PRO DRY LLC

In heating climates, mold and mildew are commonly found on the exterior wall surfaces of corner rooms. An exposed corner room is likely to be significantly colder than adjoining rooms and have a higher relative humidity (RH) than the other rooms at the same water vapor pressure.  

If mold and mildew growth are found in a corner room, then relative humidity near  the room surfaces is above 70%.  

The next question is why is the RH above 70%?  Is it because the room is too cold or because there is too much moisture present (high water vapor pressure)? 

The amount of moisture in a room can be estimated by measuring both temperature and RH at the same location and at the same time.  Suppose there are two cases.  

In the first case, assume that the RH is 30% and the temperature is 70^oF in the middle of the room.  The low RH at that temperature indicates that the water vapor pressure (or absolute humidity) is low.  The high surface RH is probably due to room surfaces that are "too cold."  Temperature is the dominating factor, and control strategies should involve increasing the temperature at cold room surfaces. 

In the second case, assume that the RH is 50% and the temperature is 70^oF in the middle of the room.  The higher RH at that temperature indicates that the water vapor pressure is high and there is a relatively large amount of moisture in the air.  The high surface RH is probably due to air that is "too moist."  Humidity is the dominating factor, and control strategies should involve decreasing the moisture content of the indoor air.