Basement Condensation & Basement Leakage

If you do not have obvious flows of water after each rain but have persistent dampness, your problem may be basement condensation rather than water leaking through the walls. If dampness seems to be a hot-weather problem, basement condensation is the likely culprit.

What Is Basement Condensation?
The warmer air is, the more moisture it can hold. Conversely, when air cools, it often has to release moisture. The dew on your lawn in the morning is moisture that was in the air until overnight temperatures dropped to the point where the air could not hold all of that moisture. The same thing happens when warm summer air that is loaded with moisture comes into contact with your glass of iced tea: the glass cools the air, causing the air to give up some moisture as water droplets on the outside of your glass. In your basement, condensation develops when you have relatively warm, moist air contacting the cool surface of the walls. As the walls cool the air, droplets form on the walls and you’ve got a damp basement.

Condensation Testing
If you think condensation might be the problem in your basement, there is a simple test. Securely tape a 10″ x 10″ piece of plastic wrap onto the basement wall in an area where you have noticed dampness, sealing the edges of the plastic wrap with the tape. Check on the plastic over the next few days. Eventually you will get moisture: if the moisture is on the wall side of the plastic, you’ve got a leak; if the moisture is on the room side of the plastic, you’ve got a condensation problem.

Basement Condensation Solutions

Condensation problems are usually easier to fix than leaks. Depending on the circumstances in your home, you have several lines of attack, all of which are designed to reduce the moisture in the air. Excess moisture commonly comes from clothes dryers, clothes lines, showers, cooking, and dew.

Sources of Basement Moisture
Concentrate on potential sources of basement moisture in or near the basement. If you have an indoor clothes line, consider moving it outdoors (at least in the warm summer months) or increasing air circulation (more on that later). Check your dryer to ensure that the exhaust vent doesn’t leak and has an unobstructed path to the outdoors. If your dryer exhaust is equipped with an energy saving switch, allowing you to exhaust air indoors or out, ensure that yours is set to outdoors and see if it takes care of the problem.

While uncommon, basement moisture sometimes comes from plumbing leaks. As you are checking your basement, be on the lookout for signs of a plumbing problem. One place to check is the pipes in the ceiling directly under the kitchen sink. Another problem location is the drain line that removes water from the indoor part of your central air conditioner. Some new high- efficiency furnaces have a drain line as well. If these lines are clogged or broken, they can put out a surprising amount of water.

Basement Exhaust fans. If there is a basement shower that gets a lot of use, install a basement exhaust fan that draws the damp air out of the house. Should these measures fail to resolve the problem, and you are rather certain that your problem is basement condensation, check moisture sources in other parts of the house. In very well insulated houses, even small amounts of basement moisture can be problematic. The kitchen and every bath should be equipped with a working exhaust fan. Make sure household members use the fans! (If you have trouble getting cooperation on this front, have the bathroom fans hooked up to the light switch. Whenever the light goes on, so does the fan.)

Air circulation in Your Basement
If the condensationin your basement is quite modest, and there are not obvious sources of excess moisture, increasing air circulation may resolve the problem. Some basements don’t have air-conditioning vents, but it is usually a simple matter to create a couple of vents. If you already have vents, make sure they are open.

If your basement is so packed with stuff that air can’t circulate anyway, additional vents will have little effect. You should get rid of some junk and create air passages around and between things. You especially want air to be able to flow easily along walls. If you do not have a central fan or air conditioner, or if it doesn’t seem to adequately stir the basement air, you might want to run a circulating fan in the basement for a few hours each day. While it won’t remove much moisture, it helps distribute the moisture evenly and eliminate damp spots.

Insulating Your Basement
Another approach to the condensation problem is to reduce the extent to which moist air contacts cool surfaces where it can condense. With this approach, you insulate exposed duct work, pipes, and walls - anywhere that water tends to condense. If the moist air can’t reach the cool surfaces, it won’t release water as condensation.

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Wet Basements
Cellars often leak due to water built-up on the outside of your foundation walls. Water collects in small pockets in the soil next to the foundation and begins to form hydrostatic pressure. Overtime this pressure increases until the moisture is literally pushed through the wall (often called “bleeding”). Usually you’ll find seepage in corners or in joints where the wall meets the floor. Though the process is typically slow going and probably won’t have immediate consequences, you’ll want to remedy the problem as soon as possible. If ignored, it won’t only ruin the look of your cellar; it’ll cause bigger setbacks down the road (bowed walls and cracked foundations).

Exterior Measures
Since there is only one way for water to get into your home, your first plan of action will be to examine the outside of your house to see if water is being properly diverted. Passive basement waterproofing systems are the primary preventative measure.
Sloping and Grading: Look at where the soil meets your walls. Is the ground sloping away from the foundation? This is the biggest reason why water penetrates the home: it has nowhere to go but in. If this is the case, you’ll want to hire a professional grader to help slope the ground downhill and away from the house.
Gutters: Are your gutters clean? If they’re clogged, the water will simply spill over the edge, down your walls, and into the foundation.
Downspouts Extensions: Even if water is being properly diverted, is it being carried far enough away? If your drainage systems allow water to seep back towards the home, then invest in some downspout extensions to ensure its permanent evacuation.

