Condensation occurs when a surface is cooler than the dew point temperature of the air next to the surface. At this temperature, the air becomes saturated with water. This is equivalent to 100% relative humidity. When condensation occurs, mold and decay are very likely. Mold can grow when the air is damper than about 80% relative humidity. To help locate […]
Energy Efficiency Affordable Comfort Housing Performance Association Energy and Environment Building Association’s Home’s Page Home Energy Magazine NAHB Research Center National Association of Home Builders North American Insulation Manufacturer’s Association US Department of Energy Weatherization Assistance Program Energy Ratings RESNET – The Residential Energy Services Network Energy Supplies INFILTEC Air Leakage Control – Blower Doors, […]
Essential Components of an Affordable, Sustainable, Comfortable, Healthy and Energy Efficient Home Effective surface water, ground water, roof water, and soil gas control Properly sized, selected, installed and balanced HVAC systems Managed mechanical ventilation and humidity control Continuous exterior- and interior-side air barriers Full coverage, optimal thermal insulation Energy-efficient and condensation-resistant windows Safe and efficient […]
http://www.rlcengineering.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/RLC-Engineering-1.png00integritivehttp://www.rlcengineering.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/RLC-Engineering-1.pngintegritive2019-04-01 22:31:512019-07-01 14:54:08Homeowner's Information
Buying a brand new house or having a new house built can be pretty stressful. Lots of decisions have to be made. Deadlines are often short. Lots of money is involved. And it’s your dream home. Then a problem or issue comes up. Without going into too much detail, here’s some things that may have […]
http://www.rlcengineering.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/RLC-Engineering-1.png00Matthttp://www.rlcengineering.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/RLC-Engineering-1.pngMatt2019-03-04 19:01:452019-03-04 19:01:45Using South Carolina Residential Construction Standards to Solve Problems
Download PDF Moisture levels inside homes in winter can sometimes be high enough to cause mildew and other problems. On the other hand, winter dryness inside some homes is also a problem. Therefore, controlling moisture levels inside a house in winter is desirable. Winter moisture problems can usually be divided into two groups: those caused […]
Download PDF Condensation on a window occurs when the surface of the window is cooler than the “dew point” temperature of air in contact with the window. Condensation is a result of a combination of surface temperature and moisture in the air. Window condensation is usually a wintertime situation, when outside temperatures are very low. […]
Download PDF Note: The information provided here and in the accompanying pdf document is provided for a better understanding of the science and physics of how buildings work so that we may make them work better, providing more stable, durable and efficient buildings. This information is NOT intended to support a particular product or company. […]
Download PDF Almost 70% of the houses in South Carolina have crawl space foundations. We build more crawl space foundations than any other state in the country. Yet we continue to have problems with our crawl spaces. These problems include mold and decay, elevated radon levels, and termite and other pest concerns. We see condensation […]
Download PDF Successful moisture control in some crawl spaces requires complete coverage of the soil with a ground cover and the elimination of ventilation. One of the major concerns with sealing a crawl space is the lack of ability to inspect for and treat termite infestations. In a vented crawl space with floor insulation, foundation […]
Download PDF A sealed (unvented) crawl space will out-perform a vented crawl space in terms of both moisture and thermal issues in South Carolina’s climate. The following new-construction specifications will provide a high-performance sealed/unvented crawl space foundation. (Note: In retrofit situations, additional steps such as mechanical humidity control may be necessary to ensure adequate moisture […]
Download PDF What are Ground covers? A ground cover, also known as a soil cover, is a sheet material installed on the soil in a crawl space to keep moisture from moving upward through the soil into the air where it can cause problems with the house. Soil moisture can lead to decay of joists, […]
Download PDF Wood Moisture Content (WMC) is often used as an indicator of decay problems in houses. This document describes the meaning and use of readings from a wood moisture meter. The moisture content of wooden substructure members is routinely being disclosed in the closing process of real estate transactions. These WMC readings are usually […]
Moisture affects wood in several ways. As air becomes damper, the moisture content of wood exposed to the air changes. The following drawings represent several situation that can occur with hardwood floors as a result of MAD Wood™. In a proper installation, the boards stay flat and uniformly tight together all year long, as shown […]
Moisture affects wood in several ways. As air becomes damper, the moisture content of wood exposed to the air changes. Due to these changes in wood moisture content, the wood’s dimensions, strength properties and potential for fungal activity change. The following chart summarizes the properties of wood as a function of moisture content of the […]
http://www.rlcengineering.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/RLC-Engineering-1.png00Matthttp://www.rlcengineering.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/RLC-Engineering-1.pngMatt2019-03-04 18:14:442019-08-05 10:23:38MAD Wood™ - Moisture and Air Dynamics of Wood
Bed bugs are insects that feed on people’s blood, like mosquitos do. Bed bugs live inside and like to feed at night. Therefore they are usually found near beds. Hence the name “bed bugs”. Bed bugs are on the comeback, primarily because of an apparent resistance to pesticides, and because of more travel by people […]
