Damp walls in the basement. Eliminating moisture due to roof problems

For most summer residents and country residents, dampness in the cellar is a huge problem. The reason for the increase in humidity is considered to be poor-quality thermal or waterproofing. Another reason could be the lack ventilation system.

Whatever the reason, a wet basement is not suitable for storing food. Therefore, moisture needs to be removed and condensation removed. Today we will tell you how to dry the cellar, disinfect it and prepare it for planting the harvest.

How to dry a cellar

For drying, choose a dry sunny day. First of all, we remove all the products and boxes remaining there from the room; we also need to remove the shelves, disassemble the racks and pallets. Next, you need to sweep out all the debris and sand. If there is water, it needs to be pumped out.

All existing structures are cleaned hot water with the addition of soap and baking soda. Next, all parts are treated with lime solution and copper sulfate. This will help get rid of fungus, mold and harmful bacteria. After this, all the parts are left to dry in the sun for several days.

Note: The places where the furniture stood are thoroughly washed to remove dirt and mold. For greater effect, you can use a mixture of salt and sulfuric acid, which is left inside for three hours.

After that we open the doors, that's it ventilation pipes and hatches for drying the room.

How to quickly dry a cellar from dampness with ventilation

There is a certain algorithm for drying underground storage, which depends, first of all, on the presence of ventilation in it. Let's consider how this process occurs in rooms with ventilation systems or openings.

Heating the cellar

If the weather is warm outside, and the dampness needs to be removed now and ventilation does not help, you need to heat the air. To do this, take an old metal bucket and make holes in the bottom and walls. Then they securely attach it to the cable and pour coals into the bucket. The coals are ignited and a constant combustion is established. A bucket of smoldering coals is lowered onto a cable into the basement and secured so that it hangs above the floor, and the room itself is closed (Figure 1).

The doors need to be opened every 20-30 minutes. But you can’t go inside, as the temperature there is high and accumulation is possible. carbon monoxide. After the coals have burned out, take out the bucket and close the cellar. You can’t look inside for three days; the smoke will kill mold and disinfect the room. In this way you can get rid of dampness in the basement under the garage.

Instead of a bucket of coal, you can use: a potbelly stove (just lower it into the basement and heat it), heat gun high power, propane or kirogas burner. However, it should be borne in mind that these methods are considered quite dangerous and cannot be used alone.

How to dry a cellar from dampness without ventilation

If a ventilation system was not installed during the construction of the basement, it is necessary to install some kind of pipes. They can be installed in the wall or ceiling. You can also purchase a fan with a supply and exhaust mechanism.

After flooding, you first need to pump out the water. Then take everything out and dry it at open doors and hatches and whitewashing with lime. After this, you can use the methods described below.

A cellar without ventilation can be dried using hydrophilic materials:

• Slaked lime - destroys fungus and removes moisture. Placed on shelves and along walls.
• Dry sawdust helps reduce humidity.
• Calcium chloride tends to absorb moisture. You lay it out, assemble it after a day, heat it up and can use it again.
• Dry carton boxes used to prevent condensation on the ceiling.

You can purchase special equipment - a household dehumidifier, which can also effectively cope with the problem. high humidity.

Disinfection and control of fungi and mold

After drying, they begin to combat the main problem of underground storage facilities - mold and mildew. There are several for this effective methods, which we will describe below.

Lime vapor

Lime is a quick and inexpensive way to get rid of fungus. It is used to combat fungal colonies and for prevention.

Before starting work, carry out pre-treatment premises with disinfectant. The drug is diluted in water, then applied to all painted surfaces.

There are two folk recipes, according to which you can clean the basement from fungus with lime:

• Lime mixture with copper sulfate. To do this, take two buckets of water, 1 kg of slaked lime and 100 g of vitriol. Apply using a spray bottle (Figure 2).
• Mixture with formaldehyde. For a bucket of water, use 200g of formaldehyde and 500g of bleach. The resulting solution is used to lubricate all surfaces inside the basement. The room should then be dried and ventilated.

