ᐅ Moisture Issues in Basement Apartment

Created on: 20 Aug 2017 13:26
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R.Hotzenplotz
Hello,

my tenant sent me the following photo from my basement apartment. Apparently, there are moisture problems.

This concerns an exterior wall.

What is the correct procedure here (four-family house with four owners)? Should I first hire a building expert at my own expense to determine the cause (it could also be due to incorrect ventilation, etc.)?

How would you proceed in this situation?

Moisture and mold on interior wall corner next to electrical outlet
tomtom7921 Aug 2017 20:00
Steffen80 schrieb:
This myth keeps coming up again and again... funny that we have NEVER had problems with mold. We NEVER ventilate by fully opening the windows and we like to dry our laundry indoors (it makes the air nicely humid).

No sorry... but that's nonsense! To cause mold yourself... you really have to be quite careless..

You again, fortunately your opinion is not the norm.
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Caspar2020
22 Aug 2017 07:09
I would be surprised if the issue shown in the pictures was caused by improper ventilation. At most, it may have contributed, but it is not the primary cause.

I would advise not to alarm the tenant for now and to wait for the expert's assessment.
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R.Hotzenplotz
23 Aug 2017 16:39
The expert was here today. He said that the next steps in the process are as follows:

- Leak detection and pressure testing of the heating system. The tenant mentioned that the heating system lost pressure some time ago.

- If that doesn’t help, digging around the building and checking the insulation should be done.

- Only if nothing is found after that should we focus on ventilation.

In any case, instead of the woodchip wallpaper, a rough plaster should be applied now, as it is less prone to mold.

So, what the cause is... no idea at the moment!
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aero2016
23 Aug 2017 19:54
tomtom79 schrieb:
Well, in summer there’s no need to heat since it’s over 19°C (66°F), but warm air holds a lot of moisture that needs to be regularly removed.

Have you ever paid attention to outdoor humidity during summer? By doing this, you actually bring more moisture inside rather than preventing mold by ventilating three times a day with quick airing.

Although I rarely agree with Steffen80, this time I fully do. The myth about tenants causing problems due to improper ventilation is outdated nowadays.
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Bieber0815
23 Aug 2017 22:00
Is the house properly sealed? How old are the windows? What is the construction year of the house? Are there many openings for heating pipes, etc.?

Does the tenant live alone and spend little time at home [then they bring in little moisture]?

For now, I tend to agree that it is probably not due to ventilation (or insufficient ventilation). The expert also seems to point in this direction...
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nelly190
23 Aug 2017 23:03
A drilling should allow the expert to determine whether the wall is damp in the middle or not. This way, it becomes clear where the wall is moist.