The Inside Scoop
Of course, this where the water ends up. So once you’ve located the sources of the leak, in order inhibit moisture spreading into other areas of the interior, here are a couple mitigation methods for those do-it-yourselfers.
Sealant: Buy a product that seals your entire interior. You patch up the joints and seams, prime the area, and then literally paint on a couple coats of sealer. It creates an impermeable, almost rubberized surface and repairs any leaks or cracks.
Baseboard Guards: These metal baseboards run along the seam where the wall meets the floor, are permanently sealed in place, and collect any escaping moisture. This collected water is then guided to a drain or sump pump. It’s a very effective system, but requires some prep work. For poured concrete, you’ll need to seal the corner joint above the baseboard. And for concrete block, holes may need to be drilled into the core of the bottom row in order to alleviate the hydrostatic pressure and let the water run free.

Drainage Systems
Basement waterproofing requires a lot of separate equipment: gutters, grading, sealing, etc. But don’t forget the primary sources of water diversion. Regularly check your interior drains to assure they’re not clogged. Also, it’s a great idea to invest in a sump pump that will literally push the water away from the home (this should also be regularly checked and monitored for maintenance). And if the problem gets worse, you may want to invest in some tile systems (digging up the basement floor, installing a drainage system in the foundation, and then replacing the flooring). However, for this particularly extensive chore, you’ll definitely want to hire a professional contractor trained in basement waterproofing systems.

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“When people go to turn their heat on, the dust and debris that has been collecting in the coils either burns into fumes or gets distributed throughout the home,” says John Schulte, executive director of the National Air Duct Cleaners Association (NADCA). “The warm environment can also be a haven for mold and mildew, all of which can cause air quality to plummet.”

HVAC systems have been shown to act as a collection source for a variety of contaminants that have the potential to affect health, such as mold, fungi, bacteria and very small particles of dust. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, indoor air can be two to five times more polluted than outdoor air. The removal of such contaminants from your HVAC system is crucial to improve indoor air quality. Plus, a clean system can save you money on your energy bill.

Further research from the EPA has demonstrated that HVAC system cleaning may allow systems to run more efficiently by removing debris from sensitive mechanical components. Clean, efficient systems are less likely to break down, have a longer life span, and generally operate more effectively than dirty systems.

“About half of the energy used in a building is on heating and cooling,” says Schulte. “Having your system cleaned can save up to 30 percent in energy costs. So not only are you improving indoor air quality, but you’re saving money and helping the environment.”

The top issues that effect a home’s HVAC system, its efficiency and air quality are:

1) Filtration Issues
Low-efficiency filters, lack of a filter replacement program, and improperly sized filters can allow particles and debris to flow into a home or building.

2) Duct Work Contamination
It is estimated that more than 90 percent of HVAC systems installed longer than 10 years will have some level of insulation deterioration. Over time, the insulation fibers are distributed and blown into occupied spaces every time the blower turns on.

3) Dirty Evaporator Coil
Over time, evaporator coils become matted with dust and dirt. During cold months, the heated air can flow over the dirty coils and be distributed into your home’s interior space.

The best way to determine if your HVAC system is clean is to perform a visual inspection. If any dust or debris can be seen, the system needs to be serviced. Some of the things that may lead a home owner to consider more frequent cleaning include:
* Smokers in the household.
* Pets that shed high amounts of hair and dander.
* Water contamination or damage to the home or HVAC system.
* Residents with allergies or asthma.
* Home renovations or remodeling.

“The most effective way to clean air ducts and ventilation systems is to employ Source Removal methods of cleaning,” says Schutle. “This requires a contractor to place the system under negative pressure, through the use of a specialized, powerful vacuum.”

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Home Health and Basement Odor
House mold and black mold emit toxins that are not particularly deadly on their own, but they can become serious health risks if people are exposed to them for an extended period of time. Basements are always suspect because they are typically the dampest room in a house. These toxins can cause headaches, dizziness, lethargy, and sundry other neurological ailments. Mold and other organic toxins can be a compound problem in a damp home, and the possible health risks to young children with vulnerable immune systems is serious, not to mention a notable cause of childhood asthma.

House Mold and Mold Tests
If you suspect that house mold is building in your home, you need to execute mold tests in the areas that are suspect. The results of these tests will determine how you need to go about eliminating the mold in your basement.

First, get a portable air cleaner and place these devices nearest to the mold epicenters. This will reduce the available amount of toxins in the air, which will reduce how much can be absorbed into the lungs. House mold grows most easily in areas of over 50% humidity. Dust mites are the same, as they will also thrive in wet environments. In your basement, place a dehumidifier which will help to reduce the humidity that acts like food to house mold and dust mites. Once the humidity drops below 50%, it will be difficult for house mold and dust mites to grow, much less thrive.

Mold Removal and Hepa Vacuums
Mold removal is a tricky task. If you scrub the mold spores they can very easily become airborne and spread to other areas of the home or into the lungs of those who inhabit it. Mold removal professionals can be called in to do what they do best. This will not take very long, not to mention that mold removal contractors have the correct equipment to best remove mold from any situation.