Sulfur (smoke) bomb

Sulfur gas vapor is considered an effective method for removing fungus. To use a sulfur bomb, you need to block the air supply to the room, place the bomb in a tin basin and set it on fire. Then quickly exit and close the doors tightly (Figure 3).

Be careful, as sulfur smoke is dangerous to people and animals. After 12 hours, the room must be thoroughly ventilated and treated with slaked lime.

Mold Remover

There are cases of white fluffy mold appearing. This is a type of fungus. To combat it, use the methods described above, and you can also use a foam remover.

By applying the product to the site where the fungus appears, the mold immediately begins to curl. Subsequently, it does not appear on the treated area.

Floor bedding

If your basement has an earthen floor, you can lay thick plastic film on it (this will prevent excess moisture from appearing).

To do this, do wooden gratings and place them on the floor. Scatter pieces of slaked lime over the film. This will help prevent fungi and thus reduce moisture.

How to dry a cellar after flooding

Drying should begin immediately after flooding, as mold forms quickly. First you need to pump out the water in a way accessible to you. Next, take out all the furniture elements. The cover and ventilation hatches should be opened.

When most of water will be removed, fans can be installed in the cellar and directed at the walls of the room. If possible, use a dehumidifier.

The dried-out room should be treated against fungus using copper sulfate or using a ready-made anti-mold product. The walls should be whitewashed with lime. Remember to use rubber boots and gloves while drying to avoid getting electrocuted.

A quick and easy way to dry a basement is shown in the video.

How to dry a cellar in a garage from condensation

To get rid of high humidity in the garage you should install good system ventilation:

• Install one pipe for inflow, the second for outflow;
• Mount one pipe (through the ceiling or wall) with an exhaust fan.

If condensation has already penetrated into the garage, you can use several proven methods for removing moisture:

1. Spread slaked lime along the perimeter of the walls and on the shelves. This will get rid of fungus and reduce moisture.
2. Place dry cardboard boxes on the floor. Change as moisture accumulates.
3. Scatter dry sawdust on the floor and change it when it gets wet.

You can also use dehumidifiers. For this purpose, the device model should be selected with medium power. After the walls have dried, they should be whitewashed with lime.

Carry out preventive drying every spring. After heavy summer and autumn rains, the room should also be dried. If you carry out preventive work, you will not be afraid of the fungus.

The gardening season seems to be over, but the worries and troubles are not getting less. And, perhaps, the most important thing is to preserve everything that has been grown and collected. We devoted the previous issue to homemade vegetables and fruits. We hope our recommendations will be useful to many of you. However, I want to preserve the grown and harvested not only in canned form, but also in fresh. This is what we will talk about this time. Behind useful recommendations we again turned to a practitioner - leading researcher of the processing and storage department of the Republican Unitary Enterprise "Institute of Fruit Growing", Candidate of Agricultural Sciences Maria Maksimenko.

Photo by Maxim Vecher

First of all, it is necessary to test the places where vegetables and fruits are stored - basements, cellars, and so on. Their biggest problem is dampness. Because of it, mold appears, potatoes, carrots, beets and other root vegetables rot, cabbage and pumpkins, apples and pears spoil. By the way, even seams can suffer due to dampness. As a result, the work of the entire season will be undone. But before you start fighting dampness, you need to decide what causes it, the specialist advises.

Let's go down to the cellar

The cellar is a special structure. And with the usual standards, for example, as a house, you cannot approach it. If for you and me the optimal humidity is 65%, then for most vegetables and fruits a humidity of 70% is already critical - they begin to wither, dry out, lose useful material and, of course, are poorly stored. Each fruit has its own requirements. But if the entire garden harvest is collected in one place (which, of course, is not entirely correct), then optimal level Air humidity should be within 85-90%.

Humidity is not temperature; it cannot be measured by sensations. It is better to use instruments - a psychrometer or hygrometer.

