Best way to dry up a basement?

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pahomeowner

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anyone know the best way to dry up a damp basement? it just always seems to be damp and I'd like to try and lay some carpet and fix it up a little but I'm afraid I'll get mold or something. Is there anything I can do myself to keep it dryer down there?
 
fundamental question - what kind of shape is the foundation in? if you have cracks, you will never get it dry
 
Question one is where is the dampness from? Is your landscaping up to par - is the grade sloping away? Do you need a sump pump, or weeping tile?
 
actually, the walls are concrete, but the basement is connected to the garage, which slopes back toward the basement and has a drain in it. whenever it rains the garage fills with water and it seeps thru the wall. the water seeps under the garage door, it's like an awful chain reaction. also, occasionally, the garage drain clogs and we've had sewage back up....isn't fun owning a home?
 
Nice. Wonder if a guy could get one of those slab-lifting companies to come and pump urethane (or whatever the hell they do!!) and get things tipped the right way?
 
A dehumifier will remove the normal condesation and is a must for all basements in humid areas. high humidity air will cool and condense in a normal basement because the basement is cooler than outside.
this does not address the seepage of water. cement is porus and will allow moisture to bleed into the basement areas. this is normal and can be addressed by using a special paint designed just for this purpose. It has a name but I cannot remember what it is. You mix a powder with water and paint it on the wall to seal the seepage.

As you were told before you need to address drainage to keep the excess water pressure against the outside of the foundation. There are as many ways of doing this as there are causes. You need to find the cause and address it. We don't know enough about your specific situation to properly address it in this forum.

Hope this helps!
 
I just would like to clarify something folks ,
When you paint your concrete walls in a basement you are wasting your time and money if you do not have ...
A sealed exterior on the foundation such as tar or another waterproofing application....
And if you do not have a drainage system with gutters flowing away from the house.

The paint WILL come of in time due to Efflorecense, a white powdery material on the walls. This is salts or lime moving through the foundation via water vapor.

Nothing will stick....Be careful of marketing at it's best.

InspectorD:D
 
I'd have to agree, you need to address the cause of the leakage before you finish the basement. Sealing the walls will only cause more issues down the line. I spend a summer in college working for a basement waterproofing company and 60% of the homes we did work in had sealed walls that were either leaking or cracked becasue of the sealant. Fix the source of the water and the problem will go away. Either that or you pay a lot of money to have a sump pump system put in. Good luck.
 
french drain, or even more practical a good dehumidifier. you're right, carpet will sop up the moisture and cause problems down the road
 
I'd start on the outside of your basement before finishing it. If there is no perimeter drain (french drain) around the foundation you should install one. This will help to eliminate the water from getting into the basement to begin with.
 
I have worked with the hydrophobic polyurethanes for many years. It is very possible to seal a leaking structure. Many companies sell do it yourself kits to repair cracks or cold joints (an area were two concrete surfaces meet) I will give some details, hydrophobic polyurethanes react to a dense foam as they contacts moisture or water this gives a very good compression seal along with a chemical and mechanical bond and still let the structure move (freeze thaw cycles) I don't want to go on and on if you would like more information let me know.
 
Right on InspectorD! Keep the water out dont just try to paint on a barrier to halt it at the inside of the wall. At that point its too late.
 
I agree, the paint mixture and a name brand I can't recall specifically for this did not work. The white powdery material has returned. Its best to try and fix this from the source of the problem.
 
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