How To Keep Moisture Out Of Basement Floor

High moisture levels in a concrete floor can come form only two sources insuffiecent curing time new concrete or ground water.

How to keep moisture out of basement floor.

Keep excavation free of water. If the vinyl is glued you have two. Standing water on floor. Step 2 understand that the recommended humidity level in a home during the summer is below 65 percent to minimize potential mold growth.

This page briefly describes moisture sources moisture movement mechanisms and typical basement moisture problems. Now that you know there is moisture let s find out where it is coming from. Take up peeling flooring to allow the surface of the subfloor to dry out. If you can t keep subsurface water out you ll have to channel it from the inside.

Deteriorating carpet or wood. Overlap the seams of the plastic to prevent moisture from getting through and attach the plastic to the walls with tape or staples. The pipe drains to a collection tank at the basement s low spot where a sump pump shoots it out the house. Some basements just have a dirt floor and water vapor can easily enter the basement through the soil.

Make any necessary repairs to stop the moisture then dry out the ceiling with fans. Rotting columns headers and joists. Odor of mold or mildew. Water trickling out of walls.

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. 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. The informal test you did with the plastic patch is a sure sign of excessive moisture in the floor. These can adversely affect a concrete slab on grade.

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. 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.

But there are reliable methods of drying out your basement or at least creating a more dry basement than you already have. 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. Basement moisture typically comes from one of 3 sources rain or. Plugging them probably won t solve basement leaks but it ll help.

Keep below grade excavations free of water to prevent potential reservoirs of moisture that can migrate upward through slabs. 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.