We are wrapping up construction on a 24x16 cabin and need to finish the interior. Drywall is cheap and easy, but I am concerned about issues of condensation, mold, and cracking during the cold Maine winter. The cabin is insulated (R-13), but mostly to allow for 3-season use and to keep it a little cool in the summer. Anyone have any experience with cracking, mold, condensation, etc? THANK YOU!
I think a lot of this still comes to issues discussed in the vapor barrier threads here, with rain screen walls and 30 lb felt faring better than non-screen walls and house wraps. An important thing with house wraps is to not get liquid moisture behind them as it has trouble getting out.
Being unheated, the inside air should have less ability to carry moisture that can condense on the inside of the cold outside walls.
Hopefully others can add more to this-- I'm not of much more use. :)
I am assuming this cabin isn't occupied all the time. Maybe a solar panel to drive
a small electric fan/blower and a vent pipe just to suck out any accumilated moisture
in the air. Other folks feel free to comment on this as I don't know how much good it would do.
Bruce
Don't know if this helps, but my two cents...I think the solar-driven small vent fan would be my first thought, good idea. The "cabin" I am rebuilding here on my property is built on and around solid concrete, from top to bottom ( half is bermed). Anyway, the autumn and winter of 2004, I started having mold probs on the inside of the osb at the top. During that time, I was using a kerosene heater as my heat source, and all the windows were just layers of plastic, so I did have a humidity problem. Key-word here, Humidity. After I got the new sub-floor installed and raised off the slab 4 inches, got the walls insulated, got most of the ceiling insulation up, the mold problem has not started up again. Also, I installed a wood stove. I believe that the wood stove heat helps as being a drier heat than the kerosene emmissions. So basically, the interior is now several inches away from the cold exterior concrete surfaces with an air space. The interior heat doesn't directly hit the exterior cold surfaces, so the condensation doesn't occur. Also, until I figured out how to gain control, I simply sprayed the mold areas with Tylex every couple of days until it was under control and it died back. It really worked. Sorry to rattle, coffee's kickin' in.... 8-)
DESICCANTS will help.
http://science.howstuffworks.com/question206.htm
http://www.dehumidify.com/FAQ.html
http://www.uline.com/Group_21.asp
I bought DAMP-RID brand at WALMART in the cleaning supply aisle.
I use it in my unheated workshop to protect tools from rusting and stop mildew
.
http://www.damprid.dsiwebbuilder.com/index.asp?cat=40019
DRIERITE brand is calcium sulfate (CaSO4). It has more moisture capacity.
In addition, when my mold problem started, I did research on killing the crap...found info on mixing your own formula with citric acid, as in lemons, oranges, etc....just did a search online. But the Tylex did the job for me.
I noticed someone reading this old thread and thought I'd add our experience.
Our cabin is into it's fourth winter. The interior walls/ceiling are drywall and T&G pine and aspen. R25 floor, R19 walls, R45 ceiling. Wood heat and propane auxillary, or vice versa. The cabin is left unused for two to three weeks at a time from mid december through to April/May. By un used I mean there is no heating of any kind and we are not there. We try to go up every 2 weeks but sometimes it's three weeks between our 3 day weekend occupancy.
No problems we can see, feel or smell. The interior is more often that not colder than the outside air when we arrive. We warm it up in a couple - three hours. The tile floor takes longer and cold air spills out of the kitchen cupboards until the next day. Then we're gone and it cools off till the next time.
Water system is winterized naturally.
QuoteWater system is winterized naturally.
I hate it when that happens, ;D
do try to make the supplys drain freely.
Should read....
Naturally (as in, "of course"...), the water system is winterized.
d* d*
rofl [rofl2] rofl [rofl2]