ᐅ Getting Moisture Out of a New Build – How to Ventilate and Other Related Topics
Created on: 22 Nov 2021 18:10
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XxTankerxX
Hello everyone,
The shell of our house was recently completed. Our regional window supplier had a delay with a larger order, so we received our windows just 3 1/2 weeks after measuring—shortly after the roof structure was finished. In my opinion, this was almost too early, but I wasn’t given much choice since otherwise we wouldn’t have gotten them this year. Naturally, the house still contains a lot of residual moisture. The floors (especially in the basement) are now dry—or at least they look dry. However, many bricks (especially in the basement) are still dark-colored and damp. I’m also measuring a humidity level in the basement air of about 84%.
About the house: The basement is a waterproof concrete basement (WU-basement). The interior walls and all floors above ground level (ground floor and upper floor) were built with Poroton blocks.
Now to my main questions:
- What is the best way to ventilate? Currently, I have all basement windows tilted open. On the ground floor and upper floor, I have some windows (on opposite sides) open to create cross-ventilation. Is that sufficient?
- Following up on that: I still need to insulate the top floor ceiling with EPS035 (the insulation arrived today), and a waterproof membrane needs to be installed in the basement. When is the best time to do this, or how long should I wait before proceeding? I want to avoid trapping moisture underneath and causing mold in the end.
I’m interested in your opinions and how you handled similar situations during your build.
Kind regards,
XxTankerxX
The shell of our house was recently completed. Our regional window supplier had a delay with a larger order, so we received our windows just 3 1/2 weeks after measuring—shortly after the roof structure was finished. In my opinion, this was almost too early, but I wasn’t given much choice since otherwise we wouldn’t have gotten them this year. Naturally, the house still contains a lot of residual moisture. The floors (especially in the basement) are now dry—or at least they look dry. However, many bricks (especially in the basement) are still dark-colored and damp. I’m also measuring a humidity level in the basement air of about 84%.
About the house: The basement is a waterproof concrete basement (WU-basement). The interior walls and all floors above ground level (ground floor and upper floor) were built with Poroton blocks.
Now to my main questions:
- What is the best way to ventilate? Currently, I have all basement windows tilted open. On the ground floor and upper floor, I have some windows (on opposite sides) open to create cross-ventilation. Is that sufficient?
- Following up on that: I still need to insulate the top floor ceiling with EPS035 (the insulation arrived today), and a waterproof membrane needs to be installed in the basement. When is the best time to do this, or how long should I wait before proceeding? I want to avoid trapping moisture underneath and causing mold in the end.
I’m interested in your opinions and how you handled similar situations during your build.
Kind regards,
XxTankerxX
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BBaumeister25 Nov 2021 16:39halmi schrieb:
Get yourself a few powerful space heaters, for example gas-powered ones, and warm up the construction site. Then ventilate the air well, and you’ll see it dry out quickly. But be careful not to let the oxygen run low. It’s best to get a construction dryer (dehumidifier) and also buy two or three inexpensive fans.
A construction dryer uses between 5 and 8 euros of electricity per day, which is certainly manageable.
A construction dryer produces some heat on its own but won’t work effectively if it’s too cold inside the building. Ideally, it should be around 12-15°C (54-59°F).
For a few days, using a space heater definitely makes sense.