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Abstract
This paper reports the results of a survey completed by 199 homeowners in the Minneapolis-St. Paul suburbs of Coon Rapids and Woodbury, Minnesota. The purpose of the research was twofold. The first purpose was to find out if moisture problems existed in these newer-built houses and the extent to which homeowners were aware of the problems. The second purpose was to determine if the presence of moisture problems would affect the satisfaction of the homeowners and ultimately lead to dissatisfied homeowners deciding to move to another house. The Morris and Winter Theory of Housing Adjustment was the basis for the study design. Fifty-four percent of the households surveyed reported three or more serious indicators of moisture problems in their houses. Only four households, howevel; reported that they would consider moving to another house because of the problems. While homeowners recognized moisture problems in their houses, the results suggest that there is a need for education of homeowners on how to understand and manage air exchange, heat transfel; and site drainage to alleviate moisture problems.
Additional information
Notes on contributors
Marilou Cheple
Marilou Cheple is an Extension Educator in the Department of Wood and Paper Science
Becky Love Yust
Becky Love Yust is an Associate Professor in the Department of Design, Housing and Apparel at the University of Minnesota.