Wet in the cellar what to do. Damp dungeon: how to eliminate moisture in the cellar or basement

Dampness in the cellar is a huge problem for most summer residents and suburban residents. As a rule, humidity rises due to poor-quality thermal or waterproofing, as well as due to the large amount of fruits and vegetables stored indoors. In some cases, condensation forms due to the lack of a ventilation system. Whatever the reason, a wet cellar is in no way suitable for storing food in it, which, with constant exposure to moisture, will quickly deteriorate. That is why moisture must be removed and completely eliminated from such a phenomenon as condensate. We will talk today about how to dry the cellar and properly prepare it for laying the crop.

Carrying out preparatory work

Humidity in the cellar, as a rule, is at a high enough level, so condensation forms on the walls and ceiling. Preparatory work includes the complete release of the premises from the vegetables stored there since last year (they are no longer suitable for consumption, so it is best to remove them from storage).

In addition, it is recommended to temporarily get rid of the wooden elements of the room (racks, pallets, various bins, boxes, shelves, etc.). All wooden structures must be taken outside, then washed with hot water and soapy water. They must be completely dry before further use.

Before dehumidifying the air in the storage, all supplies and products from there should be taken out.

A fairly common and effective method of disinfecting the wooden elements of the storage is to apply a layer of whitewash with the addition of ordinary copper sulphate. As a whitewash, as a rule, ordinary lime acts, which can be found on sale in any store. Humidity and condensation in this case will not affect the wood.

In addition, in order to protect wooden elements from mold and fungus, it is necessary to apply antiseptic impregnation to them. You can use any composition sold in the store.

The walls and ceiling of the vault can also be whitewashed and dried later. Otherwise, due to increased dampness in the room, it will not be possible to keep the crop in the proper form. In the fall, when it rains continuously, it will not be possible to dry the cellar qualitatively, so all work should be carried out in the summer.

How is storage drying?

In order to get rid of excess moisture in the cellar, it is not enough just to open all the ventilation holes and the manhole cover. In the cellar, the air will systematically cool down, and the moisture from it will condense, so it will not work to dry the underground room with ordinary ventilation. Air humidity and condensate, even after several days of keeping the vault with the hatch open, will not go anywhere. To dry the cellar before the seasonal laying of the crop, more radical methods should be used.

There are several of the most common ways in which the drying of the room is carried out. Humidity and condensation are a big problem, but with forced drying, they are easy to get rid of.

So, you can remove excess dampness, humidity and condensate in the following ways:

• Drying a cellar or vegetable store with an iron stove.
• Drying the basement using a brazier.
• The use of the most common candles, which will improve the natural draft of air.
• The use of special dehumidifiers.

It should be noted that heating the storage with an iron stove is extremely time-consuming and troublesome, so it is recommended to abandon this method immediately. And not everyone has the opportunity to install such a stove in storage. It is better to use the remaining three methods, since it is important to dry the cellar quickly and without unnecessary hassle.

Fast drying with a roaster

You can remove excess air humidity and condensate from the cellar using the simplest brazier. This device of small size (portable) is in almost any suburban economy. In any case, you can ask your neighbors.

The brazier quickly heats up the air in the room.

Before drying the cellar with a brazier, it is necessary to partially get rid of excess dampness by natural drying for several days. In this case, the brazier will only “finish off” the remaining dampness, humidity and condensate.

If you did not find a suitable device for drying or a brazier, then you can make it yourself from the simplest old bucket.

The drying process itself is as follows:

• Before drying, we open all the holes that go to the cellar (manhole, ventilation pipes).
• Next, we lower our brazier (bucket) to the bottom of the storage. You can do it yourself or with a rope and a hook.
• We kindle a fire in the brazier. It must be maintained for some time until the damp air completely leaves the room.
• According to the laws of physics, warm and dry air from the bottom of the cellar will gradually rise, displacing damp air into open holes. After some time, the cellar will dry out completely.

The principle of drying the basement using a brazier from an ordinary bucket.