Mold removal contractors use Hepa vacuums to pull the mold from where it lives in your home, and into their systems, which is then disposed of properly. If you know that you need a mold removal contractor to remove mold from your basement—or any other place in your home.

Preventing Black Mold
After a mold removal contractor finishes removing mold from your basement, you still have some work ahead of you to prevent the black mold from returning. First, wash the specific areas where the Hepa vacuum removed the mold. Use soapy, warm water and clean those areas. However, you need to make sure that you dry the washed areas thoroughly; otherwise that same mold might grow right back in those damp areas.

Basement Odor
There are some things that you can do to reduce that basement odor: candles, potpourri, etc. And there are some methods that can deter mold from growing, such as dehumidifiers, portable air cleaners, and the like. Just remember that mold produces toxins that are dangerous to those in the house, especially young children. Mold removal is the sure fire way to eliminate the problem of basement odor, and to protect your family’s health

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“When people go to turn their heat on, the dust and debris that has been collecting in the coils either burns into fumes or gets distributed throughout the home,” says John Schulte, executive director of the National Air Duct Cleaners Association (NADCA). “The warm environment can also be a haven for mold and mildew, all of which can cause air quality to plummet.”

HVAC systems have been shown to act as a collection source for a variety of contaminants that have the potential to affect health, such as mold, fungi, bacteria and very small particles of dust. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, indoor air can be two to five times more polluted than outdoor air. The removal of such contaminants from your HVAC system is crucial to improve indoor air quality. Plus, a clean system can save you money on your energy bill.

Further research from the EPA has demonstrated that HVAC system cleaning may allow systems to run more efficiently by removing debris from sensitive mechanical components. Clean, efficient systems are less likely to break down, have a longer life span, and generally operate more effectively than dirty systems.

“About half of the energy used in a building is on heating and cooling,” says Schulte. “Having your system cleaned can save up to 30 percent in energy costs. So not only are you improving indoor air quality, but you’re saving money and helping the environment.”

The top issues that effect a home’s HVAC system, its efficiency and air quality are:

1) Filtration Issues
Low-efficiency filters, lack of a filter replacement program, and improperly sized filters can allow particles and debris to flow into a home or building.

2) Duct Work Contamination
It is estimated that more than 90 percent of HVAC systems installed longer than 10 years will have some level of insulation deterioration. Over time, the insulation fibers are distributed and blown into occupied spaces every time the blower turns on.

3) Dirty Evaporator Coil
Over time, evaporator coils become matted with dust and dirt. During cold months, the heated air can flow over the dirty coils and be distributed into your home’s interior space.

The best way to determine if your HVAC system is clean is to perform a visual inspection. If any dust or debris can be seen, the system needs to be serviced. Some of the things that may lead a home owner to consider more frequent cleaning include:
* Smokers in the household.
* Pets that shed high amounts of hair and dander.
* Water contamination or damage to the home or HVAC system.
* Residents with allergies or asthma.
* Home renovations or remodeling.

“The most effective way to clean air ducts and ventilation systems is to employ Source Removal methods of cleaning,” says Schutle. “This requires a contractor to place the system under negative pressure, through the use of a specialized, powerful vacuum.”

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Home Health and Basement Odor
House mold and black mold emit toxins that are not particularly deadly on their own, but they can become serious health risks if people are exposed to them for an extended period of time. Basements are always suspect because they are typically the dampest room in a house. These toxins can cause headaches, dizziness, lethargy, and sundry other neurological ailments. Mold and other organic toxins can be a compound problem in a damp home, and the possible health risks to young children with vulnerable immune systems is serious, not to mention a notable cause of childhood asthma.

House Mold and Mold Tests
If you suspect that house mold is building in your home, you need to execute mold tests in the areas that are suspect. The results of these tests will determine how you need to go about eliminating the mold in your basement.

First, get a portable air cleaner and place these devices nearest to the mold epicenters. This will reduce the available amount of toxins in the air, which will reduce how much can be absorbed into the lungs. House mold grows most easily in areas of over 50% humidity. Dust mites are the same, as they will also thrive in wet environments. In your basement, place a dehumidifier which will help to reduce the humidity that acts like food to house mold and dust mites. Once the humidity drops below 50%, it will be difficult for house mold and dust mites to grow, much less thrive.

Mold Removal and Hepa Vacuums
Mold removal is a tricky task. If you scrub the mold spores they can very easily become airborne and spread to other areas of the home or into the lungs of those who inhabit it. Mold removal professionals can be called in to do what they do best. This will not take very long, not to mention that mold removal contractors have the correct equipment to best remove mold from any situation.

Mold removal contractors use Hepa vacuums to pull the mold from where it lives in your home, and into their systems, which is then disposed of properly. If you know that you need a mold removal contractor to remove mold from your basement—or any other place in your home.

Preventing Black Mold
After a mold removal contractor finishes removing mold from your basement, you still have some work ahead of you to prevent the black mold from returning. First, wash the specific areas where the Hepa vacuum removed the mold. Use soapy, warm water and clean those areas. However, you need to make sure that you dry the washed areas thoroughly; otherwise that same mold might grow right back in those damp areas.

