Owner Elevate Home Performance LLC Lewes, Delaware
High performance, airtight homes are great for energy efficiency, but when moisture gets trapped inside, things can get uncomfortable fast. From foggy windows, clammy bed sheets, towels that don't dry between showers, humidity levels in excess of 60% to full blown mold outbreaks, elevated indoor humidity can lead to serious issues for homeowners and building professionals alike.
In this fast-paced, interactive session, participants will learn how to identify and diagnose elevated humidity problems in the tight homes using real world case studies, tools like hygrometers, smoke tracing, infrared, blower doors and building science principles. We'll explore common causes such as HVAC missteps, lack of ventilation, hidden moisture sources and how to properly diagnose a home to determine the root cause of humidity, moisture, condensation and mold growth by a process of elimination, determining what is not causing the problem which gets us to the root cause. Proper diagnosis is key. Then we will dive into practical solutions - from simple fixes to whole-home strategies.
Attendees will walk away with a step-by-step diagnostic process, recommended tools and techniques, and a better understanding of moisture dynamics in airtight, high-performance homes.
Learning Objectives:
By attending this session, attendees will:
Be able to identify the warning signs and recognize key indicators of elevated humidity and moisture-related problems specific to high-performance homes and gain fundamental knowledge of how moisture moves, accumulates, condenses and gets trapped in energy efficient building envelopes
Gain knowledge on how to properly use and interpret data from tools like hygrometers, moisture meters, blower doors, infrared cameras, smoke tracing and flow analysis from HVAC systems and be able to follow a clear, repeatable process to locate sources of elevated humidity and determine root causes with confidence
Be able to match common humidity issues with effective solutions - ranging from improved ventilation strategies to mechanical system adjustments and envelope repairs and understand the common pitfalls in tight home design and operation pros often unintentionally create then how to compose comprehensive reports and clearly communicate issues and solutions
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