Before drying the cellar in this way, it is necessary to provide for some nuances:

1. To ignite the brazier, it is recommended to use sawdust and wood chips. As soon as the fire breaks out, larger wood can be thrown into the brazier. It is important that the brazier is ignited before you lower it to the bottom of the cellar.
2. The heat from the fire will quickly warm up the room, bringing damp air out. In turn, dry air will quickly spread through the cellar. It is necessary that the whole room is saturated with smoke. This will get rid of any biological activity in the storage, which also negatively affects the storage of vegetables and fruits. The effect of heating the air in this case will persist for a long time.

However, the condensate in the cellar does not always disappear immediately after drying, so you need to wait a bit and, if necessary, repeat the event, as well as check the quality of the ventilation system.

Drying the cellar with a candle

If you don't feel like messing around with the brazier, there's an easier way to keep your cellar dry and damp. To do this, you need the most ordinary candle.

The candle must be placed under the exhaust pipe.

A lit candle, placed under the exhaust duct, will increase the air draft, and also allow you to get rid of dampness. It will take much longer to dry the cellar with a candle than with a brazier, but if you have nowhere to rush, then this method can be used without problems.

When using the candle drying method, it is required to increase the length of the ventilation pipe (inlet if two pipes are used). This must be done. Further, a lit candle is installed directly under the inlet of the exhaust pipe. The candle is best placed in a small container (for example, in a jar).

To give a certain impulse, which will become the beginning of air draft, it is necessary to set fire to a paper sheet in the exhaust pipe. Next, the thrust will be maintained by a candle flame.

It has already been noted above that this is a slow drying method and it can be used if you have enough time. All work on drying the cellar is best done a few days before harvesting, so that the room has time to warm up, dry out and get rid of all biological activity. With the help of a lit candle, you can dry the cellar in 3-4 days. During this time, you will have to change a few candles.

If the cellar is large, then getting rid of dampness and humidity with a candle will not work.

Air dryers

Since it is difficult to dry a large cellar with improvised means, special dehumidifiers are used to effectively get rid of moisture. These devices allow you to dry the room qualitatively, and then maintain the humidity indicator at a normal level. It is advisable to dry the air in the cellar periodically.

Appearance and scheme of operation of the dehumidifier.

Dehumidifiers are especially relevant in the commercial operation of basements and vegetable stores. Modern dehumidifiers are sold in large hardware stores, as well as in specialized departments, so there will be no problems with their purchase. For information on how to dry a cellar with a dehumidifier, it is best to ask a sales assistant who will be able to advise a model suitable for your room.

The principle of drying stagnant and damp air in the basement is that moisture always condenses on cold surfaces. The air passing through a conventional dehumidifier is cooled, and the moisture settles in a special receiver, after which it drops into a drip tray. Dehumidifiers work on the principle of cooling the air, not heating it (unlike a brazier and a candle), so the appliance will cool the cellar to some extent. However, on sale you can find such devices that at the outlet will heat the air to its original temperature.

Modern dehumidifiers work on the basis of freon (like refrigerators and air conditioners). The air will enter the dehumidifier with the help of a fan. If your home also has humid air, then a basement dehumidifier is fine for use in other areas of the building as well.

Which method to choose?

You can make the cellar absolutely dry and suitable for storing fruits and vegetables using any of the proposed methods. You should choose one or another method based on the total area of ​​\u200b\u200byour cellar. For example, there is no need to buy an expensive dehumidifier if your cellar does not exceed 2 square meters. m. In this case, the problem of humidity is easily solved with the help of a brazier or a candle.

It will be possible to lower fruits and vegetables into the cellar immediately after all work on drying the premises is completed. It should be noted that it is not recommended to dry the cellar additionally during operation. This approach will negatively affect the quality of stored vegetables.

In order to avoid the need to often dry the cellar, it is necessary to foresee the presence of a high-quality ventilation system in advance. For small cellars, a design of two pipes (supply and exhaust) located at different heights is quite suitable. They will provide continuous replacement of air. If the cellar has a large area, then a forced ventilation device is recommended. In addition, if it is the floor of a dwelling, it will be necessary to make high-quality thermal insulation of the floor. The cold air from the storage should not be allowed to affect the microclimate in the house.

