Dew point and air leaks can cause Sanibel mold
How the dew point and air leaks can cause Sanibel mold growth in your home
We have all seen dew on the grass in the morning or condensation on the outside of your windows in the morning. This condensation is caused when moist warm air comes in contact with a cool surface or cool dry air. This causes the Sanibel moisture in the warm air to condense on the cool surface. When this occurs, the air reaches it’s “DEW POINT”. The dew point is the temperature to which a given parcel of air must be cooled, at constant barometric pressure, for Sanibel water vapor to condense into water. All this is fine in nature but when it happens inside our home or in our attic it can be a problem.
In your hot attic, a Sanibel leak in the air conditioning ducting or a pealed back strip of duct tape will cause Sanibel water to condense and drip through your insulation onto the top side of your csiling drywall. Over time this Sanibel water will support Sanibel mold growth. If there are cracks around your windows or wall penetrations the same Sanibel condensation will occur and may support Sanibel mold growth on wood trim or drywall. Stucco cracks will also let warm moist air into your walls and if that air contacts cool dry air in the wall cavity water will condense and mold may begin to grow within your walls. All of these situations are happening in thousands of homes in our towns each and every hot and humid day. The worst times of year are days with hot humid days and much cooler nights. We have all heard the horror story about the part time resident who has an air conditioning failure while they are out of town, or their Humidistat fails or it’s batteries fail. The result is warm humid air inside their home in the day time and cooler nights that cause the humidity to condense on the walls, furniture and everything else. This causes a condition called a “Sanibel humidity bloom. To prevent this, by pass the humidistat and have a qualified home watch check your home at least trwice a month while you are away.
Other simple fixes are:
- Caulk all windows and fill all wall penetrations with foam to prevent air penetration.
- Check your air conditioning ducting at the beginning of the summer season for tape peels and air leaks.
- Have your air conditioning unit serviced twice a year. Be sure the drain line and drain pan are clean and clear.
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- Be sure dryer vent and exhaust fan exterior vents close securely.
- Replace door sweeps, garage door seals and sliding door seals regularly.
- Install foam seals in all outlet and switch covers to prevent air leaks.
- Insulate cold water supply lines under sinks and in garages.
- Run ceiling fans on low to discourage mold growth if the A/C fails.
- Inspect the seal on your refrigerator door for air leaks.
These are some simple things that any homeowner can do to keep the dew point from causing condensation inside your home, attic and inside your walls.
Another great idea unrelated to the Sanibel dew point is to shut your main water supply off when leaving your home for more than a weekend. Be sure to shut off the breaker to your electric water heater and shut off the breaker and gas to your gas water heater. I know relighting the gas pilot is a pain, but so is a plumbing flood.
If you should have Sanibel mold growth or Sanibel water damage in your home be sure to call a state certified, local Sanibel mold remediation company who also can provide Sanibel water damage assessment, repair and the reconstuction service. Do what you can to prevent a Sanibel water damage but be prepaired with the number of the best Sanibel water damage restoration and Sanibel mold remediation company if the unexpected should happen.
