Help! It's Raining In My House!

I just had a past buyer contact me about excessive moisture in their home. He's concerned about the windows and possible leaks in the shingles as he has noticed too much moisture on the windows and what appears to be leaking from the ceiling.

Unfortunately many homeowners aren't aware of how to balance the moisture levels in their home. I'll be visiting the home today to see what kind of issues they're experiencing. I got in touch with the builder (the home is about 4 years old) and he gave me some information about the window manufacturer and the roofing contractor. However, both of us are thinking that the family isn't familiar with the ventilation that needs to occur to keep the house from having moisture issues. We discussed proper ventilation (running the fans in the baths, etc.) when they purchased, but I think we'll need to take it a step further.

A family of four can generate 12 pints of water vapor a day just by breathing, cooking is 1 pint per meal, houseplants can give off 1 pint a day and showering is a 1/2 pint per person. That's a lot of water vapor being created in a house everyday. If it's not adequately vented it will cause moisture problems in a house, especially when the outdoor temperature drops below the dew point. With our cold winters the temparture differential can routinely cause humidity issues and problems, especially around windows and doors.

Here are some recommendations to reduce an excessive moisture level in the home. Run the home's exhaust ventilation system during and after showering or bathing, and 30 minutes after cooking and dish washing, add a dehumidifier and be sure to run it in the basement during the summer.

The University of Minnesota Extension office has this helpful information available to homeowners to help them understand and combat their indoor moisture problems. A healthy house depends on proper ventilation and moisture control.