Basement Odor
There are some things that you can do to reduce that basement odor: candles, potpourri, etc. And there are some methods that can deter mold from growing, such as dehumidifiers, portable air cleaners, and the like. Just remember that mold produces toxins that are dangerous to those in the house, especially young children. Mold removal is the sure fire way to eliminate the problem of basement odor, and to protect your family’s health

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As the weather begins to cool, we start preparing our homes for the winter season. Closing up the house and using your heater can really have an impact on indoor air quality. The best way to keep the air in your home clean throughout the cooler months is to get your heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system cleaned.

“When people go to turn their heat on, the dust and debris that has been collecting in the coils either burns into fumes or gets distributed throughout the home,” says John Schulte, executive director of the National Air Duct Cleaners Association (NADCA). “The warm environment can also be a haven for mold and mildew, all of which can cause air quality to plummet.”

HVAC systems have been shown to act as a collection source for a variety of contaminants that have the potential to affect health, such as mold, fungi, bacteria and very small particles of dust. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, indoor air can be two to five times more polluted than outdoor air. The removal of such contaminants from your HVAC system is crucial to improve indoor air quality. Plus, a clean system can save you money on your energy bill.

Further research from the EPA has demonstrated that HVAC system cleaning may allow systems to run more efficiently by removing debris from sensitive mechanical components. Clean, efficient systems are less likely to break down, have a longer life span, and generally operate more effectively than dirty systems.

“About half of the energy used in a building is on heating and cooling,” says Schulte. “Having your system cleaned can save up to 30 percent in energy costs. So not only are you improving indoor air quality, but you’re saving money and helping the environment.”

The top issues that effect a home’s HVAC system, its efficiency and air quality are:

1) Filtration Issues
Low-efficiency filters, lack of a filter replacement program, and improperly sized filters can allow particles and debris to flow into a home or building.

2) Duct Work Contamination
It is estimated that more than 90 percent of HVAC systems installed longer than 10 years will have some level of insulation deterioration. Over time, the insulation fibers are distributed and blown into occupied spaces every time the blower turns on.

3) Dirty Evaporator Coil
Over time, evaporator coils become matted with dust and dirt. During cold months, the heated air can flow over the dirty coils and be distributed into your home’s interior space.

The best way to determine if your HVAC system is clean is to perform a visual inspection. If any dust or debris can be seen, the system needs to be serviced. Some of the things that may lead a home owner to consider more frequent cleaning include:
* Smokers in the household.
* Pets that shed high amounts of hair and dander.
* Water contamination or damage to the home or HVAC system.
* Residents with allergies or asthma.
* Home renovations or remodeling.

“The most effective way to clean air ducts and ventilation systems is to employ Source Removal methods of cleaning,” says Schutle. “This requires a contractor to place the system under negative pressure, through the use of a specialized, powerful vacuum.”

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Basement Condensation & Basement Leakage

If you do not have obvious flows of water after each rain but have persistent dampness, your problem may be basement condensation rather than water leaking through the walls. If dampness seems to be a hot-weather problem, basement condensation is the likely culprit.

What Is Basement Condensation?
The warmer air is, the more moisture it can hold. Conversely, when air cools, it often has to release moisture. The dew on your lawn in the morning is moisture that was in the air until overnight temperatures dropped to the point where the air could not hold all of that moisture. The same thing happens when warm summer air that is loaded with moisture comes into contact with your glass of iced tea: the glass cools the air, causing the air to give up some moisture as water droplets on the outside of your glass. In your basement, condensation develops when you have relatively warm, moist air contacting the cool surface of the walls. As the walls cool the air, droplets form on the walls and you’ve got a damp basement.

Condensation Testing
If you think condensation might be the problem in your basement, there is a simple test. Securely tape a 10″ x 10″ piece of plastic wrap onto the basement wall in an area where you have noticed dampness, sealing the edges of the plastic wrap with the tape. Check on the plastic over the next few days. Eventually you will get moisture: if the moisture is on the wall side of the plastic, you’ve got a leak; if the moisture is on the room side of the plastic, you’ve got a condensation problem.

Basement Condensation Solutions

Condensation problems are usually easier to fix than leaks. Depending on the circumstances in your home, you have several lines of attack, all of which are designed to reduce the moisture in the air. Excess moisture commonly comes from clothes dryers, clothes lines, showers, cooking, and dew.

Sources of Basement Moisture
Concentrate on potential sources of basement moisture in or near the basement. If you have an indoor clothes line, consider moving it outdoors (at least in the warm summer months) or increasing air circulation (more on that later). Check your dryer to ensure that the exhaust vent doesn’t leak and has an unobstructed path to the outdoors. If your dryer exhaust is equipped with an energy saving switch, allowing you to exhaust air indoors or out, ensure that yours is set to outdoors and see if it takes care of the problem.

While uncommon, basement moisture sometimes comes from plumbing leaks. As you are checking your basement, be on the lookout for signs of a plumbing problem. One place to check is the pipes in the ceiling directly under the kitchen sink. Another problem location is the drain line that removes water from the indoor part of your central air conditioner. Some new high- efficiency furnaces have a drain line as well. If these lines are clogged or broken, they can put out a surprising amount of water.

