sweating on drywall near wood moulding.

[Clarence Martin]

Got a house built in the Mid 1800's and it has wide baseboard moulding in all the rooms. 6 inch wide wood baseboard. problem is around one section of baseboard that is on the wall to the left of the front door. For some reason, about 5 to 6 inch length of that moulding is causing the drywall from where it meets the Baseboard , up about 7 to 8 inches to become dripping wet with moisture. I have caulked the Baseboard where it meets the floor , but still getting wet.

I know that section of the house does not have any insulation in the walls. I checked the outside vinyl siding , and all seems good.

Thinking of cutting out a 12 " x 12" section and spraying some of that spray foam insulation in the wall where the moisture is and then replacing that 12 x 12 section with new drywall.


Would spray foam like GREAT STUFF , stop the moisture problem ?


Thanks,


Clarence.

[Bob Michaels]

Clarence, Vinyl siding, by its nature, must be loose in order to expand and contract. One small area on an exterior wall being "dripping wet" sounds more like a leak rather than condensation. Are there any fixture blocks, light fixtures, door bells, mail boxes, or anything on the outside wall, even a window or the front door trim itself that could be the source of this. Of course, this would only happen right after a rain. It would be helpful to know under what conditions this happens and what season and where the house is located (city, state). Photos of inside and outside of the problem area would also help. Hope we can help you. Bob

[Jim Becker]

I agree with Bob...suspect a leak and it may not be "right there", but elsewhere...leaks tend to travel.

[Jason Roehl]

I'd be in the camp that it could be condensation. Use a lit candle to check all around the door, baseboard and door casings to look for air leaks. It could be that section of wall is getting cold enough and warm, moist air from inside is condensing on that cold spot. We've been extra humid this fall here like I've not ever seen--our windows (single pane, double-hung with storms) all have condensation on them right now, something that normally doesn't happen until January or February.

A picture or two might help.

[Ethan Melad]

I have a somewhat similar problem, but I'm confident that the issue is with the weather stripping beneath the door. The door is letting moisture in, and that moisture is subsequently condensing on the door frame/drywall. Might be something to look at?

[Jason Roehl]

I have a somewhat similar problem, but I'm confident that the issue is with the weather stripping beneath the door. The door is letting moisture in, and that moisture is subsequently condensing on the door frame/drywall. Might be something to look at?

It's likely to be the other way around this time of year--the door is letting cold AIR in, condensing the warm moisture that is already in the house. In the summer, when the A/C is on, and the outside is warm and humid, then you can get condensation as the warm, moist air comes in and is condensed by the conditioned air in the house.

[Ethan Melad]

Yup you're right - wasn't thinking straight about that one. In my defense, the stripping is also bad enough that sometimes driving rain will make its way through and dampen the inside of the threshold and corner of the wall.

[scott vroom]

Thinking of cutting out a 12 " x 12" section and spraying some of that spray foam insulation in the wall where the moisture is and then replacing that 12 x 12 section with new drywall.

Thanks,


Clarence.

Clarence, that's the LAST thing you'd want to do. Filling the wall cavity with sprayed foam MAY stop the water from penetrating the drywall, but unless you stop the moisture at the exterior entry point you're going to end up with major rot in the studs, baseplate, and subfloor. Your only good option here is to open the wall and determine where and how the moisture is entering the wall end effect a repair.

[Clarence Martin]

Checked it out today. Had 6 Feet of snow fall, so had some time to check it out. On the bottom of the vinyl siding, a small piece is not fitting right. J channel ? I think it is called. Tried shoving it back into place, but won't slip into place.


Could that be the problem ?

[Myk Rian]

I'm in the condensation camp, because we had the same problem.
When we had the aluminum siding removed, and vinyl installed, they put a 1/4" foam board under the siding, all around the house. That stopped the drafts, and the condensation problem.
Anything to stop the drafts can only help.

[Clarence Martin]

before the siding was installed, there was the old wood siding on the house. That was left on and covered over with 1/2 insulation boards. Think they called it fan fold insulation boards.

[Rich Enders]

-You certainly do not need a 12" by 12" hole in the wall if you are only going to foam the cavity. Only a small hole for the feed tube to slide into and another hole for venting the gas build up.

-However you may need a large opening in order to trouble shoot your problem.

-A home from the 1800's will not have dry wall unless installed later. It would be some form of lath and plaster, or.......... This may complicate doing a workman like repair.

-At lowes they have a flame resistant foam as well as Great Stuff foam. Seems like a good concept.

[Chris Padilla]

Clarence, fill in your location. It might help us understand your climate a tad better although is sounds like decently north. :D

[Bill Orbine]

Clarence, fill in your location. It might help us understand your climate a tad better although is sounds like decently north. :D

With 6 feet of snow.... I'm guessing>>>>>>>>>>>> BUFFALO!

[Chris Padilla]

I'm guessing you are probably darn close, Bill, but just to be sure, I had to ask. :)

[Clarence Martin]

With 6 feet of snow.... I'm guessing>>>>>>>>>>>> BUFFALO!

Another storm is moving in tonight and through tomorrow. Expecting another 1 to 2 Feet of additional snow. I tried shoveling today, but I called my plow man up and he is plowing the driveway tomorrow for $15.00.


Beats a Heart Attack !!!