Hello everyone,
I wanted to share an update on how the drying process of our house is going.
We felt that we had already ventilated a lot of moisture out during construction (we were a bit fanatical about airing out—even at 11 p.m. sometimes); however, it turns out that was far from enough when we recently cleared out the storage room under the stairs. In one corner, there was a wooden mirror that had absorbed water very thoroughly (in a good way, because it didn’t start rotting or molding, it was just very damp). Once the space under the stairs was empty, we went inside and noticed that the room was somewhat cooler and, above all, felt quite humid. It is now open, empty, and being ventilated. No mold has developed, but I imagine it might have looked different if we had parquet flooring and gypsum plaster.
Besides that, we measure the humidity in the bedroom, where it usually drops to around 49% during the day and then rises to 55% at night—I’m not sure if this is due to residual moisture or just the occupants. (We always set the ventilation system to a lower level at night.)
We also had another moisture issue with the bathroom exhaust on the upper floor. This wasn’t really thought through well and had little to do with construction moisture—but maybe it helps someone planning something similar. Our bathroom exhaust pipe runs through the unheated attic, makes a bend, and has a pipe splitter: one outlet leading upward and one downward into a “condensate trap.” The problem was that, due to freezing temperatures, the trap filled up quickly and then water ran back down the pipe—onto the closing cover of the exhaust fan. Since it was closed, the water leaked a bit onto the drywall… which, of course, swelled somewhat and caused the paint to peel. This will be fixed, of course. The condensate trap was emptied, and the pipe is now thoroughly insulated up to the roof outlet. Hopefully, it works better now.
I wanted to share an update on how the drying process of our house is going.
We felt that we had already ventilated a lot of moisture out during construction (we were a bit fanatical about airing out—even at 11 p.m. sometimes); however, it turns out that was far from enough when we recently cleared out the storage room under the stairs. In one corner, there was a wooden mirror that had absorbed water very thoroughly (in a good way, because it didn’t start rotting or molding, it was just very damp). Once the space under the stairs was empty, we went inside and noticed that the room was somewhat cooler and, above all, felt quite humid. It is now open, empty, and being ventilated. No mold has developed, but I imagine it might have looked different if we had parquet flooring and gypsum plaster.
Besides that, we measure the humidity in the bedroom, where it usually drops to around 49% during the day and then rises to 55% at night—I’m not sure if this is due to residual moisture or just the occupants. (We always set the ventilation system to a lower level at night.)
We also had another moisture issue with the bathroom exhaust on the upper floor. This wasn’t really thought through well and had little to do with construction moisture—but maybe it helps someone planning something similar. Our bathroom exhaust pipe runs through the unheated attic, makes a bend, and has a pipe splitter: one outlet leading upward and one downward into a “condensate trap.” The problem was that, due to freezing temperatures, the trap filled up quickly and then water ran back down the pipe—onto the closing cover of the exhaust fan. Since it was closed, the water leaked a bit onto the drywall… which, of course, swelled somewhat and caused the paint to peel. This will be fixed, of course. The condensate trap was emptied, and the pipe is now thoroughly insulated up to the roof outlet. Hopefully, it works better now.
S
Sebastian7921 Mar 2016 14:24If you have a heating system then
Sebastian79 schrieb:
No, not long – completely normal with a lot of screed. And by the way, good for the construction...Long construction times only really make sense AFTER the screed is installed. Before that, it’s more or less just wasting time.
Our experience:
Solid city villa, standard design from the construction company
KfW 70 standard, but with KfW 55 insulation (the eco version is missing)
Construction period from June 2015 to October 2015
Drying time from mid-August to the end of September
Ventilation behavior in summer after screed installation: all windows tilted open (of course only after the screed had set) and occasional shock ventilation (5-6 times a week) just for fun (the house simply wasn’t damp). No construction dryers, only the normal screed heating program from the gas boiler (with windows tilted open as well). The meter was running quite a bit, but that didn’t bother us. We lived a bit farther away, so daily trips for ventilation would have been more expensive.
Our ventilation system runs permanently at level 2 out of 3 in manual mode. The indoor climate is always dry; we couldn’t detect any humidity anywhere. All large furniture is placed away from the walls (which sounds much worse than it actually is), the wardrobe has about 3–5cm (1–2 inches) of space all around (it is placed in a niche and, at the top, naturally free up to the ceiling). We haven’t hung any pictures because our neighbor, who used the same company, found mold behind their pictures. We have absolutely no condensation anywhere. In the bathroom, we hang all our laundry, which the ventilation system handles easily. I should mention that we have double extraction in the upstairs bathroom due to a future sauna.
We had surprisingly few moisture problems throughout the entire construction phase. Everything is still fine now.
We are very satisfied with the overall workmanship.
Our bathroom exhaust duct runs through the unheated atticNo offense, but how could a construction company execute something like that for you? Did you sign off on this patchwork solution (that is, did you explicitly want it that way with all its risks)? This is explicitly not allowed and greatly promotes mold and similar issues due to condensation. Even if it doesn’t, water can accumulate somewhere and create unpleasant germs.
Once the ventilation ducts are directly connected to the house and its heat, no condensation will form inside them, and there’s no reason to ever intervene. Just remember to regularly replace the filters in the system and everything will be fine.
Using the ventilation system for airing during the screed drying period is explicitly not allowed according to every ventilation system’s operating instructions. The warranty is void in that case. There is simply too much dirt present, which inevitably enters the ductwork (no matter what). Due to the high humidity, condensation can also form inside the duct. I’d seriously reconsider this.
S
Sebastian7921 Mar 2016 17:48What nonsense are you talking about here?
Long construction times are only normal after the screed? Where do you get that idea from? There is a lot of work BEFORE the screed – after that, it’s just child's play...
And the idea of tilting windows for screed ventilation – it couldn’t be more wrong!
Long construction times are only normal after the screed? Where do you get that idea from? There is a lot of work BEFORE the screed – after that, it’s just child's play...
And the idea of tilting windows for screed ventilation – it couldn’t be more wrong!
B
Bieber081521 Mar 2016 22:34BeHaElJa schrieb:
It concerns bathroom exhaust air that is routed through a sealed duct over the unheated attic Are you referring to indoor air or wastewater ventilation? The description seems a bit unusual to me. Could you explain the intended function of the condensate trap in more detail?
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