High humidity in the cellar appears for various reasons. First of all, it is necessary to find out why it has increased, take measures to eliminate it, and then bring it back to normal. At the last stage - if necessary, disinfect. In any case, without properly organized ventilation and waterproofing, the problem will appear again and again. Therefore, before drying the cellar, check if the ventilation pipes are clogged, if the waterproofing is damaged.

Prevent dampness

As usual, this “disease” is easier (and cheaper) to prevent than to treat. It is still being decided at the design stage:

Inspecting the floor

Very often in the cellar the floor is made of earth. Often it is the source of excess moisture. Through it, the moisture contained in the soil gets inside. To reduce the humidity in the cellar, you need to level the earthen floor, tamp it down and cover it with a thick plastic wrap. You can use roofing felt, but it breaks more often. Although it seems more durable, it breaks due to less elasticity.

It is not necessary to pour sand or earth on top of the film. Sometimes there is a large amount of water in the basement (accidental flooding). Then you simply take out the film, the water goes partly into the ground, partly evaporates through ventilation. After the dampness is gone, you can lay the floor again. If there is earth or sand on top, you will need to poke around in this liquid, extracting the film.

If the floor in the cellar is earthen, most of the moisture enters through it

If, after laying the film, the level of humidity in the cellar has decreased, then you have found the cause. You can leave everything as it is, only periodically change the “flooring”, or you can make a concrete floor with full waterproofing. The choice is yours. To prevent the film from tearing when walked on, knock down the wooden shields and throw them on the floor.

Improving waterproofing

The second reason why humidity rises in the basement is an insufficient degree of vapor barrier or waterproofing of the walls. This usually occurs if the cellar is lined with bricks, especially silicate. The material is very hygroscopic and passes water vapor well. They settle in drops on the ceiling and all objects.

The problem can be solved if you make a good external waterproofing: dig out the walls and apply bituminous mastic in two layers. Previously coated with resin, but mastic is more effective and easier to handle.

But excavation is far from always a joy, and it is not always possible to dig out the walls. In this case, you can make an internal waterproofing of the walls of the cellar. For this, there are cement-based impregnations: Pnetron, Kalmatron, Hydrotex, etc. They penetrate to a depth of up to half a meter into the thickness of the material (concrete, brick, etc.) and block the capillaries through which water seeps. Water permeability is greatly reduced. Their only downside is the price. But they are really effective.

All these measures will prevent the appearance of high humidity in the basement. But what to do if there is already moisture, how to dry the cellar? Next, consider ways to reduce humidity.

Preparatory work

All supplies are taken out of the basement, as well as all wooden structures, they are well cleaned. On the street, they inspect wood - shelves / boxes / boxes. If they are not affected, and there is no fungus or mold, they are simply laid out in the sun to dry. If there are signs of damage, the wood is impregnated with a solution of copper sulfate (concentration 5-10%, no more).

Whitewashing with lime gives good results - it will also “collect” moisture from the air. Therefore, before draining the basement, it makes sense to whitewash everything. They just don't do it the way they do it. It is necessary to apply a thick layer of lime on the walls. To do this, make a bucket of thick whitewash, add a little diluted copper sulphate. It is an excellent disinfectant, but the concentration should not be higher than 5%, maximum - 10. The resulting thick liquid is poured in half into two containers.

The first half is lowered into the basement, dressed in old clothes, put on glasses, and cover their hands. They take a paint brush for whitewashing (it looks more like a small broom) and smear the corners well with it. Then you slurp the liquid with a brush, and spray it on the walls and ceiling. Just dip in thick whitewash and spray on the walls. They are covered with drops, tubercles of lime.

After everything is covered with lime, wait a day until it dries. Repeat everything with the second bucket. As a result, the walls and ceiling are porous and uneven. But condensation rarely hangs on them: lime retains moisture well inside. After the lime dries, you can begin to dry the cellar.

Basement dehumidification with ventilation

Sometimes it happens like this: it was dry in the cellar, and suddenly dampness appeared. One reason is poor ventilation. First of all, check the cleanliness of the ventilation ducts. If necessary, clean. If everything is fine, but the dampness does not go away, then the exhaust pipe is not working well. This happens when the air in the cellar is colder than outside. Heavy and cold, he himself will not climb the pipe. A paradoxical, at first glance, situation arises: it was cold and damp outside - it was dry in the cellar. It got warmer - drops of moisture hung on the ceiling, walls and objects, a musty smell appeared. In this case, in order to dry the cellar, it is necessary to activate the movement of air. There are several solutions.