Basement Exhaust fans. If there is a basement shower that gets a lot of use, install a basement exhaust fan that draws the damp air out of the house. Should these measures fail to resolve the problem, and you are rather certain that your problem is basement condensation, check moisture sources in other parts of the house. In very well insulated houses, even small amounts of basement moisture can be problematic. The kitchen and every bath should be equipped with a working exhaust fan. Make sure household members use the fans! (If you have trouble getting cooperation on this front, have the bathroom fans hooked up to the light switch. Whenever the light goes on, so does the fan.)

Air circulation in Your Basement
If the condensationin your basement is quite modest, and there are not obvious sources of excess moisture, increasing air circulation may resolve the problem. Some basements don’t have air-conditioning vents, but it is usually a simple matter to create a couple of vents. If you already have vents, make sure they are open.

If your basement is so packed with stuff that air can’t circulate anyway, additional vents will have little effect. You should get rid of some junk and create air passages around and between things. You especially want air to be able to flow easily along walls. If you do not have a central fan or air conditioner, or if it doesn’t seem to adequately stir the basement air, you might want to run a circulating fan in the basement for a few hours each day. While it won’t remove much moisture, it helps distribute the moisture evenly and eliminate damp spots.

Insulating Your Basement
Another approach to the condensation problem is to reduce the extent to which moist air contacts cool surfaces where it can condense. With this approach, you insulate exposed duct work, pipes, and walls - anywhere that water tends to condense. If the moist air can’t reach the cool surfaces, it won’t release water as condensation.

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Wet Basements
Cellars often leak due to water built-up on the outside of your foundation walls. Water collects in small pockets in the soil next to the foundation and begins to form hydrostatic pressure. Overtime this pressure increases until the moisture is literally pushed through the wall (often called “bleeding”). Usually you’ll find seepage in corners or in joints where the wall meets the floor. Though the process is typically slow going and probably won’t have immediate consequences, you’ll want to remedy the problem as soon as possible. If ignored, it won’t only ruin the look of your cellar; it’ll cause bigger setbacks down the road (bowed walls and cracked foundations).

Exterior Measures
Since there is only one way for water to get into your home, your first plan of action will be to examine the outside of your house to see if water is being properly diverted. Passive basement waterproofing systems are the primary preventative measure.
Sloping and Grading: Look at where the soil meets your walls. Is the ground sloping away from the foundation? This is the biggest reason why water penetrates the home: it has nowhere to go but in. If this is the case, you’ll want to hire a professional grader to help slope the ground downhill and away from the house.
Gutters: Are your gutters clean? If they’re clogged, the water will simply spill over the edge, down your walls, and into the foundation.
Downspouts Extensions: Even if water is being properly diverted, is it being carried far enough away? If your drainage systems allow water to seep back towards the home, then invest in some downspout extensions to ensure its permanent evacuation.

The Inside Scoop
Of course, this where the water ends up. So once you’ve located the sources of the leak, in order inhibit moisture spreading into other areas of the interior, here are a couple mitigation methods for those do-it-yourselfers.
Sealant: Buy a product that seals your entire interior. You patch up the joints and seams, prime the area, and then literally paint on a couple coats of sealer. It creates an impermeable, almost rubberized surface and repairs any leaks or cracks.
Baseboard Guards: These metal baseboards run along the seam where the wall meets the floor, are permanently sealed in place, and collect any escaping moisture. This collected water is then guided to a drain or sump pump. It’s a very effective system, but requires some prep work. For poured concrete, you’ll need to seal the corner joint above the baseboard. And for concrete block, holes may need to be drilled into the core of the bottom row in order to alleviate the hydrostatic pressure and let the water run free.

Drainage Systems
Basement waterproofing requires a lot of separate equipment: gutters, grading, sealing, etc. But don’t forget the primary sources of water diversion. Regularly check your interior drains to assure they’re not clogged. Also, it’s a great idea to invest in a sump pump that will literally push the water away from the home (this should also be regularly checked and monitored for maintenance). And if the problem gets worse, you may want to invest in some tile systems (digging up the basement floor, installing a drainage system in the foundation, and then replacing the flooring). However, for this particularly extensive chore, you’ll definitely want to hire a professional contractor trained in basement waterproofing systems.

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Home Health and Basement Odor
House mold and black mold emit toxins that are not particularly deadly on their own, but they can become serious health risks if people are exposed to them for an extended period of time. Basements are always suspect because they are typically the dampest room in a house. These toxins can cause headaches, dizziness, lethargy, and sundry other neurological ailments. Mold and other organic toxins can be a compound problem in a damp home, and the possible health risks to young children with vulnerable immune systems is serious, not to mention a notable cause of childhood asthma.

House Mold and Mold Tests
If you suspect that house mold is building in your home, you need to execute mold tests in the areas that are suspect. The results of these tests will determine how you need to go about eliminating the mold in your basement.

First, get a portable air cleaner and place these devices nearest to the mold epicenters. This will reduce the available amount of toxins in the air, which will reduce how much can be absorbed into the lungs. House mold grows most easily in areas of over 50% humidity. Dust mites are the same, as they will also thrive in wet environments. In your basement, place a dehumidifier which will help to reduce the humidity that acts like food to house mold and dust mites. Once the humidity drops below 50%, it will be difficult for house mold and dust mites to grow, much less thrive.

