Hey everyone, I recently moved in with my 83-year-old mother after losing my wife a year and a half ago. The house, which I've inherited, has been poorly maintained for quite some time. Currently, I'm living in the upstairs area of this 1.5-story home without a basement. I've noticed that the walls up here are bowing and curling, likely due to humidity issues. Upon investigation, it turns out the walls aren't actual walls but plywood positioned a couple of inches in front of some fake wood paneling. This was my dad's project when he used to live here, and now the other upstairs room has just the paneling and looks fine. I've got no experience with renovations or construction, so I'm overwhelmed about how to tackle this. The central air doesn't do much for the upstairs, making it feel pretty oppressive. I know I'll probably need a professional to help, but I'm not sure where to begin with such a daunting task! Any advice would be greatly appreciated!
1 Answer
First off, I suggest getting a decent dehumidifier to help reduce the humidity and see if that improves the condition of the walls. After that, you might want to remove the plywood to get a better idea of what you're dealing with underneath.
Is it safe to take down the plywood if it exposes insulation? I don't want either of us to get sick!