As families get bigger they often decide to add extra footage to their houses rather than moving to a big home. One commonly used option to insert more extra footage to a property is finishing the basement. This gives more living space that in the past had mostly been utilized for stashing excessive rubbish or keeping household appliances. Completing the basement can also augment the selling value of a residence. It is mostly popular for those who come to the decision to finish their basements to take on the job on their own. This can be a difficult task for the unskilled remodeler. It is even more tiring if there are important issues as a result of substantial amounts of condensationon the basement walls.

The way to be sure if there are wetness problems in your basement is by the dampscent dwelling in the air of the basement and by the soggy appearance of the cement walls. If you are considering remodeling your basement and you have wet walls there, you should take care of the wetness problem before you commence the work. Even if are not thinking about finishing your basement it is necessary to deal with the condensation problem because of the eventual water damage it can do to the wood structure of the house that is exposed to it. This can lead to damage of the groundwork and to particularly serious health problems from mildew development as well.

To test your cellar walls for condensation, take a large square of plastic wrap, and apply it to the cellar walls securely. Leave it there for a few days. Then you should check to see if there is moisture on the inside or outside of the plastic. If there is dampness on the inside of the plastic, the condensation could possibly be from a leak somewhere in your basement. If there is wetness on the outside of the plastic wrap then you know for sure you have a condensation problem. It is ordinarily trouble-free to fix a leak if that's the source of the damp walls in your cellar.

In order to fix a condensation concern you initially have to find the cause. It could be a dryer that is not vented to the house's exterior appropriately. The condensation could be caused by steam vapors from a bathtub or shower as there may be no exhaust opening from a fan. Added causes of condensation can include food preparation which causes steam, dew which by some means comes in from the exterior, or from leaking basement pipes. Any one of these problems can be resolved and are required to be before you put in walls for a basement finish.

Installing vent fans in your basement can rid of any wetness that could be building up, especially if there is a shower stall, bath, or food preparation appliance there. Transferring air with a fan might help inhibit moisture if the air can move effortlessly. Placing insulation in ductwork, piping, and walls will also impede dampness buildup. You can keep water damage from condensation away if you are responsible for steps to hold the walls of your basement free of condensation.