A1 Foundation Crack Repair Blog

There is no question that homes with basements provide us with much more space than those with only crawl spaces. Often, homeowners will put recreational rooms in the basement, or perhaps an office. Other times, the basement will be storage, a tool shed and a laundry room combined, but this still provides us with extra space upstairs. So, there is no point in going into why a wet basement is a bother.

Water in the basement is a problem, even if it is empty, (and they never are). There are really two different ways in which water can enter our basement, and both will entail some form of waterproofing. Water can either come in slowly, almost undetected or it can quickly invade our basement causing a flood.

Moisture is often a problem since basements are below ground level, even if it is not visible. It may show up as mold or mildew. Even if you can’t see the moisture, there are definite signs that it is there.

Doing a little bit of basement waterproofing for this usually means installing a basement dehumidifier which will run on a regular basis, at least through the summer, fall and spring.

Of course, the other way you can get water in the basement is all at once, a flood. This can be destructive, especially if you use the basement for living space or storage. If the water is coming in at one specific location, sealing that location is necessary.

However, if your basement floods on a regular basis, measures that can be taken to fix this.

Having a problem with water in your basement is simply keeping you from enjoying part of your house. Although waterproofing your basement is going to take a little bit of work, it will all be well worth the effort whenever you can take this part of your home back again.

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One of the two leading causes of poor indoor air quality is mold growth.

Mold can form and grow on any surface that provides a food source surrounded by moderate temperatures, oxygen and sufficient moisture. The best examples of mold food sources are cellulose-based substances, such as rugs and wood. In today’s hoomes, food sources for mold are readily available in the form of untreated paper-faced gypsum board, wood wall studs and wood-based sheathings as well as furniture.

Once moisture is exposed to the mold food source, long-dormant mold spores can gain a foothold. As long as the food and moisture sources are supplied, the mold colonies will continue to grow and prosper. When mold has spread throughout a basement or home, you may notice unpleasant odors and experience a variety of health problems, such as headaches, breathing difficulties, skin irritation, allergic reactions and aggravation of asthma symptoms.

Here are some methods of airborne contaminant capture and removal:

• Remove particulate matter through filtration
• Manage moisture and humidity by adding dehumidifiers where necessary
• Clean dehumidification systems, including drain pans
• Clean humidifiers, dehumidifiers, and water spray systems
• Employ moisture management strategies in the home's envelope.

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It is summer and the basement is moist. You may not see any water, but if you can smell it and feel it, it is there. You may have a basement water proofing system in place, or perhaps you don’t have water seeping in your foundation from pipes or floor cracks. That’s the good news. The bad is that, this doesn’t necessarily mean that your basement is dry.

Often water enters a basement through capillary action, which wicks moisture through walls and floors. The floor and walls may not leak, but it feels damp to the touch because it wicks the water in to the surface. Water vapor also slowly seeps in through the concrete and raises the humidity. Basements act as chimneys pulling the outside air in the house and letting it out on the upper floors.

Humidity increases and condensation results as the hot outside air meets the cool basement.  Even without condensation basements tend to have high humidity levels and mold grows rapidly, generating that musty basement odor. Dust mites love that high humidity too.

There are only two possible ways to eliminate condensation: heat the air or pull the moisture out of it. Obviously heating your basement to match the outside temperature is counterproductive, so the only real option is to dehumidify.

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The purpose of a dehumidifier is to lower the humidity of the air in your home.  Humidity is a measure of the moisture suspended in the air at any given time.  Moisture levels are higher during different seasons.  In Massachusetts, humidity levels are much higher in the summer than in the winter. 

Home dehumidifiers are mostly used to dry air in the basement or crawlspace.  These areas are prone to high humidity levels because they are below ground.  It is not uncommon for the saturated ground outside of foundation walls to cause seeping or leakage through the walls.

The condensation is what allows a home dehumidifier to work. The dehumidifier typically consists of a metal or plastic cabinet that contains a fan, a compressor, metal coils and a collection pan.  There is also a humidistat that allows you to set the level of humidity you desire within a room.

The fan draws air into the unit, and it passes over the coils.  The coils are often set up as a two-stage process.  In the first stage, the coils are very cold.  As the air passes over the cold coils it condenses and collects there.  From here the water drips into the collection pan.  As the air continues on through the unit, it hits the second stage of coils which uses the heat generated by the compressor to re-heat the air and deliver it back in to the room.  

In the meantime, the collection pan fills with water.  The shut off is triggered when the water reaches a certain level.  Sometimes, rather than a collection pan, home dehumidifiers have a fitting that can attach to a hose so that the water can run out of the unit to a drain of your choice.

Understanding the basics of how a home dehumidifier works is important so that you can determine which type of unit to buy for your home.  A high quality, low maintenance unit is the best choice for most homes.  Compare home dehumidifiers carefully before investing in them, this is an important piece of equipment.

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