HELP!! new(er) house, cold cold weather, condensation and mold

[lalaland]

I am so frustrated.

Mark is very picky, and I feel pretty certain that he was really careful about the insulation in the crawl space above the ceiling. I have no way of checking. he is out of town.

The house isjust too tight. I need an immediate solution and a long term one.

The wood stove doesn't really work great if the door is open, and I can't be burning it that way when I go to work tomorrow.

The mold is discoloring the walls and the woodwork.

The window I cracked open to provide dry air is iced open.

There is ice building up around the outside of the exhaust fan outside, so I see the moisture is leaving the danged house, but not fast enough.

I can't wipe the windows every hour 24/7.

I can't lower the moisture inside the house by not bathing at all, by not cooking at all, by not breathing!

I don't particularly want to spend $ on a dehumdifier, but I am not seeing the alternative.

My dg won't talk this over with me, just keeps saying she has no opinion.

The brands of dehumdifier that get good ratings are a) only available online, b)cost $80 bucks to ship to get tomorrow, andc) take 5-8 days to get here if I don't pay express shipping.

The brands available locally (say, a 45 minute drive to the danged big box store, and a 45 mile back) are the kinds that will break in 3 months, assuming they work at all when I get them home.

Oh, if I was cranky before, I must be ballistic now. I don't mind problems, its just the ones I can't figure out how to solve.

Send me some patience!!!!

 

[MorelCabin]

Can you hire someone to come in and assess the situation? I would...better to spend a little now that have to spend ALOT later. Mold is damaging and spreads very quickly. This is the kind of thing I would definitely call someone in to help with

 

[enjoy the ride]

OK- queen of humidity here. I live in a place that has constant fog and rain for a good part of the year.
1) You need a stove vent to the outside- that is imperative. One that simple filters the steam and puts it back into the room will not work.
2) Put your bathroom ceiling vent on a timer- it is a cheap thing to do. You just replace the switch with a timer. Then you can run the vent for time after you leave the bathroom. In your case it might be the way to vent the whole house as it's pretty small.
3) Check to make sure the vents are not blocked. If you have snow, could it be that they are?
4) Do not over water house pleants if you have any and MULCH them to keep the moisture to a minimum.

Is there any chance you have a leak somewhere that is adding to the moisture?

 

[Farmfresh]

Good ideas all enjoy the ride!

Most people are great about getting plenty of insulation and a through coverage - but sometimes it still gets worked down blocking those soffit vents. Especially if you have a lot of it.

The wood stove, even with the door shut up tight, will still really help dry it out.

Temporarily try to insulate the windows further with blankets - maybe that will help at least the window condensation.

Another temporary solution would be to keep the air moving. Have a couple of box fans?

Don't get too bent out of shape ... this awful weather is just pointing out the problems worse. It will take some time to solve the problem for good, even if you could start immediately. At least now you are aware.

 

[lalaland]

well, I had my tantrum and am feeling better.

I used a barbie pink hairdryer from the dairy farmer up the road - it was his wife's- to melt the ice on the opened window, and I've closed it now.

I drove 45 minutes to a home depot and bought a $200 dehumidifier, it has a 90 day instore warranty - after that I have to deal with the manufacturer. It is noisy as hell - but it is already pulling water out of the air after just a half hour. Too noisy for me, so I am ordering a model that is supposed to be very quiet from an online place, and it should be here in 8-10 days. That model isn't available anywhere in Minneapolis or St Paul, I can only find it online. Then I will return the too noisy one.

I've used a scotch scratch pad to remove the mold from the spots where the walls meet the ceiling, and will only have to repaint in two rooms.

Farmfresh, can you help me understand why the attic is an issue? I'm thinking the house itself is too tight and the moisture produced by the propane cooking stove, cooking, me breathing, bathing and washing dishes just produces too much moisture.

I just have one cactus, two amaryllis, and one boston fern - so I don't think my indoor plant population is contributing significantly to the moisture.

and enjoy the ride, the vents are up pretty high and not blocked by snow, but a good thought. I did check the wood stove air intake vent and did have to shovel it out, so thanks for that reminder!

 

[Farmfresh]

Hot air rises. Moist heated air also rises. You may not think of the air in your house as being "hot moist" air, but compare it to outside.

That is why attic ventilation is so important it gives the warm moist air a way out of the house.