How to Address Moisture Problems in Your Bathroom and Home

Moisture can accumulate in your home surprisingly fast, and usually it happens in areas where you’re unlikely to notice the damage until it’s too late. Moisture, like termites and other pests, can cause widespread damage to the infrastructure of your home, making it a potentially expensive problem to address and thus earning it the title of Homeowner’s Nightmare.

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If you suspect your home has moisture problems, read on to learn about some of the common causes, how to identify the tell-tale signs, and what to do next.

Common Causes of Moisture Problems & Build Up

Poorly insulated windows. Single pane windows do a poor job of keeping cold air from entering or leaving your house and this cold surface causes condensation to build up. If not wiped off, over time the condensation can undermine the integrity of the window sills and sashes.
Dryer vent. Most vents lead outside as an extra safety measure, but electric dryers can be vented inside. Moisture buildup is possible with this kind of set up, however, due to the high heat and humidity.
Leaky pipes. Pipes that drip water can quickly cause mold and mildew issues, or even rotting wood. The leaks can happen in hard to reach places, like inside your walls, where you won’t notice it for a long time.
General humidity problems. If you do a lot of cooking, take a lot of showers or maybe even run a humidifier, you can create such a humid atmosphere in your home that mold and mildew can begin to form.
Foundation problems. If the slope of land around your home isn’t quite right, water can accumulate around your foundation after it rains. This can cause mold, mildew or rot to take hold in your basement or crawl space.

Identifying Signs of Existing Moisture Problems

Moisture can sometimes be seen right away as condensation. If your windows, walls or ceilings have visible moisture on them, it’s time to investigate to find the cause. In the meantime, you can run a dehumidifier to help dispel some of that excess moisture.

The other main ways that moisture problems will manifest are as mold, mildew, water stains and rotting wood.

Mold or mildew can be identified by both sight and smell. Although mold and mildew are very similar since mold spores cause mildew, the word “mold” is usually used to describe a more serious problem. Mildew is relatively easy to get rid of, but mold is not.

In fact, some people are allergic to mold, and having just a little bit in the house can be enough to cause symptoms like difficulty breathing. If you’re unlucky enough to be allergic to mold and experience symptoms when in your home, that’s a big red flag that says you’re dealing with mold instead of mildew.

Then there’s a mold known as toxic black mold, which can cause feelings of illness in anyone who is exposed to it. As the name implies, this mold is identifiable by its black color (versus green, white or grey). An infestation of black mold is very serious and should be addressed by a professional due to the health hazards associated with it. Although black mold is indeed fixable, if the infestation is bad enough, the home may be condemned. It takes a lot of neglect for a home to get to this stage, though.

Water stains are most likely to appear on the ceiling or walls, and are a sign of a leaky roof, a leaky pipe or possibly a foundation problem. The plaster is likely to crack and split in the center of the water stain, and the stain itself is usually a light brown with darker edges. Once the source of the water is found and fixed, water stains can be easily fixed.

Rotten wood is the most difficult symptom of a moisture problem to diagnose, since it means taking a look at the infrastructure of your home. A professional can spot more subtle signs of water damage to give you some answers without needing to look at the inside of your walls, for example, although that is the only way to be sure. A bathroom remodeling project is the perfect opportunity to evaluate the integrity of the wooden infrastructure of this room and to take proactive measures if necessary.

Preventing Humidity and Moisture Problems

Replace your windows with two or three pane glass to improve insulation and decrease condensation.
Vent your dryer outside if possible, or use a dehumidifier in conjunction with your dryer to decrease humidity.
Repair any leaky pipes as soon as you notice them, such as the pipes under your bathroom sink.
Repair a leaky roof as soon as you notice water damage. You can also have a roofing professional assess your roof periodically for loose or damaged tiles.
Have a professional dirt work crew adjust the slope of the ground leading away from your foundation to prevent pools of water collecting there after rain.
Waterproof your basement or crawl space to keep mold and mildew at bay.
Make sure all gutters are working properly and that drain spouts direct water away from your home.
Use a ventilation fan over your stove when you cook and in your bathroom during and after a shower.
Cover fish tanks and pots of boiling water.
Keep interior doors open whenever possible to promote good air flow. Open windows when the weather is nice for the same effect.
Use a dehumidifier to help control chronic humidity problems.

Moisture problems can be a hassle, but only if they get out of control. Inspect your house for possible problem areas where condensation might collect, and take preventative measures to decrease the overall humidity in your home. If you plan to remodel your home soon, ask your remodeling design consultants about installing fans and vents over your stove and in your bathroom to help dissipate humidity, and about making sure the dryer vents to the outside. These integrated features will make it much easier to manage your home’s moisture problems in the future.

By: Cathy Habas

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