Basement Floor Drying Solutions

Any homeowner with a home with a basement has encountered the damp basement problem. A damp basement is caused by problems in water drying from the basement wall or the floor. Water in the basement floor and walls can be as a result of:

• Rainwater, groundwater, or melting snow water saturating the soil around the house foundation and leaking into the basement.
• The other source is internal humidity condensing on the cold basement floor and walls or leaks in the internal house piping in the basement.

It is important to first identify the cause of moisture in the basement. This ensures you can find a long-lasting drying solution for the basement floor. It will also be cheaper in the long term.

How to dry your basement floor:

1. Invest in a dehumidifier

If you ascertain that the cause of moist in the basement floor is a result of interior humid conditions, then buying a dehumidifier is the most cost-effective solution. Visit this page to learn how to choose a crawlspace/basement dehumidifier.

We will easily help you choose the best dehumidifier to keep your basement floor dry. We will help understand the best size of a dehumidifier depending on the size of your basement, the capacity of the dehumidifier, and mostly the unit safety feature especially for a home with kids.

2. Get rid of the excess humidity in the house and basement.

Sealing or replacing leaky pipes that run under the basement floor greatly helps keep the floor dry. Closing basement windows and any other outlets during the humid weather will keep the basement floor dry.

3. Insulating pipes

All cold pipes in the basement should be insulated with foam pipe. This reduces the amount of condensation water dripping to the basement floor.

4. Plug gaps

When water is dripping into the basement floor from gaps or cracks in the basement walls, you can easily plug the cracks with hydraulic cement. Plugging gaps does not work if the water is coming from the wall meets the floor or if the water is coming in through the floor. This is usually a sign that the problem is the groundwater.

5. Insulating walls

Insulated basement walls also save energy condensation and dripping to the basement floor. Insulated basement walls also save energy and save money by reducing the heating bill. It is important to note that you don’t insulate the basement walls if the water leaking to the basement is from the outside. It can cause a mold problem.

6. Adding gutters and extend downspouts

If your basement floor is always wet after rainfall, it could be a good idea to install gutters on the roof. The gutters will collect all the rain and channel it to the downspouts that direct all that water away from the house. Ensure the downspouts are over 6 feet to ensure the water is as far away from the house as possible.

7. Install an interior drainage system

If all the above opinion doesn’t dry your basement floor then you will only have one remaining opinion – installing a drainage system.

This can be done in one of these two ways:

• An interior drainage channel within the slab edge.
• Interior drainage system beneath the slab.

In both, a drain pipe is installed. It is used to pump the excess moisture instead of letting it accumulate on the basement floor. This will keep the basement floor dry for sure!

For more information on techniques to keep your basement floor dry visit our crawlspace and basement page.