Thread: Mold Problem

I’m having

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Sorry guys. I don't know what I was thinking. Let me try again

I’m having an issue in the wall that’s between the kitchen and the garage. I have two hvac supply ducts that run up that wall to the upstairs bedroom and in between those ducts I have an open cavity between the studs for the return to the basement. What has happened is the ducts are sweating I guess from the temperature difference being against an uninsulated space (garage) and causing mold to form on the drywall I’m going to rip it all open and fix it but trying to decide what route is best. Any thoughts?

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Originally Posted by Rymi Carron

I’m having

What?

Sounds serious, If I were you I wou

Or... do you have a leak or other source of moisture intrusion that is causing a Mold Problem...

Which is *really* the problem?

And the Mold is Gold will play on...

Originally Posted by Benjamin Thompson

Sounds serious, If I were you I wou

That's funny...

Originally Posted by Rymi Carron

I’m having

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Sorry guys. I don't know what I was thinking. Let me try again

I’m having an issue in the wall that’s between the kitchen and the garage. I have two hvac supply ducts that run up that wall to the upstairs bedroom and in between those ducts I have an open cavity between the studs for the return to the basement. What has happened is the ducts are sweating I guess from the temperature difference being against an uninsulated space (garage) and causing mold to form on the drywall I’m going to rip it all open and fix it but trying to decide what route is best. Any thoughts?

Sounds like the ducts need to be sealed and better insulated. You have air leakage into the cavity and it sounds like you have metal ducts (could even be flex duct) running up that wall. It is not necessarily just the ducts in the wall but a poor installation or someone did work in the past and tore the duct covering or the connections at the second floor were redone during remodel and the connections back to the vents etc were not sealed properly.

Could be, might be should be. I guess you won't know until you pull it apart.

Are there water lines in that wall? Could be a number of reasons but I would *guess* it were the duct needing to be sealed as well as any connections to vents that may take place at the top or bottom of the wall.

Like Mike Holmes says "tear it all out" .

If you have no problem with the duct work and it truly is a thermal issue, you may build a popout with studs in the garage to give some thermal protection to the duct work. That should help solve the thermal differential problem. Good Luck

As the others have said (said in different ways): the ducts are not in the thermal envelope of the house and therefore are required to be insulated, and that includes the return air duct too.

If the ducts are properly installed, properly sealed, and properly insulated - there should not be a sweating problem, so I'm going to guess that none of the ducts are insulated.

Cut the drywall out, find out what is going on with the ducts, then insulate the ducts, insulate a bump-out around the ducts (to put the duct within the thermal envelope), make sure the ducts are installed and sealed properly, etc.

Originally Posted by Rymi Carron

I’m having

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Sorry guys. I don't know what I was thinking. Let me try again

I’m having an issue in the wall that’s between the kitchen and the garage. I have two hvac supply ducts that run up that wall to the upstairs bedroom and in between those ducts I have an open cavity between the studs for the return to the basement. What has happened is the ducts are sweating I guess from the temperature difference being against an uninsulated space (garage) and causing mold to form on the drywall I’m going to rip it all open and fix it but trying to decide what route is best. Any thoughts?

You have more "issues" than just damp drywall. You have a potential fire/spread hazard amongst others.

Unpermitted, illegal work, such as finishing upstairs former attics, etc. often exposes such flagrant flaws.

Using unlined stud bays in what should be a separation wall, or a resistant exterior wall for "return" is not allowed.

Suggest you consider contracting a PROFESSIONAL, Licensed contractor for permitted and legitimate remediation. I submit your indicated concerns are not the only safety, habitality, structural, or comfort; concerns evident. You might want to enlist the assistance of a particular type of inspector practitioner, one who is adept at "sizing up" just such a circumstance and can offer guidance regarding the best steps around the virtual 'minefield' that can be having acquired a property with or having performed unpermitted/uninspected work/modifications/alterations in the city of Chicago.

Originally Posted by H.G. Watson, Sr.

You have more "issues" than just damp drywall. You have a potential fire/spread hazard amongst others.

Unpermitted, illegal work, such as finishing upstairs former attics, etc. often exposes such flagrant flaws.

Using unlined stud bays in what should be a separation wall, or a resistant exterior wall for "return" is not allowed.

Suggest you consider contracting a PROFESSIONAL, Licensed contractor for permitted and legitimate remediation. I submit your indicated concerns are not the only safety, habitality, structural, or comfort; concerns evident. You might want to enlist the assistance of a particular type of inspector practitioner, one who is adept at "sizing up" just such a circumstance and can offer guidance regarding the best steps around the virtual 'minefield' that can be having acquired a property with or having performed unpermitted/uninspected work/modifications/alterations in the city of Chicago.

HG,
Is this return in the separation wall "not allowed" because the bays should have an air block installed perpendicular to the studs? Would it be acceptable to have a stud bay air return in a non-fire separation wall elsewhere in the home i.e. a wall between bedrooms?
Thanks.
-Luc

Originally Posted by Luc Lamarche

HG,
Is this return in the separation wall "not allowed" because the bays should have an air block installed perpendicular to the studs? Would it be acceptable to have a stud bay air return in a non-fire separation wall elsewhere in the home i.e. a wall between bedrooms?
Thanks.
-Luc

Luc,

Ducts using stud bays are only allowed when serving one floor.

From your description those ducts serve two floors (i.e., go from below the first floor, past the first floor, and to the second floor), which is not allowed as the stud bay would need to be fireblocked at the floor and ceiling at each floor.

I understand that there is usually a sill and top plate as parts of a traditional stick framed structure that limit air flow from floor to floor but are you saying that 2 additional fire blocks are required in each stud bay?