Mold Removal and Hepa Vacuums
Mold removal is a tricky task. If you scrub the mold spores they can very easily become airborne and spread to other areas of the home or into the lungs of those who inhabit it. Mold removal professionals can be called in to do what they do best. This will not take very long, not to mention that mold removal contractors have the correct equipment to best remove mold from any situation.

Mold removal contractors use Hepa vacuums to pull the mold from where it lives in your home, and into their systems, which is then disposed of properly. If you know that you need a mold removal contractor to remove mold from your basement—or any other place in your home.

Preventing Black Mold
After a mold removal contractor finishes removing mold from your basement, you still have some work ahead of you to prevent the black mold from returning. First, wash the specific areas where the Hepa vacuum removed the mold. Use soapy, warm water and clean those areas. However, you need to make sure that you dry the washed areas thoroughly; otherwise that same mold might grow right back in those damp areas.

Basement Odor
There are some things that you can do to reduce that basement odor: candles, potpourri, etc. And there are some methods that can deter mold from growing, such as dehumidifiers, portable air cleaners, and the like. Just remember that mold produces toxins that are dangerous to those in the house, especially young children. Mold removal is the sure fire way to eliminate the problem of basement odor, and to protect your family’s health

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Home Health and Basement Odor
House mold and black mold emit toxins that are not particularly deadly on their own, but they can become serious health risks if people are exposed to them for an extended period of time. Basements are always suspect because they are typically the dampest room in a house. These toxins can cause headaches, dizziness, lethargy, and sundry other neurological ailments. Mold and other organic toxins can be a compound problem in a damp home, and the possible health risks to young children with vulnerable immune systems is serious, not to mention a notable cause of childhood asthma.

House Mold and Mold Tests
If you suspect that house mold is building in your home, you need to execute mold tests in the areas that are suspect. The results of these tests will determine how you need to go about eliminating the mold in your basement.

First, get a portable air cleaner and place these devices nearest to the mold epicenters. This will reduce the available amount of toxins in the air, which will reduce how much can be absorbed into the lungs. House mold grows most easily in areas of over 50% humidity. Dust mites are the same, as they will also thrive in wet environments. In your basement, place a dehumidifier which will help to reduce the humidity that acts like food to house mold and dust mites. Once the humidity drops below 50%, it will be difficult for house mold and dust mites to grow, much less thrive.

Mold Removal and Hepa Vacuums
Mold removal is a tricky task. If you scrub the mold spores they can very easily become airborne and spread to other areas of the home or into the lungs of those who inhabit it. Mold removal professionals can be called in to do what they do best. This will not take very long, not to mention that mold removal contractors have the correct equipment to best remove mold from any situation.

Mold removal contractors use Hepa vacuums to pull the mold from where it lives in your home, and into their systems, which is then disposed of properly. If you know that you need a mold removal contractor to remove mold from your basement—or any other place in your home.

Preventing Black Mold
After a mold removal contractor finishes removing mold from your basement, you still have some work ahead of you to prevent the black mold from returning. First, wash the specific areas where the Hepa vacuum removed the mold. Use soapy, warm water and clean those areas. However, you need to make sure that you dry the washed areas thoroughly; otherwise that same mold might grow right back in those damp areas.

Basement Odor
There are some things that you can do to reduce that basement odor: candles, potpourri, etc. And there are some methods that can deter mold from growing, such as dehumidifiers, portable air cleaners, and the like. Just remember that mold produces toxins that are dangerous to those in the house, especially young children. Mold removal is the sure fire way to eliminate the problem of basement odor, and to protect your family’s health

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Basement Condensation & Basement Leakage

If you do not have obvious flows of water after each rain but have persistent dampness, your problem may be basement condensation rather than water leaking through the walls. If dampness seems to be a hot-weather problem, basement condensation is the likely culprit.

What Is Basement Condensation?
The warmer air is, the more moisture it can hold. Conversely, when air cools, it often has to release moisture. The dew on your lawn in the morning is moisture that was in the air until overnight temperatures dropped to the point where the air could not hold all of that moisture. The same thing happens when warm summer air that is loaded with moisture comes into contact with your glass of iced tea: the glass cools the air, causing the air to give up some moisture as water droplets on the outside of your glass. In your basement, condensation develops when you have relatively warm, moist air contacting the cool surface of the walls. As the walls cool the air, droplets form on the walls and you’ve got a damp basement.

Condensation Testing
If you think condensation might be the problem in your basement, there is a simple test. Securely tape a 10″ x 10″ piece of plastic wrap onto the basement wall in an area where you have noticed dampness, sealing the edges of the plastic wrap with the tape. Check on the plastic over the next few days. Eventually you will get moisture: if the moisture is on the wall side of the plastic, you’ve got a leak; if the moisture is on the room side of the plastic, you’ve got a condensation problem.

Basement Condensation Solutions

Condensation problems are usually easier to fix than leaks. Depending on the circumstances in your home, you have several lines of attack, all of which are designed to reduce the moisture in the air. Excess moisture commonly comes from clothes dryers, clothes lines, showers, cooking, and dew.

