Why do basements get humid

Call in a professional if the crack is horizontal, diagonal, or growing, or if you want it assessed by an expert. Coat the walls with a waterproof material. Most foundation material is porous, including concrete and stone. This means water can seep into your basement through the foundation. There are several products you can apply to your basement walls to make them waterproof, and they can be applied like paint.

Method 3. Close basement windows on humid days and nights. The third way that moisture can get into your basement is through condensation. Closing basement windows when the relative humidity outside is over 50 or 60 percent will prevent humid air from entering your house, and prevent condensation from forming. This is especially important in the warmer spring and summer months.

Increase ventilation in the basement. Increasing the air flow will make it harder for condensation to form, because the movement will help to drive moisture out of the air. Increase ventilation in the basement by opening windows on non-humid days, by running fans, and by using exhaust vents. Add extra insulation to exterior basement walls.

Along with preventing humid air from entering your basement, another way to prevent condensation is to insulate the walls to keep them warmer. Otherwise, you'll trap water behind the insulation and end up with mold. Insulate cold water pipes. Cold water pipes are a classic place for condensation to form, because they're typically cooler than surrounding surfaces. Buy some foam pipe insulation, cut it to size for the pipes, and wrap the pipes with the insulation. This will prevent moisture from collecting on the pipes and condensation from forming.

Did you know you can get expert answers for this article? Unlock expert answers by supporting wikiHow. Victor Belavus Air Conditioning Specialist. Victor Belavus. Support wikiHow by unlocking this expert answer. Not Helpful 0 Helpful 0. Not Helpful 0 Helpful 1. Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered. Related wikiHows How to. How to. Ensure they are not clogged and are flowing properly. Both can cause a surprising amount of moisture to be put into the air. Next, consider one of the following options:.

Basement Exhaust Fan: If you have a bathroom or kitchen in your basement, be sure to install and use an exhaust fan. Steam from hot showers and cooking creates lots of moisture than if trapped, can create condensation. Be sure to use the exhaust fan anytime a shower is taken or the stove is used. Increase Air Circulation: If you only have a minor amount of condensation, increasing your air circulation could resolve the issue. If your basement does not have air conditioning vents, consider adding some.

It is typically a relatively easy project. Make sure to keep vents open to keep air flowing. If your basement is cluttered, eliminating some of the junk will help air to flow more freely as well.

Insulate Your Basement: Insulating the places where condensation builds up can also help to eliminate moisture. 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. If you see signs of moisture in your basement, do not wait to do something about it. The longer the problem persists, the bigger and more costly the repairs will be. For more tips or help with your wet basement, reach out to our team at Triad Basement Waterproofing.

Basement moisture typically comes from one of 3 sources Rain or Groundwater Simply put, this is outside water that makes its way inside. Interior Moisture Sources Sometimes the water in our basements originated or was created there.

Ventilation with Humid, Outside Air In warmer weather, we often open our basement windows to help ventilate the space. Check out our list of: 6 common causes of basement moisture and how to fix them 1. An Interior Water Leak This may seem like a no-brainer, but you should always check for inside leaks first when trying to identify the cause of moisture in your basement. Ineffective Grading Rain or groundwater often makes its way into basements due to poor grading.

Missing or Defective Gutters and Downspouts The purpose of gutters and downspouts is to direct rainwater away from the foundation of your home. Another way to reduce moisture downstairs is to install basement fans to control humidity. Similar in function to a bathroom fan, these high-capacity vents push moist air away from the basement and into the outside air. If used sparingly, you can also run your bathroom fans to reduce humidity in the house.

Putting a dehumidifier in the dampest part of your basement can dramatically reduce its humidity levels. A dehumidifier has a fan that draws in air — that air then runs into cooled coils that remove its moisture and deposit it in an attached tank or down a drain. Make sure to check and empty the reservoir regularly, or talk to a plumber about having your dehumidifier attached to a floor drain. If your basement has windows, consider cracking them open when temperatures are cooler outside than inside to help get rid of some of the humidity.

Basement bathrooms can produce a lot of humidity, too. Consider making your house a smart home by installing a smart hygrometer, thermostat and other home appliances that can help you keep your home safe and comfortable with just a couple taps on your phone.

Plus, you might even qualify for an American Family Insurance smart home discount! Staying on top of your home's humidity levels is an important step for protecting your home. Make sure that your home is protected from unnecessary damage with a customizable homeowners insurance policy. Now you can even protect your home from hidden water leaks you can't see in your floors, walls or other unseen areas with Hidden Water Damage coverage.

This is very common at cold joints. Water can rise by capillary draw significantly as shown below:. In most houses, a stack effect is created because warm air rises.

This induces a negative pressure on the basement and draws moist air in through any cracks or openings in the foundation including open sump pits. For this reason, sumps should have an airtight cover.

With a concrete block foundation, moist air is drawn through the block cores, especially if they are left open at the top course. Vapor diffusion is the movement of moisture in the vapor state through a material. It's dependent on the permeability of the material and the driving force of vapor pressure differential.

In a basement, vapor can diffuse from the wetter ground through concrete walls and floors toward the dryer basement interior. Vapor retarders such as foundation waterproofing and polyethylene slow down this process.

The soil next to the house is often backfilled without proper compaction and later settles. This is especially true under stoops where water can collect next to the basement wall. A downspout without an extender or splashblock is worse than no downspout at all. It is depositing the huge volume of rainwater from the roof in a single concentrated location near the basement.

Extensions should discharge water at least 4 feet beyond the wall. Sloped concrete sidewalks around basements are very effective in directing rain runoff. Often they are improperly built so that any water is directed toward, rather than away from the foundation.

A supplemental drain tile extension should extend from the footing to the base of the window well. This comes from a time when basements were not used as habitable space.

The sump pit usually contains a pump designed to lift the water to the ground surface outside the foundation wall. This pump can fail. PROBLEM: If heating ducts are installed beneath a basement floor slab, the drainage system may be inappropriately left at a level higher than the duct.

In effect, the duct becomes the drainage system. With standing water within the heating duct, there are potentially serious health consequences from mold contamination. A drain tile and coarse aggregate can be placed under the ductwork. They can be severe if floor joists are not properly connected to the foundation wall, thus permitting the wall to move.

Also, soil settling causes cracking. Places where walls meet rigid structures like the fireplace often crack as well. Usually, drainage removes the water from cracks, but repair may be necessary. The best way to approach any building problem is to first do the things that are easy and low cost.

Then proceed in a logical order doing the next least costly technique with the most positive likely result. With moisture problems, the best approach is almost always to remove or control the source of the moisture, not to try to stop it at the last line of defense.

First, the simplest and least costly techniques are to remove excessive internal moisture sources in the basement humidifiers, cooking and ventilate other sources clothes dryer, bathroom. Second, if condensation in the summer is the problem, do not ventilate the basement directly with warm, humid air. Ventilation through an air conditioning system or with a dessicant-type heat exchanger is recommended. Dehumidification can be used as a means of reducing the symptoms of humidity and odor in a basement, but it is not a permanent or complete solution.

In fact, if a dehumidifier is used in a basement with moisture problems, it may cause greater damage. By drying out the basement air, moisture is drawn into the basement more rapidly causing efflorescence and spalling of concrete and further damage to interior finishes.