To determine the cause of dampness, you can perform a small test. If the floor in the storage room is earthen, this will be quite easy to do. Dig holes (about the size of a bucket) in the cellar next to the walls and monitor them regularly. If the bottom of them starts to get wet, then most likely groundwater stand high. It may happen that water does not appear at the bottom of all test recesses, but only in some: this means that an underground stream flows under the cellar.

When moisture seeps from the outer (facing the street) wall of the pit, it most likely penetrates surface water, rain or melt water. Well, if the water evenly moistens the entire inner surface of the hole, then most likely it is condensation.

If there are regularly puddles in the cellar (and this is the most severe case), then this is possible in two cases: the construction technology is violated or the location is simply poorly chosen. But there is only one way out - the construction of a new storage facility.

Take care of ventilation

The key to quality storage is good ventilation. And it should be not one pipe, but two - with inflow and exhaust, with a diameter of at least 125 mm. The bottom of the supply pipe is placed at a height of 15-20 cm from the floor. Air from the street comes through it. The second pipe ends almost at the ceiling - 10 cm below its level. This is a hood. Ventilation pipes on the street should be covered with umbrellas to prevent leaves and precipitation from getting into them. The exhaust pipe should be higher and it is better to install a deflector on it to activate draft - a special aerodynamic device. The pipe can also be painted black: due to heating from the sun, the draft will be better.

It is advisable that the supply and exhaust pipes be placed in different corners of the cellar: then air flows will wash the entire room.

Ventilation pipes must be insulated so that they do not freeze in winter, and condensate collectors and valves must be installed on them. The valves will reduce the air flow in winter so that the cellar does not get too cold in frosty weather.

Good ventilation will regulate humidity, eliminate excess dampness, prevent the formation of mold and help dry out the storage faster.

BY THE WAY

To ensure good draft, make the ventilation ducts straight. If a diversion to the side is necessary, the angle of inclination should be at least 60 degrees, and the length of the inclined section should not be more than 100 cm.

With a stove and a candle

Sometimes dampness appears in dry storage. Again, check the ventilation to see if its channels are clogged. If you cleaned it and nothing changed, it means the exhaust pipe is not working well. This often happens when the air in the cellar is colder than outside. Heavy and cold, it will not rise up the pipe on its own. A paradoxical, at first glance, situation arises: when it was cold and damp outside, it was dry in the cellar. It got warmer, and drops of moisture hung on the ceiling and walls - a musty smell. To dry the cellar, you need to speed up the air movement.

Typically, in such cases, stoves and kerosene gases are installed in the storage facility and the walls are heated. But this is a complex and time-consuming matter. Someone puts on the primus, and someone turns it on blowtorch. However, all this is fraught with undesirable consequences: the cellar may not be dried, and you may lose your house due to a fire. And you shouldn’t deal with such heating alone: ​​you still need someone to insure you. Firstly, the temperature is high. Secondly, smoke accumulates inside and there may even be carbon monoxide.

It is better to fill an old leaky bucket or any other metal container with smoldering coals, lower them into the vegetable storage, securing it so that it hangs above the floor. Once every 20-30 minutes, the cellar lid needs to be opened to let in an additional portion of oxygen. You can install a fan on the supply pipe. When the coals burn out, remove the bucket and close the lid tightly. Don’t look inside for three days: smoke and gases will not only dry out the room, but will also kill mold and disinfect the cellar.

Often instead charcoal use coke or coal. They burn longer and give more high temperature, but they also require more oxygen.

Sometimes sufficient draft for drying can be created by other, more in a simple way- with a candle. This “old-fashioned method” is suitable if there is no electricity and there is nowhere to turn on the fan. Extend the ventilation pipe down almost to the floor. Place a burning candle under it tin can. To create the initial draft, light the paper directly in the pipe, and in the future a candle flame will be sufficient. The air in the pipe will heat up and a normal draft will arise, which will pull the damp air away from the floor. In two or three days it is quite possible to dry the cellar. Dry alcohol tablets are also used instead of candles.