Sometimes increased air movement leads to the fact that the humidity in the cellar does not decrease, but increases. This can often be seen in hot weather. The reason is this. Warm air carries with it a significant amount of moisture in the form of vapours. Getting into a cool cellar, the air cools down, and moisture condenses on the coldest surfaces: the ceiling, walls, sometimes on shelves and cans. If you have just such a case, then stop ventilation. Even close the supply pipe and close the lid well, limiting the flow of warm air.

How to dry the cellar in this case? Wait until autumn, and when there is no rain yet, but the temperature is already about + 10 ° C, start ventilation using one of the methods proposed above. Works. If your nights are cold in summer, you can turn on the fan at night and close the ventilation ducts during the day. So gradually you can reduce the humidity in the cellar in the summer.

We heat the cellar

If you need to remove dampness even during warm weather, and ventilation only worsens the situation, you need to heat the air in the basement so that it comes out on its own, taking moisture away (the higher the air temperature, the more vapor it can contain).

To do this, take an old bucket or other metal container of about the same volume. They make a lot of holes in it (you can use an ax) in the bottom and walls. Such a leaky bucket is tied to a cable (attach securely). Coals for barbecue are poured inside (you can burn it yourself), the bucket should be almost full. Coals are kindled and stable combustion is achieved (to accelerate combustion, you can adapt a vacuum cleaner by turning it on for blowing). A bucket of glowing coals is lowered on a cable into the cellar, fixed so that it hangs above the bottom, and the lid is closed.

Periodically, the cellar lid must be opened, letting in an additional portion of oxygen (every 20-30 minutes). You can put a fan on the supply pipe or periodically turn on the same vacuum cleaner. If the coals still go out, they are kindled again.

Attention! It is better not to climb inside, do everything from above. Firstly, the temperature there is high (in a room of about 2 * 3 meters, about 70 ° C), and secondly, smoke and, perhaps, carbon monoxide accumulate inside.

As the coals burned out, they took out the bucket, closed the lid. Do not look inside for three days: smoke and gases will kill the mold and, along with drying, you will disinfect your cellar. Usually one such "firebox" is enough to dry the basement in the house or on the street. Similarly, you can get rid of dampness in the basement under the garage.

Sometimes coke or coal is used instead of charcoal. It gives a higher temperature and “processing” takes longer, but it burns more difficult, requires more oxygen, often forced blowing (adapt the old vacuum cleaner and corrugated hose, but turn it on for blowing). But the temperature rises even higher and dries even more efficiently. But the price of coke is high, even if you don't go broke because of buying a bucket.

Instead of a bucket of burning coal, you can use other heaters:

• a propane burner (lower the burning one on the wire, make sure that it does not light anything and leave it hanging in the middle, as tired, close the valve, open the lid only every other day);
• decent power heat gun (3-5 kW);
• kirogaz;
• lower the potbelly stove into the basement and heat it.

All these methods can be used, but you have to go down into the cellar in order to ignite the kyrogaz or potbelly stove. And this is an unsafe undertaking and do not use this method alone. It is necessary that someone belay you upstairs. Regarding the heat gun: it is also better to lower it by tying it (tying it) with a cable, and not lowering it yourself.

How to dry the basement in the garage is described in the video.

How to dry a cellar without ventilation

If ventilation was not done during construction, it is advisable to arrange it now. At least some: it will be easier to get rid of dampness. Better, of course, two pipes - one for inflow, the second for outflow - as described at the beginning of the article. If the cellar is made separately on the street, it is easier to organize: they broke through the ground and the roof of the cellar, inserted pipes, filled everything with concrete mortar.

It’s more difficult with a garage, but no one here clings to aesthetics. But if the basement is without ventilation under the house, it’s more difficult to make it: it’s better not to break the foundation, and you can’t stretch many pipes through the floor into the room. But even in this case, make at least one pipe. Even if through the cover, lead to the wall or ceiling, put the supply and exhaust fan. It can be switched on either for supply or exhaust, and in this way to somehow dry the cellar.

