Ban Board above basement walls wet.

Hello all. I purchased my stucco home in late august. (08) My problem with the home first started when the tempetures bagan to drop for the winter. I had condensation on the windows. I then had a E Z Breathe ventilation system installed in the basement because I was getting high humidity readings. While the system was being installed I noticed that the ban board behind the stucco and paper was wet. I then went to the inside to get a look. I found it to be wet also along with a little bit of the floor board also. This was on the western side of the house. It takes on all the weather. I then checked out the south side of the house and it to was wet. Really starting to get concerned.

Could this be wet because the stucco around the windows doesn't touch the window frame totally? Water then gets behind stucco?

Or could my final grade outside be to high against the house?

 

When you say it started when the temperatures dropped, the first thing that comes to mind is condensation. Then you add you have known high humidity readings. So has the ventilation system lowered the readings and what are they?

You could have leaks, but the moisture tends to be in the vicinity of the leak, not uniformly everywhere.

Stucco is used to getting wet, but I don't believe water should be getting behind it. That may need some caulking, but some of the more knowledgeable will comment on that.

Do you know what is/was causing the high moisture levels to start with, i.e. crawl space with dirt floor, just guessing? Water in basement? Other?

Bud

 

The basement is very dry. The walls have dryloc painted on them. The ventilation system has lowered the humidity in the house. I am now hovering around 37%. I've always believed that the house is just really tight. No dirt floors. I have a small crawl space, an addition built over a porch that used to wrap around the house. That space is about 400 sq ft. Attic has been checked for proper ventilation.

Finding the ban board or rim joist wet is very perplexing.

 

That's a good level. I re-read your post and you stated you saw moisture on the outside under the stucco. It would be doubtful that it was from condensation, thus the leak areas you were looking at could be the problem.

Photobucket.com will allow you to post pictures and then post the link over here. May help.

Bud

 

Yes, it was wet under the stucco on the ban board. Also the same board was wet on the inside. Climbed up a latter and looked at same board, wet.