To get rid of rain and melt water penetrating into the cellar, a blind area and drainage are made around the structure. Proper waterproofing will save the walls from getting wet.

With groundwater everything is much more complicated. If the floor is earthen, then you can create an additional gravel cushion, which will disrupt the capillarity of the soil. Gravel or sand is poured until the humidity decreases and the groundwater level drops.

Good solution and clay. It is known to be a natural moisture regulator. But today, unfortunately, the cellars have adobe floors and clay plaster They rarely do it on walls.

If you decide to do clay castle, remove 6-7 cm of the earthen floor, lay a layer of clay, level its surface and cover it with plastic film folded in half. You can use roofing felt, but it tears and breaks more often, although it seems more durable.

Pour another layer of clay on top (you can also pour concrete) and tamp everything down well. When the clay dries, the humidity in the cellar will decrease and the air will become noticeably drier.

You don’t have to cover the film with anything - just leave it like that. And so that it does not tear when you walk on it, knock down wooden panels and lay them on the floor. Scatter pieces of slaked lime under them. They will collect moisture and mold fungi they won't let you roam.

If droplets of water accumulate on the ceiling (this is condensation), it means that the ceilings are poorly insulated. This can be corrected by additionally insulating the top of the cellar. And to quickly remove droplets, walk along the ceiling with a rubber plate. By sticking, it will “push” drops, which can be immediately collected in a bucket.

Folk and scientific methods

Quickly dry the air in the storage ceramic bricks. It is enough to heat them and place them in corners and along the walls. When hot, they will actively absorb moisture in the room. And when it cools down, reheat it again.

Whitewashing with lime also gives good results - it actively “collects” moisture from the air. Therefore, before draining the basement, it makes sense to whitewash everything. Just apply not a thin, but a thick layer of lime to the walls. And it would be nice to add a little diluted copper sulfate to a bucket of thick whitewash. He is an excellent disinfectant. But its concentration should not be higher than 5%. Divide the resulting liquid into two parts.

After the first painting, wait a couple of days for everything to dry. Whiten it again. As a result, the walls and ceiling are porous and uneven. But condensation rarely hangs on them: lime retains moisture well inside.

It absorbs moisture and calcium chloride well: 1 kg of dry matter absorbs 1.5 liters of water. It is laid out, collected a day later, heated or calcined and used again. You just need to work carefully: chlorine and calcium vapors are also toxic!

You can do it even simpler: pour dry sawdust in the cellar. When they get wet, throw them away and add new ones. Of course, this method will not dry out the basement, but it will reduce the humidity in it. There will definitely not be a drop of condensation on the ceiling.

Or you can even place empty cardboard boxes - they absorb moisture very well. After 10-15 hours, remove the wet and soggy ones and replace them with new ones.

Salt and ash are also good adsorbents. True, they will perform their function only until they absorb the maximum amount of moisture.

Acid them!

Increased humidity leads to mold and fungi appearing on walls, shelves and ceilings - different types, flowers and scents. Did you know that they cannot tolerate acidic environments? Therefore, you can wash them off with lemon, boric or acetic acid. You can treat the walls with diesel fuel and whitewash the top with lime.

The best way is to treat with freshly slaked lime. The vapors generated when it is extinguished will destroy insects, mold and fungi. However, such vapors are also deadly to humans, so take all precautions! Put on rubber gloves and a bandage on your face. Take quicklime lump lime at the rate of 2-3 kg per 10 cubic meters. m of cellar volume, put it in a tank or barrel, fill it with water, do not disturb (!) and leave the cellar immediately. Close doors and vents tightly. To seal them, caulk them with clay. Keep the cellar closed for two days, then open and ventilate thoroughly. If there are a lot of pests, repeat the treatment after 5-6 days.

Sulfur is also used for disinfection: per 1 cubic meter. m of cellar volume they burn 40-50 g of it. But you need to be especially careful with it: only fumigate rooms that are not adjacent to residential buildings!

