least a little while this year as I have added several aquariums which are being run open top but I may be forced to cover them to help alleviate this issue. Again, this problem existed well before they were setup so they are not the cause, they just make it worse.

I suggest you get out the saran-wrap or the glad Press-N-Seal and cover those tanks. Once you have those under control, look outside and grab an umbrella when it rains to see if water is moving away from the house, ponding next to the house or running toward it. You want rain that falls on the roof moving away from the house.

Looking forward to hearing more details on the house, especially whether it is built on a basement, crawl space, slab on grade, stem wall; single story or multi-story.

Being made of concrete is not the issue. I live in a 1961 concrete house in the swamp of South Florida a stones throw from tidal water. Even my floors are concrete and the water table is less than 10 feet below my slab. I've lived here 17 years and haven't even put a coat of paint on the concrete exterior of this old house. The previous owner didn't paint it in the 5 years before I bought it either.

It is possible to have perforations in the plumbing that allow excess moisture into the envelope. I've had co-workers with fresh water leaks in their walls. City water and well water can actually corrode copper pipe from the inside out.

MN Renovator · 11-01-15, 08:08 AM

1. "no fan or window in the bathroom" I'd venture a guess that this is the prime contributor, it usually is, along with foolish practices such as venting electric dryers indoors. I had to wire my bathroom fan to turn on with the lights because I had a roommate once that would never turn it on. It caused a humidity issue with one person taking a daily shower in a 2100 sq ft house. This needs to be fixed pronto.

2. Also if your home is heated by propane or natural gas, please buy a carbon monoxide meter for your bedroom today. Moisture is a by-product of combustion.

3. When cooking with hot water, never boil water, keep it at a light simmer or very light boil. Once I bring water to a light boil, I will either turn the burner down all the way or if it is thinner pasta, I'll turn it off completely and the pasta is still done in the same amount of time. I've witnessed my roommate cook pasta with the burner on full with a rolling boil the whole time. Massive energy waste and a large contribution to indoor humidity.

4. If you can't fix the bathroom, you've verified you aren't backdrafting the furnace or water heater using a worst case draft scenario, and you can't convince your landlord that they are destroying the house by refusing to install a bathroom fan that vents outdoors, you'll need to increase ventilation or move out. I'd personally move out, excessive moisture is a terrible thing and I'd hate to live in a rotting uncomfortable house.

10-30-15, 06:06 AM	#1
Itsnotme1988 Lurking Renovator Join Date: Sep 2008 Posts: 8 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Ongoing moisture issues in a 1950 rental home, Central NC I have been having ongoing humidity issues in the 1950 house I've been renting for two years now. It's especially bad as temperatures are beginning to drop. My thermostat regularly shows the moisture 85%+ and there is often condensation leading to mold/mildew on the large glass window in the living room as well as some on the vinyl windows throughout the house. It is a concrete house which I'm sure hurts some. I expect it to be a bit worse for at least a little while this year as I have added several aquariums which are being run open top but I may be forced to cover them to help alleviate this issue. Again, this problem existed well before they were setup so they are not the cause, they just make it worse. Where should I start/what would you guys/gals recommend as my first steps? There is no outside ventilation (kitchen fan is only a recirculating hood through a carbon filter, and no fan or window in the bathroom.) I tried a dehumidifier when I first moved in but it caused my power bill to sky rocket. It was however an older model that was no where near large enough and put off a lot of heat. The home is heated by CNG. I will also have to be concerned with power drawer as the wiring through the breaker box is not right. There are at least 4 rooms running through only one breaker (most of the living room and kitchen, the bathroom and both bedrooms....) Not quite sure how this passed code unless the town was not concerned as long as they were paid for their permit (which was obtained during the massive repairs before I moved in.) Yeah...it's got problems here....haha Thanks!

10-30-15, 08:45 AM	#2
jeff5may Supreme EcoRenovator Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: elizabethtown, ky, USA Posts: 2,428 Thanks: 431 Thanked 619 Times in 517 Posts	Since you rent, there is probably not a whole lot you can do with the house without landlord permission. That may or may not happen, and even if so, you may or may not be reimbursed for your efforts. If the house leaks air all over, the local utilities offer cheap or free audits, and if the home is bad enough, they may do an 80% quick winterizing on the house for free. Sealing air leaks is much more effective than insulation as far as cost and energy savings go. Once the envelope is sealed, the air and humidity doesn't just fall in and out of the living spaces, carrying heat with it. Please describe the home more. Square footage, basement or not, construction style and materials. More details will render better answers.

10-30-15, 12:23 PM	#3
JRMichler Apprentice EcoRenovator Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: Phillips, WI Posts: 109 Thanks: 10 Thanked 30 Times in 25 Posts	Humidity inside the house in cold weather means that moisture is getting in, and not getting out. Moisture gets in from people breathing, showers, aquariums, water leaks, and other sources. Moisture gets out by ventilation. Most older homes are built so leaky that dry air inside in cold weather is the problem. Humid inside in cold weather means that the house is relatively airtight, a lot of water is getting into the air, or both. What you can do: 1) Look for sources of moisture, such as leaks. Fix them. 2) A dehumidifier. Newer dehumidifiers are much more efficient. Energy Star dehumidifiers are worth the slight extra cost. 3) Ventilation. Open two windows on opposite sides of the house until the humidity gets down below 60%. Then leave them cracked open to keep the humidity below 60%. 4) Raise the temperature. The warmer you keep the house, the lower the relative humidity. 5) Add an air to air heat exchanger. This is another way to increase ventilation. The advantage is no drafts and reduced heating bill. You may be able to persuade the landlord to put one in if you explain that the condensation causes rot and mold.

11-01-15, 08:08 AM	#5
MN Renovator Less usage=Cheaper bills Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Minneapolis, MN Posts: 939 Thanks: 41 Thanked 116 Times in 90 Posts	1. "no fan or window in the bathroom" I'd venture a guess that this is the prime contributor, it usually is, along with foolish practices such as venting electric dryers indoors. I had to wire my bathroom fan to turn on with the lights because I had a roommate once that would never turn it on. It caused a humidity issue with one person taking a daily shower in a 2100 sq ft house. This needs to be fixed pronto. 2. Also if your home is heated by propane or natural gas, please buy a carbon monoxide meter for your bedroom today. Moisture is a by-product of combustion. 3. When cooking with hot water, never boil water, keep it at a light simmer or very light boil. Once I bring water to a light boil, I will either turn the burner down all the way or if it is thinner pasta, I'll turn it off completely and the pasta is still done in the same amount of time. I've witnessed my roommate cook pasta with the burner on full with a rolling boil the whole time. Massive energy waste and a large contribution to indoor humidity. 4. If you can't fix the bathroom, you've verified you aren't backdrafting the furnace or water heater using a worst case draft scenario, and you can't convince your landlord that they are destroying the house by refusing to install a bathroom fan that vents outdoors, you'll need to increase ventilation or move out. I'd personally move out, excessive moisture is a terrible thing and I'd hate to live in a rotting uncomfortable house.