This is new to me so hopefully somebody can help. I live in Wisconsin (just outside of Madison). I am finishing the lower level of my house (it is above ground) that is about two and half years old. When pulling out the insulation to run the electrical I noticed black mold in some places and frost in others (it has been below freezing lately). The insulation used did not have paper backing, but the interior walls were covered with plastic (until I started this project of course). I have several questions about the mold and frost. 1) How can I determine if the water is getting in behind the siding? 2) If it isn’t coming from the outside, is it possible that when they sealed the house the exterior wall were wet and weren’t given time to dry out? 3) What are my options before I finish the lower level and seal it up with drywall? 4) When I do go to seal it up, what is the best insulation to use? I appreciate any information anyone can provide.
Thank you.
Replies
It sounds like condensation from humidity in the lowewr level ( in the Mid-west we put these under ground and call them basaements ) is getting behind the insulation and getting trapped. You're going to want to remove all the insulation to check for moisture or mold contamination - discard any that is and you should be able to reuse the dry stuff. Are the walls frame or studded out masaonry? There are really alot of factors that could influence the situation. Was the vapor barrier tight? Was the exterior wrapped and sealed properly? Have you ever noticed moisture/water around the perimeter of the lower level ( is it totally above grade?) Take heart-whatever the answer is it can't be as frustrating as trying to keep water out of a 7' deep hole that we call basements and try to occupy. Good luck
Thank you for the response. The house is framed and I would say that the vapor barrier was not real tight. I am not sure on if the house was wrapped properly before they put up the siding. I have never noticed water around the edge of the lower level but it is all above ground so that might help explain.
I will take all the insulation out and hopefully it will dry out before I seal it up.
Thanks again for the response.