There is a mechanical exhaust fan in a laundry room located further inside the house. 2 air inlets in the relevant wall. The house was originally built with an oil boiler, so no exhaust was present initially.Jonatan79 said:
A thought that just occurred to me is that we installed the exhaust in the laundry room. Can increased ventilation cause this?
If it has worked for over 40 years, it seems less likely that the moisture is coming from the slab, but rather as suggested, it flows in behind the panel higher up. There should probably be tar paper between the slab and the wooden frame, but it doesn't help if it flows in from above.
This might not sound entirely good and a way for humid indoor air to condense against the outer wall.
"- The plastic film between insulation and drywall does not go all the way down under the floor, so if there is mold in the construction, the smell can certainly find its way into the house."
"- The plastic film between insulation and drywall does not go all the way down under the floor, so if there is mold in the construction, the smell can certainly find its way into the house."
I see that the asfaboard is completely wet at the bottom. Can it be so from water running along it? Does it collect at the bottom then?T TommyC said:
I couldn't see that the asfaboard or panel was damp anywhere except at the bottom. But such condensation might not be noticeable?Ulltand said:
If you have so much moisture in the indoor air and such poor ventilation that it condenses inside the wall, it should feel like a very poor "climate" in the room against the moisture-damaged wall. If this is the case, the problem should be linked to changes in ventilation or other factors affecting the moisture load on the wall. If no such changes have been made, it is most likely that water is seeping in from outside.
No, there's no bad climate indoors. No condensation on the inside of the windows either.T TommyC said:
I'm brainstorming a bit.
Water leak (unlikely): Turn off all taps and check that the water meter isn't moving.
From above: There are only close-ups, so one wonders what the entire wall looks like?
From outside/Rain: Has it been windy against the wall and rained in the last week?
Condensation from outside: Could it be condensation forming against the cold slab?
Is it the same in all directions?
Moisture migration: Has it rained more than usual in the last few weeks? How close is it to the groundwater, and what is the groundwater level?
How damp is the soil against the foundation if you dig a bit down?
Water leak (unlikely): Turn off all taps and check that the water meter isn't moving.
From above: There are only close-ups, so one wonders what the entire wall looks like?
From outside/Rain: Has it been windy against the wall and rained in the last week?
Condensation from outside: Could it be condensation forming against the cold slab?
Is it the same in all directions?
Moisture migration: Has it rained more than usual in the last few weeks? How close is it to the groundwater, and what is the groundwater level?
How damp is the soil against the foundation if you dig a bit down?
Thank you! Need all the help I can getS sblixten said:
Done, it's standing still.S sblixten said:
I can post more pictures later, but it's a standing facade all the way up, 2 windows. There's a gutter and the eaves protrude about 30 cm.S sblixten said:
There have been a few rains, but not much for the season. The first time we noticed the mold smell in the summer was after a severe rainstorm and heat.S sblixten said:
This construction exists in only one direction. The house is a chain house, so there are only two facades and the other walls are from the 1950s and have a different construction. Haven't experienced mold smell in other parts of the house.S sblixten said:
No, rather less. Even the summer was less rainy than previous years.S sblixten said:
Not sure here, didn't find a good map online. Do you know of any service that shows this?S sblixten said:
Not particularly damp, the drainage seems to be working well.S sblixten said:
Thank you. It has been low-normal all summer.T TommyC said:
Don't completely agree with that. The dew point at this time late summer and autumn can be up to 15 C. Cold nights can make the inside of the wall colder than that, and the relative humidity is often high this time of year.T TommyC said:
And because there is no air gap, the moisture cannot dry out properly.
Sounds reasonable, but it doesn't explain why the smell appeared in July?