Mold in our new home скачать в хорошем качестве

Mold in our new home

Installing plastic above the drywall greatly increased the need for insulation. During the winter, our attic can get below ten degrees Fahrenheit. Moisture is held in the warm air inside our home and can travel through the drywall. This moisture in the air condenses when contacting the cold plastic sheeting that was not insulated. This is the same as a cold drink sweating in the summer. Where there is sufficient insulation, the plastic is closer to the warmth of the drywall and interior of the house. So, the moisture does not condense to a liquid state upon contact. The condensed moisture does not dry quickly, because it is covered in plastic. It only dries slowly by traveling back through the drywall when the attic warms in the spring and is closer to the temperature of the inside of the house. As long as there is a difference in temperature, the condensation increases. The presence of this moisture allows for the growth of mold. Homes were built without this layer of plastic for a long time. Without the plastic, moisture could travel through the drywall and into the attic air. The attic might dissipate this moisture through its ventilation or just fill entirely with trapped moisture, depending on its design. Either way, there would be no plastic to trap the moisture and promote mold growth on this specific surface of the drywall. The bathroom vents should exhaust air to the outside. During our winter, the bathroom air is always warmer than the outside air and attic air. Warmer air can hold more moisture than cool air. So, when the bathroom air vents outside (or leaks into the attic), it appears as steam or fog. This is because the moisture condenses as the air cools and can no longer hold as much moisture. Outside the house, this is not a problem. In the attic, buried in insulation, the condensed moisture collects and takes a long time to dry. This presence of moisture caused mold to grow on the wood surfaces around the vent leaks.