So its raining pretty much non-stop up here and things are starting feel a little clammy.
The house I am in is very 'tight' such that one cannot really even 'slam' the interior doors when the windows are closed.
That said, I am seeing the beginnings of mold growing in various places. My quandry is what to do.
Little to no breeze, no dehumidifier or wood stove for even a little dry heat bubble... working only with windows and doors and not sure of the sequence.
The house 'feels' drier with everything closed but I know I am getting near zero air exchange and my gut feeling is this is helping the mold get a foothold.
If I open the windows the house immediately feels wetter, albeit with fresher air and more circulation.
I get the feeling that this might be the way to go but upon closing the windows to me it seems like I have now 'captured' all this moisture.
I think I will eventually figure out the best sequence but any advice to speed up my learning curve would be appreciated.
Trying to work with passive methods for now would like avoid things that plug in.
Thank you !
a green freckled pog
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Move to Southern California!
Ha na Glen,
Don't remind me ......... too long stay SoCal.
pog
well, a dehumidifier is a good investment in the long run.
I always leave all my windows open except when rain is actually blowing in ...
the moisture will come in through the walls anyway. Air circulation is your friend. Do you not have fans you can run? Are you off grid? When no breeze, my fans are on.
When things start to mold, at least in my last, I would get out the dehumidifier and run it in one room at a time, with windows closed, for maybe 24 hours. It will warm that room up, dry it out, and put things in balance again. Mine is from Sears and cost me about $220, which sounds like a lot, but I had to have it when we were painting because we couldn't even get paint to dry.
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We keep our windows at least part open all of the time (we changed out most of the sliders for awnings (open like Jalousies, but have a solid frame) we have single pane, bottom scissor awnings, but now kinda wish we had gone with taller multi pane, side scissor awnings (2-3 stacked) for even more air flow, nice thing with awnings, window can be open with no rain!
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I was told by a mold remediation expert, to close the house up when it's really rainy and run ceiling fans, and open everything up when it's clear. That's what we practice up here in Mountain View and it seems to help alot. When we first moved in I always had the windows open and we had a lot of mold problems. We got a wood burner stove a few months ago and it has made a HUGE difference. I have one of those weather towers that reads indoor/outdoor temps and humidity levels. It will read 98% humidity outside and roughly 50% humidity inside when I'm burning a fire, around 65% when I'm not burning a fire. Aloha, Angela
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Thanks everyone,
O.K. Windows open a little more / longer, fan possibility.
Seeing signs of mold in various places, so did a real search to see if I could find the 'motherload' spots ... only one on an old dresser and a bunch of tiny motherloads on the yikes wood CHOPSTICKS !
Breeze today with only spots of rain and patches of sun.
pog
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Pohakus dehumidifier is a lot cheaper than AC, which many houses are designed for. What might help alot would be a tube light. This consists of a bubble above a silver tube carrying the light(think dryer vent), and a diffuser on the ceiling. These things transmit the nicest natural light without the heat(like a skylight emits). Natural light reduces mold growth . They're becoming popular, as the light is so true and pleasant. However the instalation through the roof should be done by a pro! The cost has come down 50% in the first few years, to the 300$ range plus reducing your mercury footprint. Has anyone yet designed a solar ceiling fan? Would be a good off grid solution as the sun is the main reason for them! Google Tube Lighting, I think they're available in Keaau.
Gordon J Tilley
A solar fan would be as easy as any solar system. Just have a separate system for the fans. Like all those silly little lights HD sells. But a single panel, inverter and separate wiring from your house if you're on the grid. You'll have to figure you're running a motor not just 12 volt lighting. Get it to power one fan motor and connect them buy belts the way Kona Inn has em. Don't know of any redi-made solar celling fans. It is a DIY kind of thing.
As a routine, open what windows in your house that will cause a cross breeze in the morning. Then close them at night or late evening, or late afternoon to catch the heat. In HPP windows get closed to muffle the frogs anyway. Have one room with a small ac and use it as a dry-pool in the summer. Same as walking into a motel room on a hot summer day, say in the middle of Texas? woooosh!
If you have leathers, rare pictures or art, special paper, or items that can be harmed by moisture, a dehumidifier is a very inexpensive preservative/precaution. Many, many people have lost their past life possessions after moving here. Welcome to Puna.
