insulation problems? mold/mildew
#1
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insulation problems? mold/mildew
Hi,
I have a bit of a problem going on in my unfinished basement. I was preparing to finish the space, when I noticed a small water spot near the exterior wall, I pulled the insulation back to take a look, and noticed that frost/ice was built up in certain areas. This also led to mold/mildew.
You can see from the pictures below that the studded exterior wall connects to a floor joist at the ceiling, behind this floor joist and the outer rim there isn't any type of insulation. I'm wondering if this is my problem? Or could the problem simply be that there was pockets of air between the insulation and the foundation wall?
I should also mention that the exterior wall where the majority of the issue is coming from is exposed from the outside. The basement is a lookout, so the grade of the lot comes down to where the foundation wall is exposed from the outside. The two walls with this problem are on the north and south walls in western Wisconsin
Like I said, I'm preparing to finish my basement so I'd like to resolve this issue.
DSCF5097 | Flickr - Photo Sharing!
DSCF5102 | Flickr - Photo Sharing!
I have a bit of a problem going on in my unfinished basement. I was preparing to finish the space, when I noticed a small water spot near the exterior wall, I pulled the insulation back to take a look, and noticed that frost/ice was built up in certain areas. This also led to mold/mildew.
You can see from the pictures below that the studded exterior wall connects to a floor joist at the ceiling, behind this floor joist and the outer rim there isn't any type of insulation. I'm wondering if this is my problem? Or could the problem simply be that there was pockets of air between the insulation and the foundation wall?
I should also mention that the exterior wall where the majority of the issue is coming from is exposed from the outside. The basement is a lookout, so the grade of the lot comes down to where the foundation wall is exposed from the outside. The two walls with this problem are on the north and south walls in western Wisconsin
Like I said, I'm preparing to finish my basement so I'd like to resolve this issue.
DSCF5097 | Flickr - Photo Sharing!
DSCF5102 | Flickr - Photo Sharing!
#2
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Check out the building science website
Check out the building science website for good educational information on your project. I suggest you start with the "understanding basements" article at BSD-103: Understanding Basements — Building Science Information
Good luck on your basement project.
Good luck on your basement project.
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Thanks for your reply. I read through the article and I think I understand. I'm really looking for some advice from someone who has some experience with these projects so that I can get it done right. I would have expected this to be correct when we bought the home... but it obviously wasn't. Please, I'd appreciate your opinions!