ᐅ Forgot to insulate the dormer wall – mold on the wood – what should I do?
Created on: 16 Dec 2022 10:44
F
Fipsi.ch
Hello everyone,
We are building our house with a developer. Currently, we are in the process of drying the screed, and the heating program is running.
During the roof insulation (early October), the responsible company forgot to install insulation and a vapor barrier on the dormer wall. As a result, mold has developed on the exposed wooden dormer wall. This likely happened because this wall faces the outside and is made only of wood and metal – so cold plus moisture equals mold.
This wood is still somewhat damp (like the rest of the house, since we are still in the drying phase) and repeatedly shows fuzzy mold spots. At first, the developer wanted to hold us responsible for this, as we are in charge of ventilation and heating. However, since he did not fulfill his role as site manager, the insulation was simply forgotten. Therefore, we see him as responsible. From what I understand, he agrees with this.
Yesterday, he called the interior finishing company to the construction site so they could install the missing insulation and vapor barrier. I sent these workers away again because I believe this wood first needs to be cleaned from mold. Additionally, I wasn’t sure whether they were merely informed about the missing insulation or if they had been directly tasked with the installation.
I have already treated the wood with mold cleaner, but unfortunately, some fuzzy spots have reappeared. The developer believes that the wood can still dry under the insulation and that this is not a problem. Is the developer’s approach correct?
I am concerned that this could spread the mold into the insulation, causing it to slowly rot. The wood might dry out eventually, but the mold contamination would still be there. I would appreciate a few experienced opinions, thank you!
We are building our house with a developer. Currently, we are in the process of drying the screed, and the heating program is running.
During the roof insulation (early October), the responsible company forgot to install insulation and a vapor barrier on the dormer wall. As a result, mold has developed on the exposed wooden dormer wall. This likely happened because this wall faces the outside and is made only of wood and metal – so cold plus moisture equals mold.
This wood is still somewhat damp (like the rest of the house, since we are still in the drying phase) and repeatedly shows fuzzy mold spots. At first, the developer wanted to hold us responsible for this, as we are in charge of ventilation and heating. However, since he did not fulfill his role as site manager, the insulation was simply forgotten. Therefore, we see him as responsible. From what I understand, he agrees with this.
Yesterday, he called the interior finishing company to the construction site so they could install the missing insulation and vapor barrier. I sent these workers away again because I believe this wood first needs to be cleaned from mold. Additionally, I wasn’t sure whether they were merely informed about the missing insulation or if they had been directly tasked with the installation.
I have already treated the wood with mold cleaner, but unfortunately, some fuzzy spots have reappeared. The developer believes that the wood can still dry under the insulation and that this is not a problem. Is the developer’s approach correct?
I am concerned that this could spread the mold into the insulation, causing it to slowly rot. The wood might dry out eventually, but the mold contamination would still be there. I would appreciate a few experienced opinions, thank you!
W
WilderSueden16 Dec 2022 12:53Fipsi.ch schrieb:
Our contract clearly states that our general contractor (GC) also takes on the construction management and, among other things, supervises the quality of the individual trades and intervenes if necessary.That’s standard in every GC contract. In doubtful situations, it won’t help you much. To identify defective work, you need an independent expert. Do yourselves a favor and find one who gets involved before you discover the defects yourselves.
SoL schrieb:
That was a bad decision Yes.
SoL schrieb:
, but now it cannot be changed. No.
Methodically, @dertill handled it exemplarily in post #12, in my opinion.
For me, there would be no wavering between options here, since I consider the principle "always stop the bleeding before sealing up" absolutely non-negotiable and immutable. In this respect, I have doubts about the general contractor’s insight and it appears they believe that fixing the missing insulation afterward will solve everything. No, the cause must be addressed first. This is also what an expert would say, who should be consulted better late than never—of course, not like a pathologist who is right but can no longer heal ;-)
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