MOISTURE EXCESS AND MOISTURE PRODUCT IN RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS IN FINLAND

The indoor air conditions in single-family houses with heavyweight wall structures in Finland are being studied in a research project “Air tightness, indoor air conditions and energy efficiency of residential buildings”. The research project started in March 2005 and it will end in March 2008. Altogether 70 detached houses and 60 apartments in block of flats were measured. This paper deals with the results of moisture excess and moisture product studied in these single-family houses and apartments. Indoor air temperature and relative humidity have been measured during a period of one year with data loggers measuring at one-hour interval. The data of outdoor air conditions was provided from the Finnish Meteorological Institute. Moisture excess and moisture product distributions in different house types have been analysed. The calculations take into account the number of occupants and the ventilation rate. Moisture excess is also represented as a function of outdoor air temperature. The moisture excess values were averaged over the cold period (Tout ≤5°C) and over the remaining time (Tout >5°C). Comparison to the test results of 101 timber-framed houses studied in previous study is made as well.