Repairs
Closets on Exterior Walls Grow Mildew Even in a Dry House
Mildew appearing inside a closet on an outer wall usually isn't a leak — it's stagnant air meeting a colder-than-average surface.
An exterior wall runs a degree or two cooler than an interior one, especially in winter. A closed closet door stops the air inside from mixing with the warmer, drier air circulating through the rest of the room, so humidity in that trapped air condenses against the cooler wall and back of stored items. Given weeks, that moisture is enough to support mildew on shoes, coats, and drywall paper without any external water source.
Cracking the closet door periodically, adding a small vent or louvered door, or running a moisture-absorbing product inside solves most cases. If the mildew keeps returning after that, it's worth checking for an actual leak or missing insulation behind the wall.
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