Condensation

[Savoy]

My mother moved into a home last summer. This home is concrete block with brick veneer siding. The home is early 70's. and sits on a basement. The basement is heated by a gas furnace.

A couple of quick questions.

1. The windows had all been upgraded to double pane sliders. This winter there has been a large amount of condensation on these windows. I know what causes condensation but why would this home have so much more than I typically see and what Can I do about it?

2. This home sits on a basement and I want to finish a section of the basement this month. The main water line enters the basement in this area. The main line is copper, it moves up the foundation wall and to the water softener which is located on the other side of the basement. From the moment it enters the home until it gets to the softener there is also a large amount of condensation dripping off the pipes. What can I do so that my walls and ceilings will not always be water stained or damaged?

Thanks

Jon

[Erol Kartal]

Hi Jon,

There are a couple of possibilities based on homes I've seen in areas like yours (Colorado).

- The outside air is extremely dry this time of year, while you may have excessively moist conditions in the home. The end result is excessive condensation. Or you may have leaks in the window seals.

- The basement pipes can be wrapped to correct the condensation problem there.

If you have excessive moisture in the home it may be lack of insulation and poor ventilation. Make sure bathroom exhaust vents to the exterior.

Erol Kartal

ProInspect

[Corners]

Originally posted by Savoy

2. This home sits on a basement and I want to finish a section of the basement this month. The main water line enters the basement in this area. The main line is copper, it moves up the foundation wall and to the water softener which is located on the other side of the basement. From the moment it enters the home until it gets to the softener there is also a large amount of condensation dripping off the pipes. What can I do so that my walls and ceilings will not always be water stained or damaged?

Thanks

Jon

To stop the condensate from forming on the pipes, install anti-sweat insulation as the previous poster mentioned. It wouldn't take much to stop it.

However, I must ask, what's the humidity in your home that is causing the condensation? Are the walls wet? Does the basement have water problems that would cause the basement's RH to be high? You may consider running a dehumidifier in the basement to prevent this from happening.