Hello everyone,
Our ventilation system has finally been up and running since the weekend.
The air quality in all rooms is noticeably much better than before. So far, I’m really impressed!
Our ventilation installer mentioned that it’s possible to program the current setting from “1” to “2” during the day and then have it automatically switch back to setting “1” at night to keep the noise level low.
At the moment, I don’t find the air quality bad and don’t see a reason to increase the setting (but this shouldn’t cause any disadvantages, just stronger ventilation, right?). In my opinion, setting “2” is hardly audible either!
Do you usually ventilate bathrooms manually with windows after showering when you have a ventilation system, or can/should I generally avoid manual ventilation?
Our basement currently has a constant humidity level of 70%. We have no windows there since it’s purely a utility basement. The ventilation system is connected in this area as well.
A few weeks ago, we had serious mold problems because we stored a lot in the basement and the ventilation system wasn’t running yet.
Now my question:
Do I no longer need to worry about mold as long as the system is operating? Can mold develop even with continuous ventilation? I probably won’t be able to lower the 70% humidity quickly since we have a waterproof (WU) basement and it’s a new build that needs time to properly dry out.
Is drying laundry an issue at this stage? We have a separate laundry room in the basement that is also ventilated by the system.
Or:
Should I generally wait a few more months before using the basement as a storage space?
I look forward to your feedback 🙂
Our ventilation system has finally been up and running since the weekend.
The air quality in all rooms is noticeably much better than before. So far, I’m really impressed!
Our ventilation installer mentioned that it’s possible to program the current setting from “1” to “2” during the day and then have it automatically switch back to setting “1” at night to keep the noise level low.
At the moment, I don’t find the air quality bad and don’t see a reason to increase the setting (but this shouldn’t cause any disadvantages, just stronger ventilation, right?). In my opinion, setting “2” is hardly audible either!
Do you usually ventilate bathrooms manually with windows after showering when you have a ventilation system, or can/should I generally avoid manual ventilation?
Our basement currently has a constant humidity level of 70%. We have no windows there since it’s purely a utility basement. The ventilation system is connected in this area as well.
A few weeks ago, we had serious mold problems because we stored a lot in the basement and the ventilation system wasn’t running yet.
Now my question:
Do I no longer need to worry about mold as long as the system is operating? Can mold develop even with continuous ventilation? I probably won’t be able to lower the 70% humidity quickly since we have a waterproof (WU) basement and it’s a new build that needs time to properly dry out.
Is drying laundry an issue at this stage? We have a separate laundry room in the basement that is also ventilated by the system.
Or:
Should I generally wait a few more months before using the basement as a storage space?
I look forward to your feedback 🙂
WilderSueden schrieb:
The 70% is actually too high, and ventilation doesn’t help in summer. You’re cooling 30°C (86°F) warm air down to 20°C (68°F), which increases the relative humidity accordingly. Just look up a humidity calculator and play around with the numbers, then you’ll understand what I mean.
If you want to dry the basement walls in summer, you need to use artificial dehumidification, meaning a construction dryer. I don’t understand why you’re so stubborn about this now. The outcome of waiting is completely predictable. You can do this in winter (when ventilation actually dehumidifies), but not in summer (when the opposite usually happens). So basically, do you need to dry every summer, or is this mainly about the initial drying phase at the start of the new build?
In other words, is this a fundamental “summer problem”?
A fundamental issue with winter - summer - house drying.
In summer, warm air with about 40% humidity is blown into the cooler basement, cools down, and the humidity rises.
In winter, cold air with about 40% humidity is blown into the warmer basement, warms up, and the humidity decreases.
I would only store items on pallet boards / Euro pallets.
In summer, warm air with about 40% humidity is blown into the cooler basement, cools down, and the humidity rises.
In winter, cold air with about 40% humidity is blown into the warmer basement, warms up, and the humidity decreases.
I would only store items on pallet boards / Euro pallets.
vonBYnachSH14 Jun 2022 10:53First, focus on getting the basement dry. That is the current issue. If you leave it at 70%, you can be quite sure that mold will develop—watch the baseboards, for example—it happens very quickly.
How dry your entire house is will become clear fairly quickly. It might be fine by winter, but it could also take longer since summer, with its higher humidity, has just begun.
You already have measuring devices, so I would just check them every day. Our last house dried out quickly and stayed dry. However, in winter, in the rooms where I did laundry, I often used a dehumidifier—if humidity goes above 60%, my alarm bells start ringing.
How dry your entire house is will become clear fairly quickly. It might be fine by winter, but it could also take longer since summer, with its higher humidity, has just begun.
You already have measuring devices, so I would just check them every day. Our last house dried out quickly and stayed dry. However, in winter, in the rooms where I did laundry, I often used a dehumidifier—if humidity goes above 60%, my alarm bells start ringing.
W
WilderSueden14 Jun 2022 10:54Ventilating moisture out of the basement in summer is a matter of physics and therefore a fundamental issue. Modern insulated basements perform somewhat better than older ones, as the temperature difference is smaller.
Whether this generally leads to mold is another question. It depends on how much moisture the basement itself can regulate. Ideally, the basement can easily absorb the moisture and then be ventilated in winter to remove it. During the first season, however, you should help the basement get started by drying it thoroughly.
Whether this generally leads to mold is another question. It depends on how much moisture the basement itself can regulate. Ideally, the basement can easily absorb the moisture and then be ventilated in winter to remove it. During the first season, however, you should help the basement get started by drying it thoroughly.
Practical advice:
During the summer, ventilate well using a ventilation system (of course, continuously and always) and additionally use a construction dehumidifier.
In autumn/winter, you might start the initial storage and avoid placing items too close to the walls.
Are there any tips for storing more sensitive items like leather, paper, cardboard boxes, etc.? Possibly sealing them airtight? Do you have experience with good storage boxes or shelving that makes sense?
Laundry should be dried outdoors for now and only moved to the basement in autumn/winter.
Monitor temperatures in the basement as well as humidity levels in all lower rooms, and be cautious if humidity exceeds 60%.
Current basement setup:
We have tiled the entrance area, but the other three rooms (storage/technical/laundry) are untiled or without flooring and, naturally, without baseboards. We have deliberately postponed this to give the screed enough time to dry properly.
During the summer, ventilate well using a ventilation system (of course, continuously and always) and additionally use a construction dehumidifier.
In autumn/winter, you might start the initial storage and avoid placing items too close to the walls.
Are there any tips for storing more sensitive items like leather, paper, cardboard boxes, etc.? Possibly sealing them airtight? Do you have experience with good storage boxes or shelving that makes sense?
Laundry should be dried outdoors for now and only moved to the basement in autumn/winter.
Monitor temperatures in the basement as well as humidity levels in all lower rooms, and be cautious if humidity exceeds 60%.
Current basement setup:
We have tiled the entrance area, but the other three rooms (storage/technical/laundry) are untiled or without flooring and, naturally, without baseboards. We have deliberately postponed this to give the screed enough time to dry properly.
Regarding the question about the ventilation system (the briefing from my ventilation installer is still pending).
Does the ventilation system actually detect indoor temperatures and regulate itself automatically, or does it simply blow warm air into the rooms at full power all day?
Is this basically the same for all central ventilation systems, or are there differences between manufacturers?
We have a system from Tecalor.
Does the ventilation system actually detect indoor temperatures and regulate itself automatically, or does it simply blow warm air into the rooms at full power all day?
Is this basically the same for all central ventilation systems, or are there differences between manufacturers?
We have a system from Tecalor.
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