1950 cinder block house with new double pane windows, concrete foundation, gas wall heaters, and two osculating attic vents on top of the roof. The landlord says to cover them up during winter months and uncover them during the summer the walls sweat, the windows sweat, carpet sweat, creating mold the house never really gets warm. What can I do to prevent all the moisture and mold. 916-904-2581 [email protected]

I had a humidity problem in a house of similar construction due to a section of dirt floor in the basement combined with improper downspout drainage and landscape grading away from the house. Correcting the drainage, landscaping, and installing a dehumidifier sized for the basement area solved the problem.

I had some mold but never any sweat even with 95% relativity humidity inside the house. You must have a lot of moisture (the carpet is sweating! ) Figure out where the moisture is coming from (roof leak?) and then take steps to address it, or better yet, let the landlord figure out where the moisture is coming from and fix it. Mold is a health hazard and can be cause for a structure to be deemed uninhabitable and condemned by many localities.

I would definitely check the humidity before you start so that you have a baseline. Go to any home and garden store and pick up a cheap thermometer that has a humidity gauge built in. Mine says that 45%-65% humidity is in the normal range. Put one in the basement and another on the first floor of your house. Check the humidity and go from there. This way you'll know for sure whether you need the dehumidifier.

Another thing that comes to mind is whether your house has a proper vapor barrier in the walls. Just something else for you to look into.