Ice on interior walls?

17 years ago

This is a 1998 Titan.

Location is in the very cold north (maine).

I have found that ice is forming on any exterior walls that have things slid against them, even if it the item is not touching the wall.

I don't see how it can be humidity (which shouldn't cause ice anyway). I don't have an accurate way to measure the humidity but I do know it is dry. When we first noticed it we started running the bathroom fan all the time to keep the humidity moving out (we also cracked open a window in a back room to allow outside dry air in a little). It is so dry in here that people can't move near each other without static discharge. If anyone touches anything they get zapped als dry noses, so I take this as a good sign we are below what should be even a health level of humidity. I mention all this because usually the answer you get is "get a dehumidifier (which is obviously not going to help here).

It seems to only effect the lower 18 inches of the wall.

The windows (we installed thermal windows) do get a little condensation around the edges (sometimes) but nothing like the standard windows that come installed.

Anyone ever have this problem and any ideas on fixing it?

Thanks

Mike

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Comments (5)

summergardener
17 years ago
We have also had problems with condensation against the outer walls in the lower couple feet. It is only where there is little air flow (such as where an item is close to the wall there.)We moved the items away further and this seeme to help. I haven't noticed any ice, but it has been pretty cold this year. It might have frozen if it was still getting damp there. If there is a permanent way to solve this, I would be interested. I was thinking that upgrading the insulation may help.
sweets98
17 years ago
I just stopped in here and saw this...hope you figured out your problem!

Like the last poster said, we have condensation issues near the floor on the outer walls of the trailer (Mostly in the bedrooms, which are located on the ends of the home) where something is close to the wall. We don't get ice because it's quite toasty in here but we do end up with mold and we have to scrub the walls.

We had issues with this in our DD's bedroom and when DH replaced the window, he found out that it had been leaking and the insulation was bad around the window. He replaced the insulation and put a foam sheet in there in place of whatever they had between the insulation and siding before. No more problems! DH wants to put in more foam board this summer to see if that helps.

If you have condensation like that, air is getting in somewhere and probably even water....so inspect the area a little further.
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ronbre
17 years ago
move everything out away from the walls a few inches, it is the fact that the ITEMS keep the heat from getting to the walls to warm them, and the air inside your house is always more moist then the air outside and really cold air is very dry..so the cold air is penetrating the walls cause of the cold and the furniture is holding the moisture against the walls.

when summer comes spray bleach solution on the walls to kill any molds and let them dry out really good and repaint if there is mold.

then, keep an airspace next to the walls so that this doesn't happen again..
treelover1960
17 years ago
Ice on the inside walls?? You have an insulationproblem.The lack of insulation to be exact.I would contact the maker of the home and your insurance comapany.Ice on the inside means moisture is present.that means mold "inside the walls".That is not healthy.We have owned 2 DW and have never heard of such a thing...
treelover1960
17 years ago
BTW,running the bathroom fan could make that problem worse as you are sucking all the heat out of the house when you do that.Which will pull any outside"cold"air inside thru any cracks,windows or spaces in the doors or thru walls with no proper insulatin in them.