Moisture by ventilating too little? Do not get caught!

Do you notice a moisture problem in your house and do you notice a lot of condensation with possibly some mould here and there, than it’s not because of your way of living. Do not get put off by so called experts, who claim that your moisture problem is caused by your way of living. You should ventilate more and you produce too much moisture by cooking, ironing, washing, cleaning and nightly activities. Nothing is less true. 

The self-produced moisture is in ratio of 1 to 1.000 with moisture in the house by constructive faults or leaking pipes.

Be aware for when they attribute your moisture problem to your life style.

Ventilating too much to solve a moisture problem is like trying to empty the ocean with a thimble. It also costs a lot because of the lost energy.

Condensational moisture and mould is often excluded in the most insurance policies. This is not bad in itself because this can never be the cause of the visual damage. So do not get misled by letting your case get put off. Never sign an agreement where the term “condensational moisture or mould” is described as a cause. Always find the right cause and take the source of the moisture problem away and the resulting damage “condensational moisture and mould” will disappear. Isn’t it strange that of all the 40.000 inspected houses nothing remains of the “condensational moisture” after taking away the real causes?

The determined right causes of the moisture problems at 40.000 inspected buildings in Belgium, The Netherlands, Germany, Luxemburg and France are:

• 63% faulty waterproofing at the ground level zone
• 21% cavity wall condensation
• 19% driving rain through the façade
• 18% leaking drain pipes
• 15% excessive vapour pressure from the crawling space, cellar or rain well
• 3% leaking supply pipes
• 2% directly leakages in the cellar (actual ground water)
• 1% leaks concrete cellars
• 1% leak in the roof
• 0% rising ground water (this is never the cause, only resulting damage)
• 0% moisture by faulty insulation of cold bridges (not a cause, only resulting damage)

* multiple causes are possible

Strange that all moisture problems disappear when the source of the moisture is taken away and this with the same life style, ironing, washing, nightly activities, etc. without ventilating. In other words “Do not get misled” and think twice.

Eddy H.J. Cruysberghs
Forensic technical expert
Lecturer construction physics
International moisture expert