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Replies (5)
- John Stewart, "nwhome.us"
- Contributions:2054
Moisture needs to be out of there. It is a top priority. A dehumidifier doesn't kill the mold that is circulating in the air.
Let's use the top of the foundation wall as a dividing line.
Water could be penetrating the building envelope anywhere above that line. If it is, it should show up on top of the foundation wall and be running down the inside surface of the wall. It could be coming from a leak in the siding, a leak in the roof or even a leak in a plumbing line. You'd have to find the leak to determine how much it would cost to repair it and any rot caused by the water. The variables are too great for even a contractor to estimate until they find the leak and dig into it and find out how much rot damage there is.
If the water intrusion is below the top of the foundation wall it can be coming though the wall or through the floor.
If it coming through the wall you need to prevent water from getting to the wall or deal with it after it gets through. Working from the outside you may be able to simply direct downspouts away from the foundation which is the cheapest of all solutions. If the foundation is easily accessible you may be able to dig down about 4' and install a good drainage system around the whole thing. This is a little more expensive, but really just a lot of elbow grease. This is only a "maybe" fix but if you do the labor it can be inexpensive and possibly effective.
Working from the inside, the typical contractor will want to break out the floor around the perimeter of the basement, next to the foundation, and install a drainage system there which exits the basement through a floor drain or sump pump. The cost of this depends on the level of finish in the basement, whether the moisture is coming through the floor and whether there is gravity feed from the drainage or it needs a sump pump. It should be easy to get at least 3 contractor to give you an estimate on this cost and if you get 3, you will learn as much about it as you want to. In our neck of the woods it starts at $2,000 and goes up from there to the cost of remodeling the entire basement.
- georgehobart
- Contributions:31
NWHome.us,
Thanks ever so much for your detailed reply. I appreciate you taking the time to educate. This will be useful for me and a lot of my friends in the same predicament.
Elipe
Thanks ever so much for your detailed reply. I appreciate you taking the time to educate. This will be useful for me and a lot of my friends in the same predicament.
Elipe
- house4meintowson
- Contributions:1
This is very useful advise, but what are your thoughts on cauking obvious cracks in the foundation wall and painting with a product like DryLock? Thanks.
- John Stewart, "nwhome.us"
- Contributions:2054
There are a number of injection type systems for sealing cracks from the interior. "Caulk" would be the least effective. You'll find that even the Urethene based caulk products will need a primer in order to adhere to the concrete correctly (read the material spec sheets very carefully and follow the manufacturer's installation instructions to the letter).
Commercial contractors use resin based (epoxy) products and there are some cement based "packing" systems available. Many of these will work in many cases for long periods of time, or until your thumb gets tired. Kidding aside, they are frequently acceptable solutions, depending on the amount of moisture.
Commercial contractors use resin based (epoxy) products and there are some cement based "packing" systems available. Many of these will work in many cases for long periods of time, or until your thumb gets tired. Kidding aside, they are frequently acceptable solutions, depending on the amount of moisture.
- bamkmartin
- Contributions:104
Not always a bad sign that there is a dehumidifier running. Use your nose. How does it smell/feel? Most basements finished or unfinished can use a dehumidifier. I would hook the water drain into the house's drainage system so that you dont have to manually dump the tank. In my area, dehumidifier is a sign that the basement is used and a more comfortable living space with less moisture in the air during the spring summer months. Winter is usually tolerable without it. I would be more worried about radon.
Damp basement
What are the main cuases of damp or moisture in a basement? Is it a bad sign in the sellers have a dehumidifier in the basement? What is the best remedy to dry out a basement? How much does this cost?
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