Sources of Basement Moisture
Concentrate on potential sources of basement moisture in or near the basement. If you have an indoor clothes line, consider moving it outdoors (at least in the warm summer months) or increasing air circulation (more on that later). Check your dryer to ensure that the exhaust vent doesn’t leak and has an unobstructed path to the outdoors. If your dryer exhaust is equipped with an energy saving switch, allowing you to exhaust air indoors or out, ensure that yours is set to outdoors and see if it takes care of the problem.

While uncommon, basement moisture sometimes comes from plumbing leaks. As you are checking your basement, be on the lookout for signs of a plumbing problem. One place to check is the pipes in the ceiling directly under the kitchen sink. Another problem location is the drain line that removes water from the indoor part of your central air conditioner. Some new high- efficiency furnaces have a drain line as well. If these lines are clogged or broken, they can put out a surprising amount of water.

Basement Exhaust fans. If there is a basement shower that gets a lot of use, install a basement exhaust fan that draws the damp air out of the house. Should these measures fail to resolve the problem, and you are rather certain that your problem is basement condensation, check moisture sources in other parts of the house. In very well insulated houses, even small amounts of basement moisture can be problematic. The kitchen and every bath should be equipped with a working exhaust fan. Make sure household members use the fans! (If you have trouble getting cooperation on this front, have the bathroom fans hooked up to the light switch. Whenever the light goes on, so does the fan.)

Air circulation in Your Basement
If the condensationin your basement is quite modest, and there are not obvious sources of excess moisture, increasing air circulation may resolve the problem. Some basements don’t have air-conditioning vents, but it is usually a simple matter to create a couple of vents. If you already have vents, make sure they are open.

If your basement is so packed with stuff that air can’t circulate anyway, additional vents will have little effect. You should get rid of some junk and create air passages around and between things. You especially want air to be able to flow easily along walls. If you do not have a central fan or air conditioner, or if it doesn’t seem to adequately stir the basement air, you might want to run a circulating fan in the basement for a few hours each day. While it won’t remove much moisture, it helps distribute the moisture evenly and eliminate damp spots.

Insulating Your Basement
Another approach to the condensation problem is to reduce the extent to which moist air contacts cool surfaces where it can condense. With this approach, you insulate exposed duct work, pipes, and walls - anywhere that water tends to condense. If the moist air can’t reach the cool surfaces, it won’t release water as condensation.

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Wet Basements
Cellars often leak due to water built-up on the outside of your foundation walls. Water collects in small pockets in the soil next to the foundation and begins to form hydrostatic pressure. Overtime this pressure increases until the moisture is literally pushed through the wall (often called “bleeding”). Usually you’ll find seepage in corners or in joints where the wall meets the floor. Though the process is typically slow going and probably won’t have immediate consequences, you’ll want to remedy the problem as soon as possible. If ignored, it won’t only ruin the look of your cellar; it’ll cause bigger setbacks down the road (bowed walls and cracked foundations).

Exterior Measures
Since there is only one way for water to get into your home, your first plan of action will be to examine the outside of your house to see if water is being properly diverted. Passive basement waterproofing systems are the primary preventative measure.
Sloping and Grading: Look at where the soil meets your walls. Is the ground sloping away from the foundation? This is the biggest reason why water penetrates the home: it has nowhere to go but in. If this is the case, you’ll want to hire a professional grader to help slope the ground downhill and away from the house.
Gutters: Are your gutters clean? If they’re clogged, the water will simply spill over the edge, down your walls, and into the foundation.
Downspouts Extensions: Even if water is being properly diverted, is it being carried far enough away? If your drainage systems allow water to seep back towards the home, then invest in some downspout extensions to ensure its permanent evacuation.

The Inside Scoop
Of course, this where the water ends up. So once you’ve located the sources of the leak, in order inhibit moisture spreading into other areas of the interior, here are a couple mitigation methods for those do-it-yourselfers.
Sealant: Buy a product that seals your entire interior. You patch up the joints and seams, prime the area, and then literally paint on a couple coats of sealer. It creates an impermeable, almost rubberized surface and repairs any leaks or cracks.
Baseboard Guards: These metal baseboards run along the seam where the wall meets the floor, are permanently sealed in place, and collect any escaping moisture. This collected water is then guided to a drain or sump pump. It’s a very effective system, but requires some prep work. For poured concrete, you’ll need to seal the corner joint above the baseboard. And for concrete block, holes may need to be drilled into the core of the bottom row in order to alleviate the hydrostatic pressure and let the water run free.

Drainage Systems
Basement waterproofing requires a lot of separate equipment: gutters, grading, sealing, etc. But don’t forget the primary sources of water diversion. Regularly check your interior drains to assure they’re not clogged. Also, it’s a great idea to invest in a sump pump that will literally push the water away from the home (this should also be regularly checked and monitored for maintenance). And if the problem gets worse, you may want to invest in some tile systems (digging up the basement floor, installing a drainage system in the foundation, and then replacing the flooring). However, for this particularly extensive chore, you’ll definitely want to hire a professional contractor trained in basement waterproofing systems.

