[BAreEhD]

Hi all, nice forum you have going here! Seems to be plenty of good advice going around, so hopefully I can avail. My wife and I are about two weeks away from taking posession of our new build in Eastern Canada. The foundation was poured in October, and the house was built throughout the winter - and as usual, we had a LOT of snow.

Anyway, over the weekend, my wife was in the house, and saw water coming in along one of the basement walls. We understand that this could be condenstation, especially given that the basement floor was just poured about two weeks ago, bringing a huge amount of humidity with it. Here's a picture:

Out of curiosity, she goes to the room above this wall (the family room) and right above this issue is a cut-out for a propane fireplace. She takes a close look, and sees that some of the nails that were used to fasten the drywall are rusty. Furthermore, the drywall itself is wet!!

Today, she went to the house with the builder to show him these issues. he takes off the wet drywall, cuts open the vapor barrier, and removes a section of insulation... it is soaking wet as well!

Now here's what I'm looking for help on: the builder stated that the insulation is wet because the exterior wall freezes over the winter, and now that it's thawing, the insulation is soaking up the water! He said that all of the insulation around the house will be the same. This strikes me as very strange. Is there any truth?? Also, he said that the drywall was wet because of the fact that there were so many wet trades in the house recently, and the vapor barrier, being behind the drywall, is trapping the moisture.

Is there any truth to anything he's saying?

Thanks!

 

[Ron6519]

Hi all, nice forum you have going here! Seems to be plenty of good advice going around, so hopefully I can avail. My wife and I are about two weeks away from taking posession of our new build in Eastern Canada. The foundation was poured in October, and the house was built throughout the winter - and as usual, we had a LOT of snow.

Anyway, over the weekend, my wife was in the house, and saw water coming in along one of the basement walls. We understand that this could be condenstation, especially given that the basement floor was just poured about two weeks ago, bringing a huge amount of humidity with it. Here's a picture:

Out of curiosity, she goes to the room above this wall (the family room) and right above this issue is a cut-out for a propane fireplace. She takes a close look, and sees that some of the nails that were used to fasten the drywall are rusty. Furthermore, the drywall itself is wet!!

Today, she went to the house with the builder to show him these issues. he takes off the wet drywall, cuts open the vapor barrier, and removes a section of insulation... it is soaking wet as well!

Now here's what I'm looking for help on: the builder stated that the insulation is wet because the exterior wall freezes over the winter, and now that it's thawing, the insulation is soaking up the water! He said that all of the insulation around the house will be the same. This strikes me as very strange. Is there any truth?? Also, he said that the drywall was wet because of the fact that there were so many wet trades in the house recently, and the vapor barrier, being behind the drywall, is trapping the moisture.

Is there any truth to anything he's saying?

Thanks!

Sounds like some load of crap to me.
When was the house dried in?
When was the heat turned on?
Was the house heated over the Winter?
If all the insulation is wet in the house, the house would need to be gutted to the framing. The insulation would need to be removed. The wood allowed to dry. New insulation installed with a new vapor barrier.
When did he say he was going to start?
If that wasn't his solution, what was?
Ron

 

[rossfingal]

Also, maybe some pictures of the outside where this is manifesting itself -
roof? - grade? Above.

rossfingal

 

[Bud Cline]

If your "contractor" doesn't do as Ron has suggested you will be the proud new owner of a very "sick house". The resulting mold in all the walls will be an issue from now on.

Personally I think the builder is full of crap and that you have a leak at that particular location. Or maybe ground water is perking there. To prove it out... go take down some more drywall in two or three different locations around the house and see if the insulation is wet there also as he says it will be. Do it now while the alleged condition he describes still exists.

I'm not seeing condensation in that wet spot I'm seeing a leak from the outside. What is above that location? Window maybe? How about the landscaping at that location.

If the builder's theory was fact and not fiction the house (basement floor) would be surrounded with that type of moisture, would it not?

Is it?

 

[stadry]

its possible there is a leaking crack in the conc wall however i'd bet on wtr running down in soft backfill & collecting at the junction of the footer/wall,,, there's probably no waterstop between the wall & footer,,, 'black stuff' you saw on the side of the exterior walls is called 'dampproofing', NOT waterproofing, probably .003" thick,,, you're fortunate noticing the problem NOW rather than a yr AFTER the home was built as h/o warranties ONLY cover leaks in the 1st yr,,, send registered letters (ret recpt) to bldr AND the issuer of the warranty.

don't let them take the easy/cheap way out & start hammering the floor for a french drain/sump/pump.