Moisture in walls - what to do

[Dave]

I have moisture in walls in a three spots. This is a concrete house. One wall has red brick inside but it is encased in concrete.

I wrote here earlier. I think I know what is causing it but I am asking what to do about it.

I've located three places - two inside walls and one outside. The outside wall has a stucco layer that has a crack. I supposed water is seeping in from outside. Paint inside show discoloration. The outside patio is often wet and water may pool there. The house in on a slope and it rains here a lot around the year and freezes in winter.

The moist spot in the two inside walls are near downspouts that go through the house and though the bottom slab into drainage.

One downspout shows slight leaking (there is rust in the sealing). The downspout is insulated but near the rust part it is not and it shows a lot of sweating (condensation) during cold weather.

The other inside wall has had its downspout replaced years before and the downspout looks OK. I believe that it had the same problem and previous owners had it replaced to lessen the moist. Anyway the wall shows moist about feet upwards from the floor. The floor is parquet and shows no moist.

I've gotten the moist levels using a moisture meter. The moist rises to about a feet or less and cover an area of about a square feet.

I don't think this is a problem with leaking water. The water lines go near the places but are situated under the parquet floor which is dry. And the problem may have developed over the years as the previous occupants have done something to stop it.

Lets assume the moist came from leaking and sweating downspouts. One is fixed and I'll fix the other too. How do I get the moist out of the wall? I carved a good part away. The concrete had become porous and was easy to chisel away. Luckily these walls do not carry weight. How long can it take to dry out? Inside the house the moisture levels is dry 40% in winter but 50%-60% in summer. I am also consider just replacing the moist wall parts with new concrete. Would that just add to moist?

Can the moist say there for years as it appears to have been at least in the first wall? Areas near the current moist places show water damaged which has dried up. An inspector took a look at the problem and said there is no mold.

[roger61611]

Moisture would not just stay there for years, otherwise the Hoover Dam would have never set up.

[Dave]

I am thinking that those places dry in summer and and become moist in fall.

[buffalobill]

[Joseph Meehan]

The moisture is coming into the home somehow. If it is not a plumbing leak. Possible, but it does not sound likely, then I would would think rain is your problem. You need to find the source and eliminate it (them). They may not be near where you are seeing the results. Finding them can be difficult sometimes. Someone with experience is more likely to be able to find them.

Good Luck

[Joseph Meehan]

Hover dam took several years to fully cure. They pumped cool water through it for years to remove the heat created in the curing process and to speed up the curing process that was slowed down by the heat.

[Lar]

Also check the grade around the structure to make sure the soil line is not above the foundation. I am not sure what the moisture reading is for sure, but some termite companies locate termite activity by using moisture reading meters.

[Dave]

What I would like to know is how long does it take for concrete to dry out if receives no water from outside source.

About a week ago the downsprout was sweating but a day later it warmed outside it is it not moist anymore.

[Joseph Meehan]

Is the concrete in contact with the ground? If so it depends on the moisture in the ground and how easily it flows through the ground. Not all concrete is the same so that will add to the variations what is the humidity and is the air still or is it moving? Is the area closed off or does it have free circulation with the rest of the house - outside.

There are just far too many variables to come up with any kind of easy answer. It is far easier to measure it. It is my experience that it takes a typical wood frame home about two days to dry out from a typical warm humid day, when the home is closed up and A/C is turned on. You mileage will likely vary based on your local conditions and construction as well as furnishings.

[Dave]

Thank you for your reply.

The concrete is not in contact with ground. The slab which the wall is in contact is about 10 feet from ground. There's a a big "crawling space". The downsprout goes through the slab at the very point of both moist wall points.

Looking at the places from below in the crawling space I can't see any wet spots there. That is why I'm inclining to think it is not a leaking pipe allthough the copper pipes are 30-40 years old.

The concrete looks a bit porous but it is concrete.

[Joseph Meehan]

I would think that would be an important observation. I would look there very carefully.