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nondovayg

Garage wall stud moisture

nondovayg
9 years ago

In the south wall of our attached two car garage, I noticed a section of drywall where the paint had bubbled. It had been like that for a couple of years before I decided to investigate. The drywall under the bubbling was wet, as confirmed by a Tramex moisture detector. I removed the drywall, and identified that the king stud to the right of the window was wet. I have had the wall open for a few weeks, and after a week of drying and using a dehumidifier in the garage the moisture content of the stud gets to 15%. After it rains, the moisture measurement climbs to 20-25%. This only is the case in the area of the stud highlighted in yellow. The outermost stud measures less moist. I used the moisture detector in the attic and was unable to identify a roof leak. I haven't pulled the exterior shutter and vinyl siding, but I am not hopeful that I'll see anything obvious. There is no vapor barrier between the vinyl siding the plywood sheathing. House was built in 1997. This is northern Virginia. I am looking for any suggestions on identifying how the stud is getting wet in just that section, not above or below it. Looking behind the shutter, I don't see anything interesting, like a hole in the siding.

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