ᐅ Moisture Levels in New Buildings Increase During Wet Weather – Experiences?
Created on: 4 Jun 2021 08:23
R
riverstorm
Hello,
I am a tenant and recently moved into a newly built apartment, where, as in my previous home, I set up a hygrometer. While the humidity in my previous apartment mostly stayed around 40-45%, which was rather dry, in the new apartment it sometimes ranges from 40-55%, but during wet weather it remains consistently between 60 and 70%. The strange thing is that the humidity inside only rises this much during wet weather and then does not drop again until the weather changes.
There is effective cross-ventilation every morning and evening, with a full air exchange. Over the course of the first “wet day,” meaning about 12 to 14 hours, the humidity rises significantly, even though practically no moisture is generated indoors and the apartment is actually quite large. If the weather stays humid, the apartment remains damp for days until the weather improves.
Currently, I’m not quite sure why this happens or if I am doing something wrong or could do better. In any case, anything above 60% humidity in living and working spaces is far from comfortable and, of course, promotes mold growth. Right now, the humidity is actually a solid 70%. Since I’m a tenant, I do have a relatively easy way out if this really turns out to be a serious problem. What’s strange to me is that there is no ventilation system at all. However, I lack the technical knowledge overall. Does anyone here have experience and can offer advice?
Thank you!
I am a tenant and recently moved into a newly built apartment, where, as in my previous home, I set up a hygrometer. While the humidity in my previous apartment mostly stayed around 40-45%, which was rather dry, in the new apartment it sometimes ranges from 40-55%, but during wet weather it remains consistently between 60 and 70%. The strange thing is that the humidity inside only rises this much during wet weather and then does not drop again until the weather changes.
There is effective cross-ventilation every morning and evening, with a full air exchange. Over the course of the first “wet day,” meaning about 12 to 14 hours, the humidity rises significantly, even though practically no moisture is generated indoors and the apartment is actually quite large. If the weather stays humid, the apartment remains damp for days until the weather improves.
Currently, I’m not quite sure why this happens or if I am doing something wrong or could do better. In any case, anything above 60% humidity in living and working spaces is far from comfortable and, of course, promotes mold growth. Right now, the humidity is actually a solid 70%. Since I’m a tenant, I do have a relatively easy way out if this really turns out to be a serious problem. What’s strange to me is that there is no ventilation system at all. However, I lack the technical knowledge overall. Does anyone here have experience and can offer advice?
Thank you!
Hello, I am currently in a similar situation. I have been living for three years in a former new build without a ventilation system (no exhaust fan in the bathroom or similar). Only for the last six months has the apartment stopped feeling "damp," so it was "humid" for two and a half years. The building contractor, who is also my landlord, quickly constructed it using solid construction methods. I was usually out of the house around 7:00 a.m. and didn’t return until 10 to 14 hours later. Opening windows for a few minutes in the morning and evening wasn’t really enough to make the situation bearable. Additionally, there is a slow-responding underfloor heating system. I will be moving out soon; it seems that almost all new builds are constructed this way nowadays to still generate (or maximize) profit.
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nordanney4 Jun 2021 11:17riverstorm schrieb:
It still surprises me that this problem only occurs during or after wet weather(?).Perhaps it's because the humidity is already generally high during damp weather? Otherwise, it wouldn’t really be considered damp weather 🙄R
riverstorm4 Jun 2021 11:39nordanney schrieb:
Maybe it’s because the humidity is already generally high during damp weather? Otherwise, it wouldn’t be considered damp weather 🙄 I get that 🙂. But if I air out in the morning before a rainy day, the humidity drops below 50% and then by evening—while I’ve kept the rooms closed—it reaches 60%, and the next morning it’s at 70%, how could the apartment have absorbed anything from the weather if everything was shut? In dry weather, the humidity just fluctuates around 50%. By evening, before airing out again, it might rise by 3-4%, which I can easily balance out.
It’s also worth mentioning that when it was still cold *and* dry outside, the humidity was an uncomfortable 30%.
riverstorm schrieb:
I am a tenant and recently moved into a newly built apartment, What type of building is it and what materials were used for construction? Wall structure? External thermal insulation composite system (ETICS)?
riverstorm schrieb:
By the way, it is also worth mentioning that when it was still dry *and* cold outside, the humidity was uncomfortably low at only 30%. That is generally unusual.
The construction moisture mentioned here is unlikely to be the cause. New buildings usually don’t lose that much humidity through heating.
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nordanney4 Jun 2021 11:55riverstorm schrieb:
How could the apartment notice any changes in the weather if everything is closed? Because it’s not a hermetically sealed space.
riverstorm schrieb:
By the way, it’s also worth mentioning that when it was still dry *and* cold outside, the indoor humidity was uncomfortably low at only 30%. So it was just like outside.
Your apartment isn’t airtight, and the indoor humidity adjusts to the outdoor conditions.
R
riverstorm4 Jun 2021 14:23I do not know what materials were used for the construction. It is not brick-faced, and the interior walls are simply plastered and painted.
The fact that the indoor humidity levels tend to equalize with the outdoor air matches my subjective impression. But is this a problem or a fault, or can it be considered normal? I am also naturally concerned about what will happen in the summer if it gets significantly warmer again.
The fact that the indoor humidity levels tend to equalize with the outdoor air matches my subjective impression. But is this a problem or a fault, or can it be considered normal? I am also naturally concerned about what will happen in the summer if it gets significantly warmer again.
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