It is also very good to disinfect storage areas with sulfur bombs - it is effective and safe. The checker copes well with ticks, other harmful insects, pathogens, fungi, rot on wooden structures. The smell of gas will repel rodents for a long time.

Uninvited guests

Mice and rats are not only unwanted, but also dangerous guests in storage. Take a close look at the walls, seal the cracks with special care with cement, tin or brick, and close all ventilation ducts metal mesh so that no rodents can enter there. Since they cannot tolerate the smell of mothballs, mix it in equal parts With sawdust and place them near their loopholes, passages, and holes. They also don’t like the aroma of black root and wild mint. Dried plants placed near their nests will put rodents to flight.

Mice cannot tolerate the smell of burnt rubber. Therefore, you can fumigate the cellar with rubber smoke. Place an old bucket of smoldering coals on a tray with sand and put pieces of old coals on them car tires or galoshes.

Of course, poisons can be used to control rodents. But you have to be careful so that they don’t go to pets, like cats. The most commonly used is “Zookoumarin” (50 g per 1 kg of bait) - 0.5 g per 1 sq. m. Some people mix malt or sugar into a container with quicklime, and place a bowl of water next to it. The eaten lime causes thirst, and after drinking water, the rat dies.

You can lay out poisoned baits and “tastier ones” (bread with potatoes, watered sunflower oil, cottage cheese, minced meat or fish, etc.). But since rodents can transfer the bait to another place by dragging it over vegetables, it is better to use mousetraps or rat traps (traps) during storage. However, before installation (as well as after each “catch”), do not forget to rinse them well with boiling water to remove excess odors.

The cause of dampness can be determined by the location of the moisture.

* If droplets form on the ceiling and walls, there is poor ventilation.

* Drops are only on the walls - there is no vertical waterproofing of the basement walls.

* Puddles on the floor - flooding with groundwater.

ADVICE

Sphagnum peat will help protect fruits from rot and bacteria, purify the air, and stabilize air humidity. Fill it at the rate of 10-15 kg per ton of fruit, and losses will decrease by 2-3 times.

As a sorbent for removing unpleasant odors Peat is also used as an antiseptic. Potatoes, onions, and turnips are perfectly preserved in peat dust. But it must be taken into account that when laying it, it must be well dried. And mice don’t like to live in peat.

GO TO US

It’s easy to make a psychrometer yourself. To do this, you will need two alcohol thermometers. Mount them next to each other on a common stand. Wrap the ball of one thermometer in damp gauze, while leaving the other one dry. A wet bulb thermometer will indicate more low temperature. From the difference in data (see table) you can find out the relative humidity.

Initially, the soil in its own way physical properties under the floor of any building is a constant source of moisture. With slight deepening it is dry appearance the underground soil “reveals” moisture and the unpleasant smell of rot. Everyone negative impacts damage caused to structures and people from a damp underground will not be described in this article. Let's look at how you can deal with moisture under the floors of buildings.

What are the sources of excess dampness and moisture?

The first way
In the absence of a good blind area ( cement-sand mixture, asphalt concrete mixture on hot bitumen), water from the roof of the structure will certainly begin to accumulate under the floor through foundation cracks. The height of water rise through capillaries (cracks in foundations) is from 300 mm to 500 mm, which forces vertical insulation (glue a layer of roofing felt hot mastic on the wall of the house and on cement screed before laying the outer part of the blind area, at an angle of 90 degrees). Later you will finish the plinth decorative materials, and the roofing material will remain inside, as your insurance against external water.

The second way
Groundwater is located high. Especially in autumn and spring periods. The movement of water will be along the path of least resistance, namely under your floor. The solution is additional drainage (see below).

The third way
Warm and humid air penetrates through the vents into the underground. On cold walls it condenses and settles in the form of dew.

In a dysfunctional underground, humidity can reach 80 percent. However, humidity up to 50 percent is considered normal, and 30-50 percent is ideal.

