So, what's the day in the life of someone who lives in Fairbanks, Alaska? (Anchorage: Home Depot, neighborhood)

[gobrien]

The air in my house seems so dry, is there a way to add moisture in the winter without creating a mold problem?

[RedJacket]

Originally Posted by gobrien

The air in my house seems so dry, is there a way to add moisture in the winter without creating a mold problem?

Get a humidifier. You can control how much moisture you want put back into the air. You can get a whole-house one, or one that covers X amount of square footage.

I have one because the air does get so darn dry in the winter.

[Floyd_Davidson]

Originally Posted by RayinAK

And we already talked about that long ago. Besides, the elections are over already. Why not talk about about Fairbanks and vicinity to allow all (male, female, grumpy and non) to participate in this discussion?

Your article is non-responsive. It has been suggested several times that the thread should stick to what it was originally intended to be about, and you are responding as if that had not been said.

What was intended included politics. Get used to it. That is talk about Fairbanks.

And it was indeed rather astute, of a 15 year old, to realize that the politics of Fairbanks is an important topic. One reason is actually that discussing it embarrasses those who have extreme and illogical ideological views. If there is a significant following in Fairbanks for ideology that can't face the light even in a discussion forum like this, it clearly is a significant impediment to reasonable living conditions in Fairbanks!

[RayinAK]

Originally Posted by gobrien

The air in my house seems so dry, is there a way to add moisture in the winter without creating a mold problem?

All depends on the home. For example, if your home has an HRV, this unit is supposed to help remove excessive moisture. Then you can have a home without an HRV and still maintain a good level of moisture on the air without having mold growing on the walls. The mold that grows behind the walls, or right in the sheetrock, is usually because of moisture coming into the wall through a hole or crack on the vapor barrier.

Mold sometimes grow on the bathroom walls. A way to alleviate this problem is by removing the mold with a mixture of bleach and water, and then painting the walls and ceiling. The next step is by having the proper-size exhaust fan exhausting the moisture from the bathroom. A well ventilated bathroom is the key, since mold most often grows on the wall surfaces or areas that are moist the longest (shower, for example). When taking a shower keep the exhaust fan turned on, long after. If you don't want to leave the exhaust fan running for long periods of time, then you can have an electronic (rheostat) fan control. Most turn the fan off about 15 minutes to an hour later.

You can add moisture to your move as follows:

1. Humidifier
2. By not using the exhaust fan and opening the shower's door when taking showers. In this case, the moist air comes out of the bathroom and into the rest of the home.
3. If you use a wood stove, place a Dutch oven or cast-iron pot (full of water) on top of the stove. An aluminum or another thin-walled pan is not a good idea (these melt and could cause a fire).
4. If you don't use a wood stove, then you can boil water in a Dutch oven on the stove in the kitchen.

There is too much moisture in the air if you have condensation on the windows, or on the walls or ceilings.

[arcticracer]

Wow, touched a nerve here it looks like. Don't have a romanticized, idealistic notion of what Fairbanks is all about, or you will be disappointed. I have lived here a long long time, and despite it's shortcomings it is still the best place for me. I work for the same outfit Floyd used to work for, in fact the same job. It's union, and I am not ashamed to say it pays very very well, but believe me, we work very hard for it and in brutal conditions.

So don't put your rose colored glasses on when you view this gritty, dirty, crime ridden town. It's more and more like Anchorage all the time which has even worse crime. A discussion about Fairbanks can no longer avoid politics it seems, because many people are defined by it. It is in a conservative state, with an even more conservative local constituency. Sure there is the token University crowd, but by and large, it's the "if you aren't with us you are against us" crowd which is just to the right of Sean Hannity, Rush Limbaugh, etc. Think "fringe" Montana here.

Positives? There are many. Fishing, hunting, decent quality of life, but the jobs are mostly low paying retail and the like. Good jobs are hard to come by, unless you work out of town and live here. It's cold as hell, but each year winter gets shorter, and warmer. It's nothing like it was 20 years ago on AVERAGE.

Lots of outdoor activities, more amenities all the time in the way of shopping, etc. We have low taxes, the lowest of any state overall. The future though is murky, as the oil pipeline continues it's downhill slide toward shutdown. More taxes are guaranteed, and the burden or residents is going to increase.