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Home Health and Basement Odor
House mold and black mold emit toxins that are not particularly deadly on their own, but they can become serious health risks if people are exposed to them for an extended period of time. Basements are always suspect because they are typically the dampest room in a house. These toxins can cause headaches, dizziness, lethargy, and sundry other neurological ailments. Mold and other organic toxins can be a compound problem in a damp home, and the possible health risks to young children with vulnerable immune systems is serious, not to mention a notable cause of childhood asthma.

House Mold and Mold Tests
If you suspect that house mold is building in your home, you need to execute mold tests in the areas that are suspect. The results of these tests will determine how you need to go about eliminating the mold in your basement.

First, get a portable air cleaner and place these devices nearest to the mold epicenters. This will reduce the available amount of toxins in the air, which will reduce how much can be absorbed into the lungs. House mold grows most easily in areas of over 50% humidity. Dust mites are the same, as they will also thrive in wet environments. In your basement, place a dehumidifier which will help to reduce the humidity that acts like food to house mold and dust mites. Once the humidity drops below 50%, it will be difficult for house mold and dust mites to grow, much less thrive.

Mold Removal and Hepa Vacuums
Mold removal is a tricky task. If you scrub the mold spores they can very easily become airborne and spread to other areas of the home or into the lungs of those who inhabit it. Mold removal professionals can be called in to do what they do best. This will not take very long, not to mention that mold removal contractors have the correct equipment to best remove mold from any situation.

Mold removal contractors use Hepa vacuums to pull the mold from where it lives in your home, and into their systems, which is then disposed of properly. If you know that you need a mold removal contractor to remove mold from your basement—or any other place in your home.

Preventing Black Mold
After a mold removal contractor finishes removing mold from your basement, you still have some work ahead of you to prevent the black mold from returning. First, wash the specific areas where the Hepa vacuum removed the mold. Use soapy, warm water and clean those areas. However, you need to make sure that you dry the washed areas thoroughly; otherwise that same mold might grow right back in those damp areas.

Basement Odor
There are some things that you can do to reduce that basement odor: candles, potpourri, etc. And there are some methods that can deter mold from growing, such as dehumidifiers, portable air cleaners, and the like. Just remember that mold produces toxins that are dangerous to those in the house, especially young children. Mold removal is the sure fire way to eliminate the problem of basement odor, and to protect your family’s health

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Home Health and Basement Odor
House mold and black mold emit toxins that are not particularly deadly on their own, but they can become serious health risks if people are exposed to them for an extended period of time. Basements are always suspect because they are typically the dampest room in a house. These toxins can cause headaches, dizziness, lethargy, and sundry other neurological ailments. Mold and other organic toxins can be a compound problem in a damp home, and the possible health risks to young children with vulnerable immune systems is serious, not to mention a notable cause of childhood asthma.

House Mold and Mold Tests
If you suspect that house mold is building in your home, you need to execute mold tests in the areas that are suspect. The results of these tests will determine how you need to go about eliminating the mold in your basement.

First, get a portable air cleaner and place these devices nearest to the mold epicenters. This will reduce the available amount of toxins in the air, which will reduce how much can be absorbed into the lungs. House mold grows most easily in areas of over 50% humidity. Dust mites are the same, as they will also thrive in wet environments. In your basement, place a dehumidifier which will help to reduce the humidity that acts like food to house mold and dust mites. Once the humidity drops below 50%, it will be difficult for house mold and dust mites to grow, much less thrive.

Mold Removal and Hepa Vacuums
Mold removal is a tricky task. If you scrub the mold spores they can very easily become airborne and spread to other areas of the home or into the lungs of those who inhabit it. Mold removal professionals can be called in to do what they do best. This will not take very long, not to mention that mold removal contractors have the correct equipment to best remove mold from any situation.

Mold removal contractors use Hepa vacuums to pull the mold from where it lives in your home, and into their systems, which is then disposed of properly. If you know that you need a mold removal contractor to remove mold from your basement—or any other place in your home.

Preventing Black Mold
After a mold removal contractor finishes removing mold from your basement, you still have some work ahead of you to prevent the black mold from returning. First, wash the specific areas where the Hepa vacuum removed the mold. Use soapy, warm water and clean those areas. However, you need to make sure that you dry the washed areas thoroughly; otherwise that same mold might grow right back in those damp areas.

Basement Odor
There are some things that you can do to reduce that basement odor: candles, potpourri, etc. And there are some methods that can deter mold from growing, such as dehumidifiers, portable air cleaners, and the like. Just remember that mold produces toxins that are dangerous to those in the house, especially young children. Mold removal is the sure fire way to eliminate the problem of basement odor, and to protect your family’s health

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Commonly found in soil and on dead plant material. Acremonium may be a pathogen for immunocompromised individuals. Reported to be allergenic and produces a trichothecene toxin which is toxic if ingested. It was the primary fungus identified in at least two house where the occupants complaints were nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. Asexual state of Emericellopis sp., Chaetomium sp., and Nectripsis sp. It can produce mycetomas, infections of the cornea and nails.

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Although Alternaria is a notable source of fungal allergy, pathogenic infections are reported infrequently.

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Some varieties produce mycotoxins and aflatoxins.  Below are just a few species, some frequently    found in buildings after a water loss.

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