Moisture In The Basement Floor

Musty smells slimy walls damp ceilings.

Moisture in the basement floor.

Holes and cracks in your foundation can let moisture and water seep into your basement. If the floor of the basement is dirt covering it with plastic can help prevent water vapor coming from the ground. Plugging them probably won t solve basement leaks but it ll help. If given ample space warmth and ventilation water vapor will simply evaporate.

Floor moisture and moisture vapor can be cause for concern whether the slab is newly poured or many decades old and regardless of location. Concrete science is still evolving. If your basement is cluttered eliminating some of the junk will help air to flow more freely as well. Because concrete is permeable ground moisture can slowly move upward in the form of vapor and adversely affect anything that rests on top of the concrete.

In a typical house this can amount to 0 2 gallons per square foot of wall and 0 1 gallons per square foot of floor. Insulating the places where condensation builds up can also help to eliminate moisture. Moisture can be a problem when a floor that looks dry really isn t. Covering those places such as walls pipes and ducts with insulation will help keep warm air from coming in contact with the cool surfaces thus preventing condensation.

When basements are finished these activities increase. If you don t have ac adding a fan and running it a few hours a day can help to distribute moisture. The epa recommends that the ground slope away from the building to prevent water from entering the house. Hydraulic cement works great for patching holes in a foundation because it can set up even under water and it expands as it sets to seal the hole and lock the plug in place.

When you have basement moisture you know it right away. A common cause of moisture in the basements is when the ground slopes towards the building foundation. Another source that can be thought of as internal is the moisture contained in new concrete after construction.