Sorry if I seem a little cynical, but we all see the posts from wild eyed idealistic folks wanting to be a part of ALaska. I was one of them once, it has been good me me, my family is deeply rooted here now and it is home. I'll be moving on though when I retire, and coming back in the summer to see everyone, go fishing, and all that.

[gobrien]

Originally Posted by RayinAK

All depends on the home. For example, if your home has an HRV, this unit is supposed to help remove excessive moisture. Then you can have a home without an HRV and still maintain a good level of moisture on the air without having mold growing on the walls. The mold that grows behind the walls, or right in the sheetrock, is usually because of moisture coming into the wall through a hole or crack on the vapor barrier.

Mold sometimes grow on the bathroom walls. A way to alleviate this problem is by removing the mold with a mixture of bleach and water, and then painting the walls and ceiling. The next step is by having the proper-size exhaust fan exhausting the moisture from the bathroom. A well ventilated bathroom is the key, since mold most often grows on the wall surfaces or areas that are moist the longest (shower, for example). When taking a shower keep the exhaust fan turned on, long after. If you don't want to leave the exhaust fan running for long periods of time, then you can have an electronic (rheostat) fan control. Most turn the fan off about 15 minutes to an hour later.

You can add moisture to your move as follows:

1. Humidifier
2. By not using the exhaust fan and opening the shower's door when taking showers. In this case, the moist air comes out of the bathroom and into the rest of the home.
3. If you use a wood stove, place a Dutch oven or cast-iron pot (full of water) on top of the stove. An aluminum or another thin-walled pan is not a good idea (these melt and could cause a fire).
4. If you don't use a wood stove, then you can boil water in a Dutch oven on the stove in the kitchen.

There is too much moisture in the air if you have condensation on the windows, or on the walls or ceilings.

I have been boiling water for an hour or two the last two days on the stove in a large pasta pot, but I sure don't want mold! I have no idea of how the house is insulated but it is older but seemingly well insulated. There was some roof work done last summer and the old insulation looked good except for where the leak was.

[Floyd_Davidson]

Originally Posted by arcticracer

Wow, touched a nerve here it looks like.

A raw nerve! But you've got it nailed too. That was an excellent article.

[RayinAK]

Originally Posted by Floyd_Davidson

Your article is non-responsive. It has been suggested several times that the thread should stick to what it was originally intended to be about, and you are responding as if that had not been said.

What was intended included politics. Get used to it. That is talk about Fairbanks.

And it was indeed rather astute, of a 15 year old, to realize that the politics of Fairbanks is an important topic. One reason is actually that discussing it embarrasses those who have extreme and illogical ideological views. If there is a significant following in Fairbanks for ideology that can't face the light even in a discussion forum like this, it clearly is a significant impediment to reasonable living conditions in Fairbanks!

I would think that you have "long grown" past the age of 15. Right? Most of us in are mature enough to understand that to continue with the arguments about politics is nothing more than a show of wills. We can argue about politics until we turn blue on the face, or just drop over with a heart attack, but in reality no one is influential enough to make a difference or change anybody else's views of the subject. All we are doing is letting other's know more about one's ego than anything else.

What makes a difference is understanding that the poster is young, and that as such he didn't realize how this thread was going to turn into-after his mentioning of politics in Fairbanks. Moreover, since most of ul have already expressed our views about politics in Fairbanks, it makes a lot more sense to talk about the other subjects the OP inquired about.

But if some of you only want to trade insults because of politics, I am not trying to stop you. So, go right ahead and show us how tantrum-prone you can be.

[Floyd_Davidson]

Originally Posted by RayinAK

I would think that you have "long grown" past the age of 15. Right? [...]

You don't need to enter the discussion. But life in Fairbanks definitely is tied to politics, and the rest of us can and will discuss it.

So, go right ahead and show us how tantrum-prone you can be.

Great example.

[RayinAK]

Originally Posted by Floyd_Davidson

You don't need to enter the discussion. But life in Fairbanks definitely is tied to politics, and the rest of us can and will discuss it.


Great example.

Great example? I am still waiting for it, Floyd