Thread: Consensation problem

I have found during many of our inspections in our hot and humid Panama a recurring problem which I wanted some possible suggestions to cure. In many of the luxury condos that we have inspected, there is constant and recurring peeling paint at the base board of walls, right above the flooring. This is a problem that we have encountered many times. We have eliminated plumbing problems in our inspections. However, all these condos share a constant: operating a/c units, whether they are wall-mounted or central units, they all have this same problem. We have come to the conclusion that it is condensation formed from the cooling and thermal bridging which constantly brings into contact hot humid exterior air. Does anyone know of a product in the market that can help cure this problem post construction. Thermal and vapor barriers are not widely used in the construction of these residential buildings and the clients tend to suffer this condition once they move in. Any suggestions???

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You may want to go one step further in your inspections and find an inspector with an Infrared thermal imaging camera to look at the walls an pinpoint the areas that condensation or heat condition are. this will help you with methods of correction with out it you may still be guessing...

Ask the inspector if he has a 320 X 240 RES. or better camera...

Best

Ron

Describe the type of construction.

Originally Posted by Roni Litmanovic

I have found during many of our inspections in our hot and humid Panama a recurring problem which I wanted some possible suggestions to cure. In many of the luxury condos that we have inspected, there is constant and recurring peeling paint at the base board of walls, right above the flooring. This is a problem that we have encountered many times. We have eliminated plumbing problems in our inspections. However, all these condos share a constant: operating a/c units, whether they are wall-mounted or central units, they all have this same problem. We have come to the conclusion that it is condensation formed from the cooling and thermal bridging which constantly brings into contact hot humid exterior air. Does anyone know of a product in the market that can help cure this problem post construction. Thermal and vapor barriers are not widely used in the construction of these residential buildings and the clients tend to suffer this condition once they move in. Any suggestions???

It think you have already figured it out. It really sounds like it is a problem with the construction. I would also be looking at how insulation is installed or if it is even installed.

I have seen the same condition with homes in the southern part of the United States, mostly with older homes. Many of the older homes were built as you have described, without thermal or moisture barriers. Then A/C was added and the problems started.

We do us thermal imaging but that really doesn't help much to solve the problem. It aids in the location and diagnosis of severity but not the solution. Most local construction is done with cement/clay blocks, purged with mortar, finished with paint, and on the interior before the paint is applied, they apply gympsum paste. That's it! Somewhere along this pattern there are thermal malfunctions and I'm looking for a product on the market that can help solve this once the condo is built and occupied!?

Thanks,

Originally Posted by Roni Litmanovic

Somewhere along this pattern there are thermal malfunctions

There are no "thermal malfunctions", that wall is acting exactly as it was designed to ... so many eons ago.

Then along came windows, then along came fans, then along came air conditioning, then along came insulation ... wait, they have not progressed that far yet.

When the wall consists of clay block with mortar parging on the exterior and gypsum plaster on the interior ... you are getting just what that design does, but moisture-wise and thermal-wise.

I'm looking for a product on the market that can help solve this once the condo is built and occupied!?

That 'product' is called: furring strips, insulation, and gypsum board.

The construction you described has *NO* thermal break in it.