What do I do to stop a wet basement? First, I have a dehumidifier in the basement; however, once the coil iced up, it seemed useless. How do I stop the coil from icing up?
Also, I have condensate on the cold water pipes. How do I stop this? We haven’t been running the A/C until very recently. With the heat (actually “humiditure”) trying our patience, we broke down and turned on the A/C. [But, I’m wondering if the A/C is working properly (although a relatively new unit) - a problem unto itself!]
Lastly, I have moisture in the cinder-block walls. I do have corrugated hoses running from the downspouts to encourage the water to run away from the house. But still, there are problems here.
I am using Damp Rid, a dessecant drying agent, which was more effective in combination with the dehumidifier. So, if I can stop the dehumdifier’s coil from icing up, I’d be ok…
You first have to prevent water from entering your basement before you’ll be successful in getting rid of what’s there.
Problem is, it’s not likely a homeowner fix. You probably should be calling a contractor to properly identify the problem accurately and propose a fix.
The solution is likely to be some major excavation of your foundation to seal the outside of your basement and the installation of drain tile.
Even that may not be the problem, depending on your basement floor and the water level in your area as well as drainage.
You might also inquire of nearby neighbors who have a foundation like yours to see if they have the same problem and their solution.
Lag the pipes first to stop them being so cold, which will stop the condensation forming on them. (And stop the possibility of freezing in Winter).
Have you ascertained where the moisture/water is coming from? Sounds like your basement isn’t tanked properly.
With the finished floor level being below ground level the walls need to be properly lined to stop water ingress.
Is there a DPM in the floor slab to stop moisture rising?
This work can all be done retrospectively, but depending on the area of the basement and the house design etc… could work out very expensive (if you want the basement to be a fully habitable room).
Like Bare said, check with neighbours to see if any have undertaken these works before, and see what problems they had.
Sometimes water in a basement is caused by the pitch/grade of the land surrounding a house. Ideally, water should be directed away from the house. Sometimes, the opposite occurs.
For example, in Chez-Lucwarm, the previous owner had installed (at some expense no doubt) a French drain and sump-pump in the basement. But my inspector (and a contractor) showed me what the real problem was: A concrete patio in the backyard was pitched towards the house, causing water and ice to pool against the foundation.
Sometimes water in a basement is caused by the pitch/grade of the land surrounding a house. Ideally, water should be directed away from the house. Sometimes, the opposite occurs.
For example, in Chez-Lucwarm, the previous owner had installed (at some expense no doubt) a French drain and sump-pump in the basement. But my inspector (and a contractor) showed me what the real problem was: A concrete patio in the backyard was pitched towards the house, causing water and ice to pool against the foundation.
Dry-Loc waterproof paint does work wonders, but stinks to high heaven when applying. It really does take care of the damp cinderblocks though. Use extra on the seams.
That foam pipe insulation worked wonders for me.
The slope away from your house must be at least six feet, and any standing water beyond that should be taken care of with landscape draining.
Please clarify…slope is rise/run, so I’m looking for a ratio here. Like, the land rises 6 feet for every 10 feet (run). Unless, do you mean to say the land rises 6 feet for every 1 foot of run?
[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by Aro *
**Lag the pipes first to stop them being so cold, which will stop the condensation forming on them. (And stop the possibility of freezing in Winter)…Is there a DPM in the floor slab to stop moisture rising?
Wow, I guess I’m really ignorant about basements! What is “lagging”? Is it piping insulation, perhaps? And, what is DPM?
I’m thinking NurseCarmen meant that the ground should have a donward slope away from the house for at least six feet in every direction. In other words, no landscaping within six feet of the house should be sloped toward the house.
Six feet seems too little to me, though. I think it’d depend on the land.
Lagging is, as you guessed, just a word for insulation.
DPM is a damp proof membrane, which is generally added to all floors to stop rising moisture. Its just a big sheet of polythene really, coming in different guages (thicknesses) depending on need. But it needs to be lapped & bonded (folded & stuck) to the DPC (damp proof course) in the walls.
A German no less once told me a joke.
If the roof is rusty, the basement will be damp…
(Think hair colour)
No it isn’t very funny. But Germans aren’t are they?
We went through something like this too with cement brick walls. The owner put on a liquid gray
stuff that sealed these walls successfully. I don’t know what its called, but Im sure you can
ask at the hardware store. Sealed it up just fine.