3 Ways To Control Your Basement Moisture |
Posted: May 10, 2017 |
It is an ongoing battle to fight the moisture in your basement. Basement is the foundation of your home that needs to be kept in impeccable condition. However, it is prone to the moisture, the most as the area around the basement is surrounded by the moist soil. So, how can you deal with this? The first step in the right direction is to identify the source so you can eliminate the root cause. This is basically a long term solution to your moisture problem as by installing the dehumidifier you are only procrastinating the inevitable that is damaging the structure of your home! Let’s take a look at source of the problem and the steps that you can take to eliminate this moisture problem from your basement:
1. Plumbing Leaks Plumbing pipes are usually out of sight behind the washer or shower walls, under laundry sink or inside vanities. Also, these pipes are prone to leaks. These leaks can exist for a long time without you knowing as generally they are out of sight. This leads to the rotting of wood, crumbling of drywall and further gives the perfect atmosphere for mold to thrive. The most important thing to do is regularly inspect the plumbing pipes, drain pipes and sink shutoffs. When inspecting them, to check if the pipe is leaking, run the water. Make sure you give a firm push on the bottom shower walls and check the pipe connections and the floor below them regularly, to see any signs of the pipe being spongy or leaking. 2. Dryer Vent Another big source of basement moisture is the air that comes out of the dryer and blows the wetness outside. Many times the pipe that is taking the moist air outside gets disconnected and all the moisture gets into your basement instead. You can easily control this source of moisture. You just have to look behind the dryer and ensure that the metallic pipe coming from the dryer’s back is securely fastened to it. After this run the dryer and see that it doesn’t have any leaks. If there are any leaks, seal it permanently. 3. Grave or Dirt Crawl Space The reason behind gravel or dirt floors feeling moist is the moisture from the ground can easily evaporate into the crawl space. If the crawl space is open to the basement, it gives an easy path for moisture to go through. Even if the entrance is not open, the moisture will rise and affect your basement and hence foundation. If the moisture is of small amount that can be scooped up into a cup, a drainage system with pump has to be installed. If there is just dampness, contain the crawl with a sealed liner so that moisture does not enter into your home. But make sure you do not use a powerful dehumidifier as it will suck all the moisture out of the dirt that is supporting the foundation of your home. Taking the above steps would help you in getting rid of all that extra moisture in your basement. But there are many other causes that are much severe and needs professional assistance. So, make sure you take the help of the right basement waterproofing services for your home!
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