Yeah, moisture issues can be tricky even when you think you've nailed it. Curious—did you notice if interior ventilation or airflow made any difference once you simplified the drainage outside? Sometimes it's a combo of factors...
Moisture really is one of those sneaky issues—just when you think you've got it figured out, it pops up again somewhere else. I've noticed that even after sorting out exterior drainage, interior airflow can still make or break things. Had a client once who revamped their drainage completely, but still had lingering dampness. Turned out their furniture layout was blocking airflow, creating these little pockets of stagnant air. Once we rearranged things a bit and added some subtle ventilation, the difference was pretty noticeable.
You're right though, it's rarely just one thing. Usually a combo of small adjustments that finally does the trick. Sounds like you're on the right track with simplifying drainage first—sometimes tackling the big stuff outside makes the indoor tweaks easier to spot. Hang in there, you're probably closer than you think...
Couldn't agree more about moisture being sneaky—it's like playing whack-a-mole sometimes. Had a similar issue with a project last year; we nailed the drainage, but the humidity still lingered. Turned out the insulation choice was trapping moisture in weird spots. Switched materials, tweaked the airflow slightly, and boom... problem solved. You're definitely onto something by tackling drainage first though—once that's sorted, these smaller indoor issues become way easier to spot and fix. Keep at it, you're nearly there.
Interesting take on drainage being the first step, but I'm not totally convinced it's always the best starting point. Sure, moisture is tricky and drainage matters, but what about site orientation and passive design choices? I've seen projects where drainage was spot-on, insulation was solid, airflow was dialed in... yet moisture issues persisted because the building's orientation and window placement created weird temperature gradients. Ever considered that maybe the root cause isn't always water itself, but temperature differences causing condensation in unexpected places?
Not saying drainage isn't crucial—it definitely is—but sometimes stepping back and looking at the bigger picture first can save headaches down the line. Maybe it's worth asking: if you had to start over completely, would you still tackle drainage first, or would you reconsider your initial design choices altogether?
