Stars and Bars RestorationEvery fall we start getting the same kind of call from up the Pikes Peak corridor and the Wet Mountain Valley: "I found black spots around the window," or "the attic smells musty and I haven't had a leak." Often there is no leak at all. It's condensation, and winter in the high country is when it does its best work.
Why condensation gets worse in the mountains
Cold air holds very little moisture, and warm indoor air holds a lot. When that warm, humid air touches a cold surface, such as a single-pane window, an uninsulated exterior wall corner or the underside of a cold roof deck, the moisture drops out as water. Towns at higher elevation like Woodland Park, Monument and Westcliffe see long stretches of freezing nights, so those surfaces stay cold for months. Add cooking, showers, a humidifier and a few people breathing in a tightly sealed house, and you get a steady supply of water in all the wrong places.
Mold needs moisture, a food source (drywall paper, wood, dust) and time. Many surfaces that stay damp for a couple of days can start growing. By January a window sill that is wet every morning has had plenty of both.
Where we find it most
- Window frames and sills, especially older aluminum or single-pane units with water pooling at the bottom.
- Attic roof decking, when warm air leaks up from the house and meets the cold roof. Bath fans that vent into the attic instead of outdoors are a classic cause.
- Bathroom ceilings and walls, where a weak fan or no fan lets steam hang around.
- Closets on exterior walls, where stored items block air movement against a cold wall.
- Behind furniture and beds pushed tight against a cold north wall.
What you can do yourself
- Watch your humidity. A cheap hygrometer from a hardware store tells you the truth. In winter, aim for roughly 30 to 40 percent indoors; if windows are streaming, go lower.
- Run bath and kitchen fans during and for 20 minutes after showers and cooking, and make sure they vent outside.
- Wipe down window moisture in the morning. It's a five-minute chore that starves mold.
- Pull furniture a few inches off exterior walls and keep closet doors cracked for airflow.
- Don't over-humidify. If you run a humidifier because of dry Colorado air, keep it modest and watch the windows.
- Clean small spots promptly. A patch of surface growth smaller than a dinner plate on a hard surface can often be cleaned with detergent and water and then dried well. If it comes back, it means the moisture source is still there.
When it's time to call a pro
Condensation is the easy case. Call us if you see growth on drywall that is soft or stained, a musty smell that returns after cleaning, mold across an attic deck, or a spot bigger than about 10 square feet. Anything that came from an actual leak is a different problem; read our guide on what mold remediation costs in Colorado and our overview of mold remediation in Southern Colorado to see how we approach it.
Our crew includes IICRC-certified technicians. We find the moisture source first, because removing mold without fixing the cause just schedules the next call. Then we contain the area, clean or remove affected material and dry everything properly. If you rent, Colorado has rules about habitability and mold; see our post on the Colorado mold law for landlords and tenants.
Insurance note
Condensation and long-term humidity are usually treated as maintenance issues rather than sudden covered losses, but every policy is different. If you're not sure, we can document conditions and you can ask your carrier. Our insurance and mold coverage FAQ is a good place to start.
Local help
We're based in Colorado City and serve the whole region. See our pages for Woodland Park, Monument and Westcliffe, or our mold remediation service. Robert and the team are veteran-owned and family-run, and we'd rather help you fix a window problem early than see you after it reaches the walls.
Seeing mold or musty smells this winter? Call us at (719) 676-2456 for an honest look, 24/7 for emergencies.
Stars and Bars Restoration | Serving All of Southern Colorado | IICRC Certified | Veteran-Owned | (719) 676-2456 | services@sb-resto.com