ᐅ Is ventilating/drying after installing the screed/interior plaster advisable?
Created on: 31 Jan 2017 12:08
D
Dan8070
Hello everyone,
Our shell construction has been standing since November; we are waiting for consistently above-freezing temperatures and will continue with applying the interior plaster and screed installation in March/April, depending on the weather (single-family house, 143 sqm (1,540 sq ft), fully basemented).
In the basement, we have underfloor heating in 3 of the 4 rooms; only the utility room is unheated. One basement room has a large daylight window, while the other three (including the one without underfloor heating) have standard basement window wells.
Since we have great respect for the issue of moisture and do not want to rush the timeline, we really want to proceed with the floor coverings only when moisture measurements provide certainty.
My thought now is whether we should use 2–3 dehumidifiers alongside the consistent shock ventilation (opening windows fully 5 times a day, reliably maintained for several weeks; I work 4 km (2.5 miles) from the site; my parents live next door) to support the drying process for about 2 weeks, starting 4–5 weeks after the screed is installed.
The primary idea is not faster drying, but more thorough drying.
What do you think? Is spending a few hundred dollars well invested?
By the way, we are installing fleece screed.
Thanks for your opinions.
Our shell construction has been standing since November; we are waiting for consistently above-freezing temperatures and will continue with applying the interior plaster and screed installation in March/April, depending on the weather (single-family house, 143 sqm (1,540 sq ft), fully basemented).
In the basement, we have underfloor heating in 3 of the 4 rooms; only the utility room is unheated. One basement room has a large daylight window, while the other three (including the one without underfloor heating) have standard basement window wells.
Since we have great respect for the issue of moisture and do not want to rush the timeline, we really want to proceed with the floor coverings only when moisture measurements provide certainty.
My thought now is whether we should use 2–3 dehumidifiers alongside the consistent shock ventilation (opening windows fully 5 times a day, reliably maintained for several weeks; I work 4 km (2.5 miles) from the site; my parents live next door) to support the drying process for about 2 weeks, starting 4–5 weeks after the screed is installed.
The primary idea is not faster drying, but more thorough drying.
What do you think? Is spending a few hundred dollars well invested?
By the way, we are installing fleece screed.
Thanks for your opinions.
R
readytorumble31 Jan 2017 14:49Since December 28, 2016, the interior plaster has been applied and will likely continue until the day after tomorrow (roughly calculated, this involves about 4200 liters (1100 gallons) of water!).
We currently ventilate by fully opening windows 4-5 times a day, as long as the outdoor humidity is not at 100%.
On the ground floor, we are heating with a stove, which helps the plaster dry quite well. On the upper floor, we have had one fan and one dehumidifier running for a few days. However, the upper floor is still drying very slowly. After the screed is installed, we will definitely add a second condensation dehumidifier.
The screed is scheduled to be installed in three weeks.
We currently ventilate by fully opening windows 4-5 times a day, as long as the outdoor humidity is not at 100%.
On the ground floor, we are heating with a stove, which helps the plaster dry quite well. On the upper floor, we have had one fan and one dehumidifier running for a few days. However, the upper floor is still drying very slowly. After the screed is installed, we will definitely add a second condensation dehumidifier.
The screed is scheduled to be installed in three weeks.
After the screed was laid, we received the following guideline:
Do not ventilate at all for 3 days, then ventilate by fully opening windows briefly (as often as you can) for 2 weeks, and after that, consider using a construction dryer.
Afterwards, the heating will be turned on at some point.
Walls and screed should gradually dry out.
So, your assumptions should be correct.
Regards
Do not ventilate at all for 3 days, then ventilate by fully opening windows briefly (as often as you can) for 2 weeks, and after that, consider using a construction dryer.
Afterwards, the heating will be turned on at some point.
Walls and screed should gradually dry out.
So, your assumptions should be correct.
Regards
We actually dried the house using dehumidifiers (these were paid for by our builder due to a defect that caused mold issues). A professional company installed the equipment (in addition to fans to ensure proper air circulation), and we emptied and repositioned the dehumidifiers regularly.
According to our expert, the drying process also has the advantage that the screed will settle less over time, which might mean you won’t need to refit the baseboards later on (something we can confirm three years later).
The electricity costs for the drying alone amounted to 1,500 EUR.
According to our expert, the drying process also has the advantage that the screed will settle less over time, which might mean you won’t need to refit the baseboards later on (something we can confirm three years later).
The electricity costs for the drying alone amounted to 1,500 EUR.
R
readytorumble2 Feb 2017 14:04How is the best way to position dryers and fans for maximum efficiency?
Should the fan just be placed somewhere in the room to create some air movement? Or should the airflow be directed fully toward the condenser dryer? Or...?
Should the fan just be placed somewhere in the room to create some air movement? Or should the airflow be directed fully toward the condenser dryer? Or...?
K
Knallkörper2 Feb 2017 14:26readytorumble schrieb:
What is the most effective way to set up dryers and fans?
Just put the fan somewhere in the room to create some air movement? Or aim the airflow directly at the condenser dryer at full power? Or...?The main point is to ensure that small rooms without a dryer have air exchange with other rooms that have a dryer. Otherwise, the dryer itself provides sufficient air circulation.
Kaspatoo schrieb:
Should building drying also be done at milder temperatures (> 10°) or does it eventually become unnecessary?I think that’s the wrong question. If it’s cold outside, and the building is properly heated, and you can ventilate several times a day, then dehumidifiers are mostly unnecessary. The outside humidity level doesn’t really matter in this case.
For example: You let in cold air at 0°C (32°F) with 95% relative humidity, then close the windows. The air heats up to 25°C (77°F) and the relative humidity drops to 18%, so it can absorb a lot of moisture again until it reaches, for example, 75% relative humidity. Then you ventilate again and the cycle repeats.
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