In recent years it seems that the problems associated with moisture in buildings has gained more prevalence in the insurance and litigation worlds. Moisture can create mildew, mold, indoor air quality, corrosion and rotting problems in buildings, making for large claim amounts due to the costs associated with repair and remediation. Moisture problems in buildings is not new. However, as technology and the materials and means of construction have changed over the years so have the challenges associated with properly controlling moisture.
One of the big questions asked these days is "Where did the moisture come from?". There are a number of sources that moisture problems can be traced back too. In many cases there may be more than a single source creating or contributing to the moisture problems in a particular building.
Some sources of moisture in buildings include
The American Society of Heating Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) publishes a wealth of information including standards, handbooks and peer-reviewed journals on the subject of controlling moisture in buildings. You can visit their web page at http://www.ashrae.org.
In future articles we will discuss some of the moisture problems associated with improper crawl space ventilation and vapor barriers, and some of the moisture problems associated with improperly designed or installed HVAC equipment.