The problem of damp underground is solved as follows

First way
Sealing foundation walls with inside. Additional high-quality concreting followed by gluing the walls and floor of the underground with polyethylene reinforced film. The main difficulty in performing such work is sealing the film joints until they are airtight, especially in the corners. It is necessary to use special sealants and mastics. The film is secured to the top of the wall using plastic dowels.
To protect against mechanical damage, an additional layer of concrete is placed on top of the film. Of course, doing this on the floor is easy, but you will have to tinker when placing the film on the walls. It is possible that concrete will not hold up over a large area of ​​walls, in which case they are covered with bricks in one row or plastic sheets protect.

Second way
Creating effective ventilation. If supply and exhaust ventilation does not cope with its functions, a forced one is installed. However, it is still desirable for natural supply and exhaust ventilation to work. An influx will flow through the vents fresh air, and exit through a pipe of quite impressive diameter (up to 0.5 m). Moreover, the bottom of the pipe, which acts as an exhaust hood, should start almost from the bottom of the underground, thus, the cold air located below will tend to rise. Under bottom part the exhaust pipe can be left under for some time exhaust pipe You can install a lit candle. Warmth, created by candles, will be enough to speed up air exchange by creating additional draft. Thus, the underground can be dried relatively quickly.

Third way
Performing groundwater drainage. To perform such foundation drainage, grooves are made along the perimeter of the underground foundation at a slope towards one of the corners of the building. Water through a pipe from this corner enters a sealed drainage well located outside the house. From time to time, water from the well will have to be pumped out.

Fourth method
Option at your discretion. IN cold period close the vents with foam plastic plugs. The point is that the outside warm air can contain much more moisture than cold. As a result, it creates additional dampness due to condensation on the underground walls. Flaws this method: what to do in case of sudden temperature changes? In the underground, as a result of the lack of ventilation, the processes of mold formation and rotting can be significantly activated. However, this method is worth a try because it is very easy to implement.

Fifth method
The easiest, but quite effective method to eliminate dampness in places where it is impossible to reach - cover the ground under the floor of the building with one of the waterproofing materials: plastic film, roofing felt, etc. However, it is better to do this during the construction period, before starting the subfloor. Or tear up and re-lay the floors. Moisture will not be able to rise up from the ground, which means it will not penetrate through the waterproofing material. Press down the film in several places. So that the film cannot move for any reason (omnipresent moles, drafts through vents, etc.).

It should be noted that there are other methods of dealing with dampness in the underground. We hope the options described will give you some ideas and help you solve the problems of dealing with high humidity under the floor of your home!

With the arrival of the cold season, homeowners with basements are faced with such a serious problem as the formation of dampness in them. The appearance of condensation on the ceiling and walls is a signal that urgent measures need to be taken. This phenomenon can destroy things, food supplies, lead to the growth of mold, and cause the destruction of the entire building structure.

Causes of dampness

The trend towards accelerated construction has led to the fact that it is being carried out in violation of time-tested technologies, according to projects drawn up in violation of all existing standards. As a result, after a certain period following the delivery of the object, moisture appears in the basement. Its effect on materials reduces their strength, shortens service life, and forces additional funds for restoration work.

There can be several reasons for dampness in the cellar. In some cases, the source of moisture is clearly visible and removing it is not difficult; in others, searching for it requires the involvement of specialists with equipment.

Once dampness appears in the basement, it will not disappear on its own. The walls will gradually accumulate moisture and collapse. A moldy fungus forms on them, which harms not only the structure of the building, but also human health; changes will also affect the temperature regime.

The best ways to get rid

To find the source, carefully inspect the cellar:

• Moisture on the walls and ceiling indicates insufficient ventilation.
• The appearance of puddles on the floor indicates a lack of drainage and elevated level groundwater.
• If condensation appears only on the walls, it means that the foundation is poorly insulated.

If it is not possible to find out the reason, it is necessary to carry out forced drying, using ventilation and special devices to maintain a certain temperature regime.

