My summer cottage has been closed up with power & heat off since early October. I went up to check on things and the only issue found was some water frozen on the brick floor of the brick surround. The brick & mortar all look fine, no cracks or obvious signs of a leak. Can this be from condensation in an uninsulated cabin where the inside temp is nearly the same as the outside temp? This is located in northern Michigan and it was 22F INside the cabin.
I'm stumped.

A picture of the brickwork:

 

If the inside temp is the same as the outside temp, then what would cause condensation?

 

could be steel will produce more condensation than the bricks will. because the steel changes temp easier than the masonry does.

life begins when the kids leave home and the dog dies.

 

Condensation is formed when cold air hit warm air and the temp changes quickly enough to produce it or just that much difference in temps IE Iced glass sitting in sumer. The condensation is a good representation of why a vapor barrier is used to insulate a structure and that barrier is always placed on the side where the cold and hot are mass interact

Answer to Pulpo question: Even though you would the temps in and out are the same temp the more moisture in the still air that there is the better the conditions for it being ripe for condensation to happen in a less temp change difference. Look at morning dew on the summer grass from a small change of overnight in temp diff but the high % of summer moisture in the air and small temp diff creates condensation on the grass

 

I'll keep that in mind.
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