Basement Leaks and Moisture
Posted in Home Maintenance by Karen Rhodes on June 15th, 2007 From time to time, virtually all homes with basements will have moisture problems or direct leaks in areas below grade. This does not necessarily mean that the home is poorly constructed.
Usually the problem is caused by improper grading that prevents water from effectively draining away from the foundation. Experience has shown that faults can also develop when gutters and downspouts get clogged, depositing unusually large quantities of water on the ground near the home.
How to recognize leaks or moisture problems
A leak is usually obvious, but other moisture problems can sometimes only be detected indirectly, such as finding mold (sometimes hidden by interior finishes) or detecting musty odors (usually when the area has been closed for a period).
Where does the moisture come from?
Outright leaks can occur under specific conditions, especially in early spring when melting snow can’t penetrate the frozen soil but finds its way down the side of the foundation where heat loss has made the soil permeable. Seepage, which is just a slow leak, can occur in the fall or spring when heavy rainfall or melting snow causes the ground near the foundation to become saturated. Homes built before 1950 seldom have weeping tiles to draw water away from the foundation, and in homes more than 20 years old these tiles may no longer be effective due to deterioration.
A significant source of basement moisture is condensation. When the basement air is humid, moisture will condense on cool surfaces, such as cold water pipes, foundation walls or the floor slab.
The telltale signs of moisture
- a musty odor
- a white powdery mineral deposit on masonry or concrete walls (this is called efflorescence)
- stains, discoloration or decay on window sills, sill plates, wood posts or even furniture or cardboard boxes stored in the basement
- bulging or lifting drywall tape, popped nails, bubbling or peeling paint and detaching wallpaper
- rust at the base of heating equipment, steel posts or appliances
- lifted floor tiles, buckled paneling, mildew on carpet
THIS IS AN EXCERPT FROM PILLAR TO POST ® HOME INFORMATION SERIES
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May 9, 2009 @ 4:06 am
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Cabo Luxury homes said,
May 13, 2009 @ 12:33 am
Useful information..
Rain happens all year long, and most roof damage allows for leaks to happen then. And the ground soaks up the majority of the moisture from the rain. But during the summer and fall the ground is relatively warm, and the soil needs the moisture anyway. Basement leaks are more prone to warming weather, where frozen ground is releasing held moisture and wetness, also taking in everything that is melting from the surface.
Alabama Condos said,
May 20, 2009 @ 6:03 am
Moisture problems can occur in many places in homes and for many reasons.
When high levels of moisture enter building cavities or get inside
when escessive moisture is produced indoors,of when indoor air comes
into contact with cold surfaces such as single-pane windows
or uninsulated walls. Excess moisture often originates outside the structure,as
with foundation dreinage problems,or it may be the result of activitees by the
occupants indoors. so you provided such a nice information for this problem.
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I think when high levels of moisture enter building cavities or get inside
when escessive moisture is produced indoors,of when indoor air comes
into contact with cold surfaces such as single-pane windows
or uninsulated walls .
Thanks
lakefront construction said,
August 4, 2009 @ 4:07 am
Great information.
Moisture problems can occur in many places in homes and for many reasons.
When high levels of moisture enter building cavities or get inside
when escessive moisture is produced indoors,of when indoor air comes
into contact with cold surfaces such as single-pane windows
or uninsulated walls.
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