With at least such ventilation, you can use any of the methods described above. You can also try to collect more moisture. For this inside lay out hygroscopic materials:

If all these dances with tambourines do not inspire confidence in you (although they work), you can dry the cellar using modern technology. There are household appliances household dehumidifiers. They are often placed in pools to get rid of dampness in the room. You will need a medium power model. They cost about 20-30 thousand rubles, they work from a 220 V household network. In the process, they collect moisture from the air into a special container. You will need to periodically drain the water.

One way to dry out a damp basement is to install a household dehumidifier.

Disinfection and fight against fungi and mold

The increased humidity in the cellar leads to the fact that mold, fungi of various types and colors appear on the walls, ceiling shelves, and all this beauty is accompanied by “aromas”. In this case, everything that can be taken out of the cellar is taken out and laid out to dry. After drying, whitewash wooden shelves, boxes, boards, racks with lime with the addition of a solution of copper sulfate. Better twice.

In the cellar, clean off all growths from the walls and ceiling, whiten with lime and blue vitriol twice (the technology is described at the beginning of the article). Before the main drying, special events can be carried out that will destroy the spores (or neutralize them for a while).

Vapors of lime

In the cellar, put a barrel filled with quicklime. Lime is taken at the rate of 3 kg per 1 cubic meter of volume. In a barrel of lime should be a maximum, a little more than half. Fill everything with water. Don't interfere. Get out quickly and tightly (hermetically) close the lid and all ventilation ducts. You can open in two days, ventilate well, then you can go down.

Repeat the treatment after 7-10 days. Vapors of lime should burn out mold and fungi, destroy insects and their larvae. They also cope with the smells of dampness and mustiness very effectively. True, for several days in the cellar it will smell like lime.

Sulfuric (smoke) bomb

Use sulfur flask. They are sold in stores selling seeds or household equipment. Each has instructions. But, in short, you need to act according to the following scheme:

• take out all metal things, if this is not possible, cover them with a layer of lubricant - grease or something similar.
• You set fire to the wick of the sulfur checker, it begins to smolder.
• Get out quickly, close the lid and ventilation ducts hermetically, leave for 5-6 hours.

If the basement is in the house, it is advisable to leave it for the time of processing: a couple of breaths with insufficient tightness and the lungs will need to be put in order for a long time.

Disinfection occurs due to the formation of sulfuric acid. It is obtained by the reaction of sulfuric anhydride and water. Therefore, the mold is more effectively killed with a sulfur checker in wet cellars.

After 5-6 hours (or after the time indicated on the package), open the ventilation ducts and the lid (in that order). Leave open for at least 12 hours. The remaining gases are vented during this time. You can come in.

From the experience of operating such checkers, we can say that they need to be ignited twice as much as the norm. Then everything will really be neutralized.

Mold remover

Sometimes white fluffy growth appears on wood or walls. This is one type of fungus. It can be dealt with by the methods described above, but if only it is present, you can find a means for removing hard mounting foam on the construction market (they sell it in the same place as foam). Insert the tube into the mounting gun and apply to places with fungus. It immediately starts to roll over. And then on this place does not appear.

Sprinkling on the floor

If your floor is earthen, lay a thick plastic film on it (for which it is described above), knock down the wooden bars and throw them on the floor. Scatter pieces of slaked lime under them. And they will collect moisture and create “bad” conditions for fungi.

How to dry out a basement after a flood

If the flooding was accidental, you need to pump out water in any way possible, and then proceed according to the standard scheme:

• Take out everything you can from their cellar.
• Leave all the lid and vents open for a while.
• When more or less dry, remove debris, fungi, mold from the walls and floor.
• Whitewash with lime.
• Dry one of the ways.

If the flooding is periodic - in the spring, for example, you will have to make a full-fledged drainage system, and this is a separate conversation.

All the methods described above on how to dry the cellar are mostly based on practical experience. They are used everywhere and very often. In one case, one method works, in the other, another. Your task is to find the most effective for your situation.