The cause of increased humidity in the basement of a private house is water supply and sewerage communications. The temperature of their pipes is always much different from the room temperature, which causes moisture and mold to appear. In this case, thermal insulation is necessary.

The Best Working Ways to Deal with Moisture and Mold

There are a number of proven over the years traditional methods allowing to dry damp basement during its seasonal flooding. They will not help eliminate the problem completely, but they are effective in an emergency.

1. Calcium chloride has the ability to absorb moisture in large quantities. Arranged jars of the substance will help get rid of condensation. For an area of ​​8-9 m2 you will need 1 kg.

2. Quicklime, poured onto the floor, will not only absorb excess moisture and dry out the basement, but at the same time disinfect the air and destroy mold. For a medium-sized room you need 4-5 kg. This method requires caution, as the vapors of the substance are poisonous. After treatment, ventilation must be performed.

3. Dried, calcined clay, laid out in the corners, will absorb moisture as it cools. If necessary, it can be removed and reused.

4. Eliminate mold on the walls and ceiling of the cellar by washing it off with boric or acetic acid. To do this, 20 ml of the composition is diluted in 0.5 liters of water. Apply with a brush. To obtain greater effect, washing should be repeated twice at intervals of 2-3 days. After the first time, wash the surface.

5. If the affected area is large, then it is appropriate to treat the basement with diesel fuel and then whitewash it.

Mold control takes a long time and can take several years. Therefore, you need to think about how to remove dampness when laying the foundation of a building.

If your basement is damp, then this is fraught with many problems that are not always easy to get rid of. Very often, due to excessive humidity, the insulating properties of the ceiling and walls deteriorate, and the strength of the materials decreases. Even at the construction stage, work must be carried out to eliminate the possibility of condensation in the room, since getting rid of dampness in the basement, otherwise, will not be so easy.

If you want to remove dampness from a basement or cellar, you must first find the cause of its occurrence. Moisture can enter the basement from the street or simply appear in the form of condensation on internal surfaces walls and ceiling. Often the main source of damp is obvious, but sometimes it is not so easy to find, and in such cases, homeowners hire specialists to find it. They determine the temperature and humidity in different places premises, assess the tightness of the basement, find places where air can penetrate from the street.

Water usually enters the room through microcracks and wall defects, as well as due to improperly installed engineering communications. If the basement is damp, then Special attention should be turned to the blind area, which is probably not in the best condition. In addition, if there are trees near the foundation, then water can penetrate into the room due to their roots. You should also consider the option of high pressure groundwater.

When the source of dampness is inside

If dampness in the basement is formed due to condensation, then in order to remove it, it is necessary to carry out work on installing a high-quality ventilation system. As a rule, it is enough to use only two pipes (exhaust and supply), which should be placed in different angles rooms and at different levels.

Pipes in the basement require special attention.

In large basements natural ventilation often not enough. Therefore, you can make a forced system with your own hands. In this case, a controlled ventilation device is assumed, with the help of which different time year, it will be possible to install a certain temperature regime in the basement.

In cases where the basement is located water pipes, it is necessary to insulate them (it is best to use polystyrene foam or any other suitable material). Insulation of pipes is also necessary if you need to dry the basement in a short time.

The procedure for draining the basement must be carried out after work has been completed to eliminate the source of dampness.

When the source of dampness is outside

If you determine that the source of dampness is precisely located outside, then you should consider several options for the problem: high groundwater levels, precipitation, the so-called capillary rise of moisture.

The option for carrying out the work will depend on the specific source of moisture, as well as the level of moisture in the walls in the basement. When the indoor humidity level is insignificant (no more than 10%), it is enough to do the following with your own hands:

• remove old plaster, clean and wash the walls;
• treat them with antiseptic compounds;
• install a high-quality waterproofing layer;
• perform final finishing;
• dry the room thoroughly.

This way you will have a dry basement for a long time. When the walls have become significantly damp, additional work will need to be carried out, which will include the installation of an external waterproofing layer.

