Basement Condensation
Condensation in your basement is a problem you need to tackle as early as possible. What do you need to know about basement condensation?
Basement condensation, also known as sweating, is when humid, moist air interacts with the temperature indoors and collects into droplets that can rust metal, soak carpet, or cause mold and mildew.
If you’re experiencing basement condensation, you might not even know it. No matter how arid your home is, how much time you spend in your basement, or what you use your basement for, many homeowners overlook this issue. Here’s what you need to know about identifying and preventing basement condensation.
How to Uncover Basement Condensation
First and foremost, how do you uncover basement condensation? Your best bet is going to be to find it as early as possible.
- Uncover the Warning Signs
It’s extremely important that you understand the warning signs of basement condensation before you jump into more information about basement condensation as a whole. If you can identify these warning signs, chances are you’ll be able to point back toward basement condensation as the culprit. Here are a few of the warning signs:
- High humidity elsewhere
- Sagging, bouncy floors
- Mold and mildew
- Respiratory issues
As you can see, none of these are irrefutable proof that you have basement condensation; they just all point to issues with high basement humidity, which typically loops back around to condensation anyway. At the very least, these are important signs that your basement has a problem, which means you should call in an expert regardless.
- Have an Expert Inspect Your Basement Yearly
An expert inspection every year is something that can fix your basement problems before you start having them in the first place. When you have an expert inspection, you’ll be able to look much deeper into your basement problems. That means thinking about your basement’s concerns altogether, which is one of the best things an expert can do for you.
When you have something installed with us, you can sign up for regular annual maintenance with us. We also understand how easy it can be to forget to set up your annual inspection. That’s why we contact you when it’s time for your yearly appointment.
- Do Your Own Inspections Regularly
Although an expert can really get down and dirty with your basement and understand what’s truly happening in there, the expert can only look at your basement every so often. A yearly inspection is important, but it’s also important to have an inspection that you can give your own house as often as once every couple of months.
Doing your own inspection allows you to understand much more about your home’s basement and the generalized structure of the home. When you have your own inspection that you do every few months, you’ll be able to see how things are moving and changing. If they’re moving and changing too much, that’s what you can tell the basement repair expert when they come.
Basement Waterproofing Problem Signs
Problems That Can Arise Because of Basement Condensation
Are there actual problems you can have because of basement condensation? As a matter of fact, there are. These are some of the problems you might end up with as a result of basement condensation.
- In the Basement
First and foremost, the problems in the basement are extremely important to pay attention to. Basement condensation, as the name would imply, has its largest effects on the basement itself. That condensation can collect on just about anything in your basement, although it tends to gravitate to cool areas like cold water pipes.
Once the condensation collects, it can then drip down, causing standing water puddles all across your basement that you didn’t really notice until just now. The condensation collecting all across the basement is an important element of understanding exactly what you’re dealing with in your basement. It can cause mold and mildew growth, structural issues, and high humidity.
- Throughout the Rest of the Home
These tertiary problems are extremely important to how basement condensation impacts the home as a whole. When you have problems with your basement condensation, those problems won’t just stay in the basement. Because many of the problems specifically have to do with things that can move up into the home as a whole, you need to pay attention to your basement to stop those concerns.
Think about the fact that the basement typically has a door to the rest of the home. Even with the best-fitting door, you’re likely going to end up with some air drafts. Those air drafts can be no big deal. However, if you already have a bad situation in the basement, that can make sure they’re not good for your basement and they’re not good for the rest of your home.
- Across the Property
To understand this piece of information, you really need to understand the fact that basement condensation doesn’t come from nowhere. Basement condensation requires that you have relatively high humidity in your basement and that you have a cool area for the water to condense. Then the question has to be: Where is the high humidity coming from?
More often than not, the answer comes from the outside of the basement. If you have a basement with cracks in the walls from hydrostatic pressure, for example, you’re more likely to end up with basement condensation. That implies that the hydrostatic pressure is causing problems all across the property. Knowing that these things work together is one thing that makes it so hard for DIY home repair.
Fix Your Basement Condensation for Good with an Expert’s Help
You want a permanent fix, not just a semi-permanent bandage, right? If you’re looking for a way to fix your basement condensation concerns forever, you should talk to a Groundworks basement repair expert. Enter your zip code below to find us near you, and set up a no-obligation visit today.