How to urgently dry a storage room and what to do to keep it always dry in the future

“My cellar wept. There are constant drops of water on the ceiling, the wooden hatch is wet through, the carrots and cabbage have long since rotted, the potatoes are still holding on,” a FORUMHOUSE participant writes. Syava_1.

A "weeping" cellar is always a big problem. How to dry it urgently and what to do to no longer face increased dampness? We tell what the participants of our portal do.

For high-quality storage of vegetables, the temperature in the cellar should not be higher than +5 degrees, the air should be clean and fresh, but without drafts.

BogAD Member FORUMHOUSE

The Russian scientist A. T. Bolotov wrote more than two centuries ago that there should be no damp and musty air in the room where vegetables are stored - the vegetables will rot. And at the same time, he notes that there should be no draft, because it will dry out our vegetables.

But you can’t overdry the cellar either, there is even data from observations by FORUMHOUSE participants of their cellars, which indicate that excess moisture is not as dangerous for storing vegetables as excessive dryness.

The humidity level for optimal storage of stocks should be 70-80%.

Having measured the temperature and relative humidity in the cellar with a thermometer and hygrometer, we bring them into line with the desired indicators (recommendations BogAD):

• If it is cold in the cellar (the temperature in winter is below +2 0 C), we insulate the basement or work.
• If it is too warm in the cellar (the temperature is above +5 0 C), we lower it by isolating the cellar area from heat sources. Provide adequate ventilation and isolate the area from heat sources.
• A slight excess of relative humidity is corrected by ventilation.
• With a significant excess of relative humidity (abundant condensate on the walls and ceiling), we make waterproofing, and then we are already engaged in ventilation.
• If the air is musty - the ventilation system does not correspond to the area or is absent, we eliminate this omission.
• If drafts are walking around the cellar, the ventilation system also needs to be upgraded, it may be enough just to add a damper to the inlet.

Based on the diagnosis that was made to the cellar, a work plan is drawn up. But there are situations when a stored crop needs emergency help, and there are several ways to provide it.

The picture on the left shows the cellar dehumidification scheme, which FORUMHOUSE participant DoctorBo I saw it in some book from Soviet times.

DoctorBo Member of FORUMHOUSE

The light bulb warms the air, it rises through the open basement hatch.

On the right picture - an improved, modernized scheme, in which the light bulb is located not under the hatch, but under the chimney. This scheme is better, especially when we are not dealing with a cellar, which is located under the building - then the air does not go into the house, but outside it.

Variants of this method, successfully tested by the participants of our portal:

1. A light bulb from the refrigerator is inserted directly into the pipe, 5-7 cm.
2. If the light bulb does not fit in the pipe.

Glebomater Member of FORUMHOUSE

Put a lampshade on the bottom of the pipe, there is a light bulb in it. The light bulb is on, heats the air in the lampshade, the draft starts to work.

Instead of a light bulb, you can use a candle (to avoid fire hazards, put the candle in a tin). It is better that the candle is as close to the floor as possible, and to improve traction, the exhaust pipe is lengthened by building a tin link on it.

A burning candle or light bulb accelerates air circulation, intensively ventilates the cellar. The musty atmosphere of the cellar is replaced by fresh air, and the cellar is usually completely dry within a few days.

If we use dry alcohol tablets instead of a candle or a light bulb, then we will get an additional advantage: alcohol combustion products have antiseptic properties.

Member of FORUMHOUSE topos proposes to involve the science of chemistry in the service of draining the cellar.

topos Member FORUMHOUSE

1 kg of dry calcium chloride takes 1.5 kg of water. Buy 50-100 kg. Downloading. A day later, you clean it, dry it (calcine it) and load it again. Merry work.

You can also use a good household dehumidifier (such as they drain pools), a heat gun. Or put an ordinary oil cellar in the center of the cellar - in this case, drying will be carried out due to thermal radiation. But this process is long and expensive (it may take several weeks of continuous operation of the device). Most importantly, without proper ventilation of the cellar, the desired effect with the help of a heater can hardly be achieved.

topos

To drive air with an electric heater is a stupid thing when the ground is wet, the air is moist and there is no ventilation. You will create a regular bath. You need exhaust ventilation with air intake near the basement floor.

