This Homeowner blog tip: Working for a dry basement. There are many ways water/moisture can get into your basement. This is a blog with helpful tips and is not meant to be a blueprint to having a perfectly dry basement.
Update!! April 2019 - With the heavy snowfall this year in the NE, and the northern Midwest it is imperative to "find" your perimeter drains as soon as possible and open them up by shovel or thaw. If obstructed by ice they cannot do their job of draining the basement perimeter!
1.) Keep your gutters cleaned out. If you don’t have them it is a good investment
2.) Surface water must be directed away from the basement walls.
3.) Most builders have the soil next to the house higher than the surrounding land and direct the water into a swale that flows away from the house. This works well until the soil next to the house compresses where it was excavated for the foundation (loose soil) you then lose the high ground near the house and the water can puddle then drain near the foundation. Fill near the house if needed to raise the level from compression.
4.) Even if properly installed perimeter drains could become plugged by sod growing in or around the opening. Clear opening. If not screened install hardware cloth (wire mesh) near the opening. See photo. Perimeter Drain screen This will keep rodents from building a nest during dry months or storing stuff in there. If a cool basement has high humidity (read dew point) objects will sweat and items will be damp/dank and musty from mildew. Extreme cases will grow lots of mold. Yuk! Install a dehumidifier that drains directly into waste so you don’t have to empty the bucket every couple days in the summer.
... If you need or want a devoted REALTOR® call Dana Basiliere @ 802-238-3939 or email Dana@VermontisHome.com
Dana Basiliere REALTOR®/AGENT ABR, SRES, CNS, CHMS, CNIS Opening Doors for Vermonters... with a Personal Touch! ©
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