ᐅ Excess Moisture in a Single-Family Home After Installing the Screed? Risk of Mold?
Created on: 1 Jan 2022 18:33
D
Der_Hansi1968
Hello dear forum members,
On December 13th/14th, the screed was installed in our detached house/KfW55/controlled ventilation/gas heating/1.5 stories/185sqm (1990 sqft). We have been ventilating as instructed until today. When I took a closer look today, I unfortunately noticed that
- there are water droplets on the ceiling of the ground floor at some spots,
- some wooden rafters are slowly absorbing moisture again,
- quite a few already dry wall surfaces appear wet or damp again, and
- the foil in the upper floor/attic is damp in most places.
The hygrometer has shown humidity levels between 85-95% in recent days, especially higher in the attic, of course.
On January 10th, the gas heating will be connected to start drying the screed. So far, we have not used any construction dryers or similar equipment.
Questions:
1.) Is this amount of moisture in the house normal at this stage of construction and at this time of year?
2.) If not, in your opinion, is there already a risk of mold? Or is it more likely that after the heating phase by the end of January everything will dry out and be resolved?
3.) Would you recommend setting up construction dryers temporarily as an additional measure?
I am a layperson and have no idea if this is "normal" or if we are heading toward a serious mold problem. My builder won’t be back from vacation until next week, and I want to be prepared with your assessments/comments. Otherwise, all the moisture might be sealed behind drywall quickly, and we could face big problems later. Attached are some photos. By the way, my builder is really great and very cooperative, but as mentioned not currently available.
Thank you for your input and Happy New Year 2022!









On December 13th/14th, the screed was installed in our detached house/KfW55/controlled ventilation/gas heating/1.5 stories/185sqm (1990 sqft). We have been ventilating as instructed until today. When I took a closer look today, I unfortunately noticed that
- there are water droplets on the ceiling of the ground floor at some spots,
- some wooden rafters are slowly absorbing moisture again,
- quite a few already dry wall surfaces appear wet or damp again, and
- the foil in the upper floor/attic is damp in most places.
The hygrometer has shown humidity levels between 85-95% in recent days, especially higher in the attic, of course.
On January 10th, the gas heating will be connected to start drying the screed. So far, we have not used any construction dryers or similar equipment.
Questions:
1.) Is this amount of moisture in the house normal at this stage of construction and at this time of year?
2.) If not, in your opinion, is there already a risk of mold? Or is it more likely that after the heating phase by the end of January everything will dry out and be resolved?
3.) Would you recommend setting up construction dryers temporarily as an additional measure?
I am a layperson and have no idea if this is "normal" or if we are heading toward a serious mold problem. My builder won’t be back from vacation until next week, and I want to be prepared with your assessments/comments. Otherwise, all the moisture might be sealed behind drywall quickly, and we could face big problems later. Attached are some photos. By the way, my builder is really great and very cooperative, but as mentioned not currently available.
Thank you for your input and Happy New Year 2022!
A
allstar838 Feb 2022 13:485 dehumidifiers running nonstop for 5 weeks. That’s how it was for us 🙂
allstar83 schrieb:
5 dehumidifiers running continuously for 5 weeks. That’s how it was for us 🙂The underfloor heating is gradually increased to 45°C (113°F) using the screed drying program. It is then supposed to run continuously for 3-4 weeks. Additionally, 2 dehumidifiers are used. According to the heating installer/general contractor, the screed should be dry enough after that to start tiling.
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WilderSueden8 Feb 2022 14:04allstar83 schrieb:
5 dehumidifiers for 5 weeks straight. Non-stop. That’s how it was for us 🙂Do you have such a large house, or why did you use 5 units at once? And were they with or without fans?A
allstar838 Feb 2022 14:29WilderSueden schrieb:
Do you have such a large house, or why do you have five units?
And with or without fans? At that time, it was with fans and water hoses running directly outside. The house is quite large as well.
It was a very difficult period with extremely high humidity outside, so airing out by opening windows wasn’t possible. Also, the house was left open during winter. It was a battle with snow and water...
Better that way than like a friend’s situation, where the flooring had to be taken out again...
Prager91 schrieb:
Raised to 45 degrees. Should then run continuously for 3-4 weeks45 degrees for three weeks? I wouldn't accept that.
Tolentino schrieb:
45 degrees for three weeks?
I wouldn’t accept that. No. The screed curing process starts at 15°C (59°F), rises to 45°C (113°F), and then returns to 15°C (59°F) – this takes three weeks.
A maximum of 2 days is spent at each temperature level.