Pergamon
2016-11-11 13:10:02
- #1
Hello everyone,
For about a year now, we have been living in a ground-floor apartment that is partially equipped with a crawl space cellar and partially with a walk-in cellar. The living area (west side) above the crawl space cellar shows humidity levels between 60 and 70%, and we also have problems with white mold on clothing items despite regular airing.
These mold problems prompted me to take a closer look at the crawl space cellar. It resembled a dripstone cave. The masonry and concrete ceiling were wet, with mold and lime deposits everywhere.
A foil was embedded in the concrete ceiling, which presumably served as a vapor barrier. This foil was completely missing in one section, and in another, it hung loosely from the concrete ceiling. The foil was also quite moldy.
I suspect that the cement layer below the foil was gradually destroyed due to constant condensation on the ceiling, which is why the foil hung from the ceiling. The crawl space cellar itself has been filled with sand. This is also damp. The masonry (calcium silicate bricks) is wet as well. There is no ventilation for the crawl space cellar.
As a first measure, I used a construction dryer for two weeks to remove buckets of water from the cellar so that the ceiling is dry again. I disposed of the fallen vapor barrier and treated the sections with mold spray. I dug out the downpipes running down the corners of the house. I could not detect any damage here. However, it looks as if the underground exterior masonry was buried without protective coating (bitumen)...
So the moisture comes from below through the floor of the crawl space cellar and from the sides through the masonry.
My question now: How should it proceed? I have read a bit about the subject and had to realize that countermeasures in such cases vary again and again. In my case, the house was built in the 1970s. At that time, crawl space cellars were less common in Germany. In the end, in my research, I came across a study by the Fraunhofer Institute, which was quite insightful. It shows that the vapor barrier should have been buried in the ground. Furthermore, the crawl space cellar must have ventilation that can be closed in summer.
All of this sounds quite logical, and therefore I have now considered the following further steps:
1. Bury foil (construction foil) as a vapor barrier about a shovel’s depth into the cellar floor.
2. Basically excavate the crawl space cellar so that the masonry can dry during the winter.
3. Install ventilation ducts (one per section) and apply an appropriate protective coating to the exterior masonry.
4. If necessary, lay drainage around the crawl space cellar.
Will this get the moisture out of the cellar and the living area above it? What do you think?
Has anyone here had a similar situation?
Best regards from Edewecht
Stefan
For about a year now, we have been living in a ground-floor apartment that is partially equipped with a crawl space cellar and partially with a walk-in cellar. The living area (west side) above the crawl space cellar shows humidity levels between 60 and 70%, and we also have problems with white mold on clothing items despite regular airing.
These mold problems prompted me to take a closer look at the crawl space cellar. It resembled a dripstone cave. The masonry and concrete ceiling were wet, with mold and lime deposits everywhere.
A foil was embedded in the concrete ceiling, which presumably served as a vapor barrier. This foil was completely missing in one section, and in another, it hung loosely from the concrete ceiling. The foil was also quite moldy.
I suspect that the cement layer below the foil was gradually destroyed due to constant condensation on the ceiling, which is why the foil hung from the ceiling. The crawl space cellar itself has been filled with sand. This is also damp. The masonry (calcium silicate bricks) is wet as well. There is no ventilation for the crawl space cellar.
As a first measure, I used a construction dryer for two weeks to remove buckets of water from the cellar so that the ceiling is dry again. I disposed of the fallen vapor barrier and treated the sections with mold spray. I dug out the downpipes running down the corners of the house. I could not detect any damage here. However, it looks as if the underground exterior masonry was buried without protective coating (bitumen)...
So the moisture comes from below through the floor of the crawl space cellar and from the sides through the masonry.
My question now: How should it proceed? I have read a bit about the subject and had to realize that countermeasures in such cases vary again and again. In my case, the house was built in the 1970s. At that time, crawl space cellars were less common in Germany. In the end, in my research, I came across a study by the Fraunhofer Institute, which was quite insightful. It shows that the vapor barrier should have been buried in the ground. Furthermore, the crawl space cellar must have ventilation that can be closed in summer.
All of this sounds quite logical, and therefore I have now considered the following further steps:
1. Bury foil (construction foil) as a vapor barrier about a shovel’s depth into the cellar floor.
2. Basically excavate the crawl space cellar so that the masonry can dry during the winter.
3. Install ventilation ducts (one per section) and apply an appropriate protective coating to the exterior masonry.
4. If necessary, lay drainage around the crawl space cellar.
Will this get the moisture out of the cellar and the living area above it? What do you think?
Has anyone here had a similar situation?
Best regards from Edewecht
Stefan