Moisture Physics

Allison Bailes gives us his take on John Straube's engaging three-hour presentation on the physics of water. This one goes deep - molecular-level deep - and you needed to have sat through the three-hour class to get the full drift of what Straube covered. But here Bailes gives us numerous takeaways that help us understand real issues.

Here's one: Straube said Houston in summer is worse for [moisture adsorption] problems than Vermont in winter. That doesn't mean capillary condensation in Vermont is OK. Because of the lower temperatures, Vermont just won't be as likely to support the microbial infestations that rot wood and cause indoor air quality problems. But when capillary condensation occurs on the backside of air conditioned dry wall in Houston, the temperature is much more conducive to microbial growth.

And there's more, making this a worthwhile and entertaining read.