Besides, external works include:

• preparatory work (cleaning, priming, surface strengthening);
• creating a vertical waterproofing layer (any suitable materials can be used);
• device of high-quality blind area.

Under certain circumstances it may be necessary to additional work, which will allow you to get rid of moisture in the room, as well as eliminate the cause of condensation.

If you have even the slightest doubt about the source of dampness or the choice waterproofing material To eliminate it, you need to consult with specialists.

Cut-off (horizontal) waterproofing

If the formation of dampness and condensation in the basement occurs due to the capillary rise of moisture, then you need to make high-quality horizontal waterproofing with your own hands. In this case, one of two ways to construct an insulating layer can be used: using a roll or coating waterproofing.

Rolled waterproofing must be overlapped on the foundation. The material will fully repeat the shape of the surface and will also provide a high level of insulation of the room. No additional coats will be necessary, although some homeowners prefer to add 2-3 new coats to avoid future worries.

Horizontal waterproofing of the foundation during construction.

Coating waterproofing must be applied to horizontal surface. It is often recommended to apply multiple layers to ensure a high level of moisture protection. Modern mixtures sold as coating waterproofing penetrate the structure of the material, filling all the cracks and pores in it, which makes it possible to create a high-quality waterproof layer. Although the durability of such insulation is lower than that of roll insulation.

Vertical waterproofing

Often devices horizontal waterproofing is not enough, so many experts additionally recommend considering the option of creating a vertical waterproofing layer. Vertical waterproofing can be glued, coating type, as well as screen or penetrating action.

1. Pasted waterproofing is represented by materials made from film. This type of material is glued to the surface. If earlier such materials were roofing felt and roofing felt, today they are gradually being replaced by more modern insulators capable of providing long-term and high-quality protection. At the same time, doing such waterproofing is quite labor-intensive, so, if possible, it is best to hire specialists for the work. Additionally, waterproofing of this type is protected using geotextile materials.
2. Coating waterproofing is carried out using mastics and special solutions. Several decades ago, people used ordinary bitumen to install coating waterproofing, but this did not allow them to get a completely dry basement. Today on the market there are innovative materials(For example, bitumen mastics, synthetic resins, polymer compositions etc.), which are easy to apply with your own hands and can provide excellent waterproofing of the surface.
3. Penetrating waterproofing is presented today in the form cement mortar, to which some modifiers are additionally added. After the walls and ceiling of the basement are treated with such a solution, the pores of the material are significantly narrowed, as a result of which the water resistance of the structure increases several times. At the same time, there is no decrease in the vapor permeability of the surface. This insulation is quite durable and of high quality.
4. Screen waterproofing is relevant only if the external surface is actively affected by groundwater. To construct an insulating layer of this type, a clay castle is usually used. Of course, now you can find more modern materials on the market (for example, geotextiles or bentonite mats). Bentonite, by the way, when saturated with water will increase in size by 10-20 times, which will provide a high level of protection from moisture. This is one of the most effective waterproofing materials.

The choice of one or another type of waterproofing layer device is individual for each country house. It’s not worth doing something without the necessary experience. If not clear exact reason If dampness appears in the basement, installing an insulating layer will not solve the problem.

Vertical waterproofing.

Forced dehumidification

If you were able to identify the source of the dampness and eliminate it, then finally you need to perform the basement drainage procedure. Dry basement can be done in any way (using fire, natural or forced ventilation, special devices).

In any case, when the basement has been exposed to moisture for a long time, it needs to be dried to make it suitable for further use. Many people prefer special dehumidifiers for basements. These devices will help you get rid of dampness after waterproofing works. They can be used if necessary. For example, this is very important if you have a storage room for vegetables, a bathhouse, a sauna, or any other room in your basement whose functions may cause moisture to appear.

You don't have to do anything - just turn on the dehumidifier and leave it running until the humidity level in your basement returns to normal. Such devices allow you to dry the basement quickly and efficiently.