I’m not talking about just furniture against the wall, like literally everything, including my kitchen set in the middle of the room has this issue
I’m not talking about just furniture against the wall, like literally everything, including my kitchen set in the middle of the room has this issue
I would suggest a low tech, passive approach using some sort of desiccant. I had good results in my Adirondack basement with what amounted to mesh bags filled with pumice.
https://www.mcmaster.com/desiccant-packs/
The moisture has to be coming from somewhere, i'd try to find/control the source before trying to manage it with a dehumidifier or AC
"I get mold from the floor to maybe 4’ up the walls." " The house has a half basement with a concrete floor and a dirt floor crawl space"
My guess is the moisture is coming up either from the basement or crawlspace or both. The water source might be from gutter downspouts or a spring.
To check to see if the moisture is coming from the concrete slab or crawlspace floor i'd place a large sheet of clear plastic on the those floors and check for condensation under the plastic.
As I understand it some crawlspaces are vented and others are encapsulated to manage moisture .
I grew up in a 1600s stone farmhouse in Glen Mills PA with minimal AC and never experienced the mold issues the OP describes. Has to be water infiltration of some sort, could even be an improperly vented dryer backing into the living space.
That's a good point...I've had moisture issues with the back wall of the 250 year old stone portion of our home. Part of my solution has been to get more sunlight exposure to that area as well as attending to improving the gutters and other water pathways. The moisture has to be coming from somewhere and it's either from below, from above or through the wall from the outside. The level of moisture that causes wetness and mold isn't likely coming from the air as I think about it more. The source needs to be determined.
--
The most expensive tool is the one you buy "cheaply" and often...