About Relative Humidity Relative Humidity is a characteristic of air, and indicates a measure of the amount of moisture in the air. When the relative humidity is high, the air feels clammy or muggy. We may sweat more and have a hard time staying cool. When the relative humidity is low, our lips get chapped, […]
Mold & Rot Locator
Condensation occurs when a surface is cooler than the dew point temperature of the air next to the surface. At this temperature, the air becomes saturated with water. This is equivalent to 100% relative humidity. When condensation occurs, mold and decay are very likely. Mold can grow when the air is damper than about 80% relative humidity. To help locate […]
External Resources
Energy Efficiency Affordable Comfort Housing Performance Association Energy and Environment Building Association’s Home’s Page Home Energy Magazine NAHB Research Center National Association of Home Builders North American Insulation Manufacturer’s Association US Department of Energy Weatherization Assistance Program Energy Ratings RESNET – The Residential Energy Services Network Energy Supplies INFILTEC Air Leakage Control – Blower Doors, […]
Homeowner’s Information
Essential Components of an Affordable, Sustainable, Comfortable, Healthy and Energy Efficient Home Effective surface water, ground water, roof water, and soil gas control Properly sized, selected, installed and balanced HVAC systems Managed mechanical ventilation and humidity control Continuous exterior- and interior-side air barriers Full coverage, optimal thermal insulation Energy-efficient and condensation-resistant windows Safe and efficient […]
Using South Carolina Residential Construction Standards to Solve Problems
Buying a brand new house or having a new house built can be pretty stressful. Lots of decisions have to be made. Deadlines are often short. Lots of money is involved. And it’s your dream home. Then a problem or issue comes up. Without going into too much detail, here’s some things that may have […]
Winter Moisture Problems
Download PDF Moisture levels inside homes in winter can sometimes be high enough to cause mildew and other problems. On the other hand, winter dryness inside some homes is also a problem. Therefore, controlling moisture levels inside a house in winter is desirable. Winter moisture problems can usually be divided into two groups: those caused […]
Window Condensation
Download PDF Condensation on a window occurs when the surface of the window is cooler than the “dew point” temperature of air in contact with the window. Condensation is a result of a combination of surface temperature and moisture in the air. Window condensation is usually a wintertime situation, when outside temperatures are very low. […]
Spray-in-place Polyurethane Foam Insulation
Download PDF Note: The information provided here and in the accompanying pdf document is provided for a better understanding of the science and physics of how buildings work so that we may make them work better, providing more stable, durable and efficient buildings. This information is NOT intended to support a particular product or company. […]
The Fallacies of Venting Crawl Spaces
Download PDF Almost 70% of the houses in South Carolina have crawl space foundations. We build more crawl space foundations than any other state in the country. Yet we continue to have problems with our crawl spaces. These problems include mold and decay, elevated radon levels, and termite and other pest concerns. We see condensation […]
Termites and Sealed Crawl Spaces
Download PDF Successful moisture control in some crawl spaces requires complete coverage of the soil with a ground cover and the elimination of ventilation. One of the major concerns with sealing a crawl space is the lack of ability to inspect for and treat termite infestations. In a vented crawl space with floor insulation, foundation […]
Sealed Crawl Space Specifications
Download PDF A sealed (unvented) crawl space will out-perform a vented crawl space in terms of both moisture and thermal issues in South Carolina’s climate. The following new-construction specifications will provide a high-performance sealed/unvented crawl space foundation. (Note: In retrofit situations, additional steps such as mechanical humidity control may be necessary to ensure adequate moisture […]
Ground Covers
Download PDF What are Ground covers? A ground cover, also known as a soil cover, is a sheet material installed on the soil in a crawl space to keep moisture from moving upward through the soil into the air where it can cause problems with the house. Soil moisture can lead to decay of joists, […]
Wood Moisture Content
Download PDF Wood Moisture Content (WMC) is often used as an indicator of decay problems in houses. This document describes the meaning and use of readings from a wood moisture meter. The moisture content of wooden substructure members is routinely being disclosed in the closing process of real estate transactions. These WMC readings are usually […]
Moisture and Hardwood Floors
Moisture affects wood in several ways. As air becomes damper, the moisture content of wood exposed to the air changes. The following drawings represent several situation that can occur with hardwood floors as a result of MAD Wood™. In a proper installation, the boards stay flat and uniformly tight together all year long, as shown […]
MAD Wood™ – Moisture and Air Dynamics of Wood
Moisture affects wood in several ways. As air becomes damper, the moisture content of wood exposed to the air changes. Due to these changes in wood moisture content, the wood’s dimensions, strength properties and potential for fungal activity change. The following chart summarizes the properties of wood as a function of moisture content of the […]
Bed Bugs and Hardwood Floors
Bed bugs are insects that feed on people’s blood, like mosquitos do. Bed bugs live inside and like to feed at night. Therefore they are usually found near beds. Hence the name “bed bugs”. Bed bugs are on the comeback, primarily because of an apparent resistance to pesticides, and because of more travel by people […]
Determining Relative Humidity
About Relative Humidity Relative Humidity is a characteristic of air, and indicates a measure of the amount of moisture in the air. When the relative humidity is high, the air feels clammy or muggy. We may sweat more and have a hard time staying cool. When the relative humidity is low, our lips get chapped, […]