For storage of supplies in the cellar, weak ventilation will be sufficient. Strong ventilation is more likely to hurt.

Jeeper FORUMHOUSE moderator-consultant

By strong ventilation, you disturb the climate in the cellar - for example, you can cool it down a lot in winter, and heat it up a lot in summer. This contributes to the formation of condensation and mold.

Nevertheless, competent, well-thought-out cellar ventilation is the key to successful storage of vegetables until the next season.

Tocon FORUMHOUSE member

The ventilation began to work, the cellar stopped crying (before that, one might say, it roared without ceasing).

Ventilation in cellars and cellars is arranged as follows:

An exhaust pipe is installed on the north side of the basement, which drops 10-15 cm relative to the ceiling.

A supply pipe is installed on the south side, which should drop to a level of 10-20 cm above the floor.

Usually pipes are installed diagonally, in opposite corners of the cellar. To avoid condensation in the cellar in the summer, the exhaust openings are closed for the warm season, and they also make sure that the lid is tightly closed and insulated as much as possible from heat (for this you can put a piece of foam on it). In autumn, when the temperature outside is lower than in the cellar, the cellar lid is opened and left open until the temperature in it is about +2 - +3 degrees. The warm, moist air of the cellar will be replaced by dry and cold air from the street, so during such ventilation, the damp cellar usually dries out quickly.

For the winter, with the exception of especially frosty days, only the inflow is closed.

Efh Member FORUMHOUSE

I can advise you to leave one hood open for the winter and insulate the pipe itself well (so that it doesn’t drag on with a jacket). No stitching, and nothing will freeze.

Some participants of our portal do not have ventilation in the cellar, but condensate does not form in it, since the causes of dampness were different - bad and cold walls and floors. Sometimes these shortcomings are easy to eliminate, and sometimes a global alteration of the cellar is required.

High humidity and dampness in storage areas and basements lead to the formation of rot, fungus and mold. The walls turn black and begin to crumble. Products spoil. There is a risk of infection entering other rooms and harming the health of residents of the house. You need to know how to dry the cellar so that you can use it efficiently and effectively in the future.

Signs and causes of high humidity in underground storage

You can check the humidity level with a hygrometer. In this case, the limiting parameter for basement-type premises will be from 85 to 95%. If this figure increases, then visual signs immediately appear: condensation accumulates in the basement on the walls and ceiling in the form of drops or even flows in streams, the air becomes heavy and stale.

The condensate in the cellar, together with the reduced constant temperature, becomes a medium for the development of various pathogenic organisms such as fungus and mold. If you do not respond in time and do not remove dampness in the basement, it will spread throughout the house through walls and ceilings, and for this you need to understand the reason for its appearance:

• improperly designed ventilation system that is not able to remove excess moisture to the outside;
• proximity of groundwater to the floor line, aggravated by poor insulation;
• lack of vapor barrier in the ceiling;
• poor insulation of the walls and ceiling, which leads to sudden temperature changes on adjacent surfaces and the deposition of moisture in the form of condensate.

How to get rid of high humidity in the cellar and basement?

There are several methods to make the cellar dry once and for all. To do this, you need to properly design and install the following systems:

1. Ventilation. It is necessary to bring 2 pipes with a diameter of at least 125 mm into the room. One - closer to the floor level to ensure the flow of fresh air. The other is near the ceiling, so that it is possible to completely remove excess moisture. The movement of air masses occurs under the action of natural draft force or by means of injection by built-in fans.
2. External waterproofing. The design is designed to block the access of groundwater inside the walls. First, a trench about 50 cm wide is dug to the entire depth of the foundation. The outer surface of the partition walls is finished with roofing material glued with bituminous mastic. Adjacent edges overlap each other, providing reliable protection around the entire perimeter. Then they install drainage and fill the free space with soil. At the end, you need to mount a blind area up to 70 cm wide to prevent precipitation from penetrating into the space near the walls.
3. Internal waterproofing. With a deep location of the premises underground, it is not possible to equip a high-quality exterior finish with insulating materials. In such cases, all work is carried out inside the cellar. To begin with, cracks and potholes are eliminated, the entire surface is covered with liquid, roll or sheet insulating materials. Then the cellar should be completely dry. The floor requires more careful processing. It is covered with sand and expanded clay, a layer of roofing material is laid with gluing the edges with bitumen and a platform is equipped with wooden shields.
4. Thermal insulation. Before proceeding with the installation of insulation in the form of foam plastic or foil mineral wool, it is necessary to treat the walls with an antiseptic. The foam is glued and fixed with self-tapping screws. Gaps can be filled with construction foam. At the end, finishing work is carried out.

