Tips to Eliminate Moisture Problems

Moisture is the key ingredient for mold, one of the costliest issues to resolve.

According to Energy.gov, 98% of all moisture movement in new construction happens through air leaks. If you're building something new, there is great advice about moisture management in this article.

For the rest of us, we're stuck with our old houses. Here moisture problems commonly result from plumbing:

• splashing tub
• leaking drain pipes, especially rotted cast iron
• unvented or under-vented bathrooms

Prevent Moisture with Maintenance

You can stay ahead of moisture with some preventative maintenance:

• Install bathroom vents during vacancies
• Make a quarterly pass through the basement looking for
  • slow drips
  • corroded copper
  • moist wood
  • orange or white fungus
  • or other indications of failing plumbing
• Make sure that surfaces around tubs are caulked or grouted completely
• replace original cast iron if you have the wall open for another reason

Plumbing repairs are expensive, but mold can be devastating. Don't let little leaks blossom into big problems.