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Just because you have a waterproofing system, doesn't mean you have a dry basement.
Basements can become damp even after a basement waterproofing system is installed.
• Capillary
action, meaning wicking, can bring in moisture. For example a block
wall may not leak, but it feels damp because it's wicking the water
inside it to the surface like a sponge.
• Water vapor coming
through your walls and floor also needs to be addressed. By installing
one of the basement wall systems and our ThermalDry Floor Matting, we
don't have to worry about wicking and have slowed water vapor
transmission down considerably.
• Water also gets into your
basement from exterior air leaking into your basement. This is not a
problem as long as the outside air is cooler than the basement. It's
the warmer summertime air that moves lots of water into our basement.
Whenever
the outside air is warmer than the inside air – and especially when
it's humid outside air – we are likely to have a condensation
problem in our subterranean levels. This is because the Relative
Humidity of air goes up 2.2% for every one-degree you cool it.
Basements are always cool because they are below ground. And we know
that a house is like a chimney – air flows upwards, allowing air to
escape the upper levels, with new air being sucked in at the lower
levels.
So when it's hot and humid in the summer, rain or not, our basement may be the wettest it has been all year!
If
it's an 80-degree day with Relative Humidity of 80%, and we suck
this air into our basements and cool it to 68 degrees, the Relative
Humidity goes up by 26.4% (12 degrees x 2.2%). But wait a minute... 80%
plus 26.4% is more than 100%, and we can't have more than 100%. So
instead, as the air becomes saturated it gives up its moisture on your
cold basement walls, floor, water tank, pipes, and other cold things.
This is called condensation.
Even without condensation, we
still get high relative humidity levels, which allows mold to grow and
cause “stinky basement syndrome.” And dust mites love high relative
humidity levels as well.
In order to eliminate condensation you
need to either heat the air (ridiculous in summer), or take water out
of it (easy to do). Correction. I should say take water out of it
efficiently and effectively (not so easy unless you have the right
equipment to do it with).
A
dehumidifier is the plain answer. But not just any dehumidifier.
Basement Systems has been dealing with this issue intensely for nearly
20 years. The only machine that will get you the results you need is
one called a SaniDry Basement Air System. And it's awesome.
To receive a FREE copy of “Dry Basement Science,” which talks in more
detail abou dehumidification. relative humidity, and the SaniDry
Basement and Crawl Space Air System, schedule your FREE home inspection
and estimate, and we'll send the book to you. |
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John's Waterproofing 201 Airport Road Silverton, OR 97381 1-800-810-5883
Copyright © 2006 All rights reserved. |
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Not Just Any Dehumidifier