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Status:
"Mistress of finance and foods."
(set 26 days ago)
Location: Coastal Georgia
50,073 posts, read 63,428,947 times
Reputation: 92670
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We live in coastal GA, and during spring and fall, we enjoy having the house open. We learned very quickly the consequence of this is having mildew form on things like shoes in the closet, and just a sticky feeling to things.
My friend in FL keeps his AC set at 74 in his absence, because he was told that is the magic number to avoid what OP described.
We live in a 3-storey beach condo complex. The first floors seem to have more mold problems than the 2nd or 3rd floor. Our 1st-floor neighbors tried running just humidifiers when they were gone and still got mold. We (2nd floor) ran one of our 3 a/c units and got no mold when we were gone. Also ceiling fans in every room. I often leave the closet doors open to let the air get to the hanging clothes. Sometimes we leave the kitchen cabinets open to air out.
I refuse to be a shut-in living on the beach, so we have plenty of sea-air flowing through the house until bedtime when we lock-up and put on the a/c in the bedroom.
But some are afraid of the dampness on electronics and stuff, so keep all closed up. No, thanks! I can deal with a little moisture on surfaces....but that musty odor you described is a deal-breaker! Fresh air doesn't help?
We had seepage in our basement and discovered the underground drain for the downspout was leaking (it was actually a dryer vent duct buried - and deteriorating). So the gutters were directing water intopour basement.
I'm jumping on the leak bandwagon.
You don't "kill" mold. You remove/eliminate one of the sources that mold and mildew need to grow. If you don't, your "killing" is only temporary! All the components are still there- it'll be back in a week or two.
Which component or source you choice to eliminate is totally up to you.
We are farther than that, but it is still the humid climate.
Right, when I lived a mile from the water I would squeegee my car windows and it would be worthless because by the time I got to my driver’s side window again, it had condensation. It is at 99% most mornings. If I went on vacation and my humidifier filled, it would often be at 70% when I got home WITH the AC still running if it was at those times of year when the AC didn’t kick in very much. Certain areas did get *very* musty. My towels often mildewed so I would have to put theme by the dehumidifier. I would have to put damp rid near the edges of the closets and leave the doors open. I had a new AC that did a good job removing moisture, but there was only so much to be done.
Check the vent pipe boot on the roof, sometimes they leak water down into the wall. It may not be enough that you can see it, but just enough to create a musty smell, especially if the moisture runs underneath the cabinets.
I live 50 miles inland, and its so humid here that a closed up house with no a/c will always smell moldy. It seems like every foreclosure I have bought has had a layer of white mold on the cabinets and doors.
Nobody else has mentioned this yet, so I will: bleach doesn't get rid of mold and mildew in a house. It will kill, obviously, on a waterproof surface, but on other surfaces, like wood or sheetrock - it just makes the mildew retreat deeper into it. Vinegar or baking soda will kill mildew and mold, but they need to be given a little time to penetrate. FYI.
I figure that means the bleach cleaning you did on the cabinets didn't do what you thought it would. If you could repeat that treatment with vinegar, and let the vinegar sit on the surfaces for at least a few minutes, you might have a completely different result.
Next thing. You don't seem to have located the source of the mustiness. Is there carpet? Can you see mildew stains on any walls? If you can see mildew or black mold stains, your best bet may be to completely REMOVE that sheetrock AND the lumber framing underneath if the lumber is also stained. If the problem is extensive, that may be your only answer - but at that point - I'd say contact a professional who has done mold and mildew remediation.
Now, this next is an opinion. You can get better info from product specs - but in my experience A/C uses more electricity than dehumidifiers, not the same. A dehumidifier has like a small A/C unit in it, but the key word is small.
A/C units also cause condensation - water running off the cooling coils. With room A/C units this can be a problem if the water drips back right next to the house. It can be like a continual mini-rainstorm in one little spot.
The dehumidifier will help the room humidity levels even if the room is not closed off. You'd have to be running a good fan to make the air exchange fast enough to keep it as humid as outdoors. You can get cheap thermometers these days that show humidity. Easy to find. Of course, A/C will also keep the humidity down, just as well, or even better, than most home dehumidifiers.
As for a mile away from the intracoastal, well, that's not very far. If I recall, you don't start getting away from the salt air until you are at least 5 miles inland, and you won't get much weather difference until you are at least 10 miles inland. Although - on the east coast it's going to be humid inland, too.
I will try the vinegar suggestion, that's easy enough.
Right now I'm leaving the kitchen cabinets open, it's like The Sixth Sense every time I walk in there.
This is NC, so NOT running the AC is not an option. It will probably run right through October.
Not window units.
No carpeting (I paid extra for that.) 100% tile floors. I believe there was some flooding 7 years ago during a hurricane and the carpeting was sensibly replaced with tile. However, my landlady is cheap and the cabinets are the original cabinets. There is no way in heck she is going to replace them. She actually thinks they are beautiful (90's rental apt laminated cabinets). Or she is just really cheap.
My musty smell laughs in the face of Damp Rid!
The dishwasher is being replaced this week so I'm hoping when that comes out there will be some sort of obvious slow leak we can fix easily.
Today the living area smells like fish. Like I'm actively cooking salmon on the stove at this moment. It's really strong throughout the living/dining/kitchen area.
If there is an estuary with fish under there I wish the landlady had gone with glass flooring like a glass bottom boat.
I think the stack roof vent idea is valid, but that's a matter for the HOA. I'll ask.
Thanks for your ideas!
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I can deal with a little moisture on surfaces....but that musty odor you described is a deal-breaker! Fresh air doesn't help? 
