How To Keep Moisture Out Of Basement Floor
Now that you know there is moisture let s find out where it is coming from.
How to keep moisture out of basement floor. Then a step by step process for addressing each problem is presented along with several detailed approaches to solving the problem. Keep excavation free of water. Take up peeling flooring to allow the surface of the subfloor to dry out. Holes and cracks in your foundation can let moisture and water seep into your basement.
Excessive moisture below concrete slabs can cause structural degradation of soil bearing strengths and swelling and shrinkage of soil. The informal test you did with the plastic patch is a sure sign of excessive moisture in the floor. Deteriorating carpet or wood. If the vinyl is glued you have two.
To prevent this from happening cover the floor with sheets of 6 millimeter plastic. If you see any of these signs you are experiencing moisture in your basement. Some basements just have a dirt floor and water vapor can easily enter the basement through the soil. Keep below grade excavations free of water to prevent potential reservoirs of moisture that can migrate upward through slabs.
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. Odor of mold or mildew. Standing water on the floor. But there are reliable methods of drying out your basement or at least creating a more dry basement than you already have.
Water trickling out of walls. Step 2 understand that the recommended humidity level in a home during the summer is below 65 percent to minimize potential mold growth. High moisture levels in a concrete floor can come form only two sources insuffiecent curing time new concrete or ground water. To create an interior drain system saw a channel around the perimeter of the floor chip out the concrete and lay perforated pipe in the hole.
If you can t keep subsurface water out you ll have to channel it from the inside. Standing water on floor. The pipe drains to a collection tank at the basement s low spot where a sump pump shoots it out the house. I am going to weigh in although i haven t had time to check specs etc on a couple of products i have used in the past.
Basement moisture typically comes from one of 3 sources rain or. Make any necessary repairs to stop the moisture then dry out the ceiling with fans. Opening basement windows and installing a fan will keep the air in the basement circulating and help dry things out however you need to eliminate the moisture or it will come back. Basement moisture is common it can be exceedingly difficult to remove 100 percent of the moisture from some basements.
This page briefly describes moisture sources moisture movement mechanisms and typical basement moisture problems. Plugging them probably won t solve basement leaks but it ll help.