What Makes a Wood-Heated Home Have Condensation?

Sources of Moisture

• Condensation in the home is caused by excessive moisture. There are many sources for water in the home including: showers, sinks, toilets, plants, people breathing and sweating, firewood, cooking, air conditioners, humidifiers, pets and dirt crawlspace floors. One of the easiest ways of reducing condensation is removing sources of water where possible. Turn off humidifiers, use mechanical ventilation in your bathrooms; Cover dirt floors with vapor barriers and store firewood outside.

Wood-Heated Homes

• Wood-heated homes are particularly vulnerable to condensation because of their reduced amount of ventilation. A forced air heating system circulates the home's air constantly, drawing fresh air in from outside. When a home is heated by a wood stove or fireplace, these systems may not be present, trapping the moisture inside the home. The storing of firewood in the house also introduces extra water into the building envelope.

Ventilation

• The ideal way to reduce condensation and improve indoor air quality is to increase the home's ventilation. Drawing a controlled amount of fresh air in from outside and discharging the moist air from the home. Heat recovery ventilators (HRV) can be used to reduce the amount of energy (heat) lost by increasing ventilation to the outdoors.

Dehumidification

• Another method to reduce the condensation in a wood heated home is through dehumidification. This provides localized removal of water from the air and is the easiest to implement. Moisture in a home has a tendency to travel to the lowest point. Installing dehumidifiers in these areas is the most-effective location for these devices. Emptying them on a regular basis is important to their function.