Methods for forced drying of the cellar

There are several simple and effective ways to dry the cellar without ventilation, which are preceded by cleaning the room and treating it with antiseptics:

1. With the help of a household dehumidifier, which conducts air through itself and removes excess moisture from it.
2. An iron stove is installed in the basement and heated until the desired result is achieved.
3. You can disinfect and drain the basement with the help of a brazier, equipped inside a tin container and lowered inside to the floor level. The heat from the fire will quickly warm the air in all planes, and the smoke will destroy insects and fungus.
4. Any heater will help get rid of excess moisture. Their application can take a long time and require energy costs.

Before drying the basement after flooding with water, if, in addition to high humidity, all surfaces are impregnated, and most of all the floor, dry sawdust should be spread, cardboard boxes, newspapers or other absorbent materials should be laid out. It is also recommended to use lime and potassium chloride, which will remove excess moisture and disinfect the room.

Folk methods of dealing with dampness

It is possible to remove dampness in the cellar without the use of modern chemicals and electrical appliances. Some methods are longer, others are designed for short-term use:

1. Heated bricks, located along the walls around the entire perimeter, will perform the function of a heater. High temperatures dry the air and reduce humidity.
2. Simple lime, which is applied in a thick layer, can return the normal state of the microclimate to a damp basement. It quickly and effectively collects moisture from the air.
3. You can enhance the effect of lime by adding copper sulfate to a ready-made thick solution.
4. Calcium chloride dries the air perfectly. It is abundantly scattered throughout the basement and left for a day. Then the room can be warmed up and used again.
5. Sawdust will help to quickly remove moisture. They must be scattered in a thin layer and wait until the wood chips get wet. Then the mound is removed and a new one is poured. Instead of sawdust, you can lay out newspapers or cardboard.
6. Salt and ash are also temporary adsorbents.

How to prevent the appearance of high humidity?

The question of how to get rid of condensate in the cellar or get a dry basement should be asked at the construction stage, choosing a material with the lowest hygroscopicity for walls and ceilings.

In addition, it is mandatory to equip drainage lines, waterproofing and insulation layers both outside and inside.

An important stage in the arrangement of a food storage room is not only the installation of racks and flooring, but also a high-quality ventilation system. It should not only draw air from the basement, but also ensure its replacement with fresh air.

Every year, it is imperative to carry out a general cleaning of the cellar, get rid of spoiled food, dry and whitewash the walls. When installing furniture, leave a small distance from the wall to ensure ventilation of all problem areas.

How to dry the cellar in the garage is a question that worries many owners of garage boxes. The work is not difficult, but requires certain knowledge and skills. First of all, it is important to understand the cause of the damp atmosphere, and only then proceed to eliminate it.

Mold has appeared in the garage, start looking for the cause, and only then proceed to dry the cellar.

Reasons for increasing air humidity

It is necessary to think about preventing increased moisture in the basement even during the construction of the garage, but if trouble occurs, you should pay attention to:

• the health of the cellar ventilation system. Check the air draft, perhaps the ventilation pipe is clogged or iced up in winter from condensate. In this case, you can consider yourself lucky. It will be much more difficult to fix another cause of moisture in the garage;
• perhaps the builders did not waterproof the basement or it is damaged. In this case, you will need to spend money on the purchase of a penetrating waterproofing composition or cover it with a layer of internal or external protection of the basement from water.

Only by eliminating the cause, you can begin to dry the cellar in the garage.

Damp removal work in the garage

The whole process is divided into several main stages, we will analyze each of them in more detail.

Preparatory stage

First of all, you will need to disassemble and remove all wooden parts from the cellar. To do this, you will need to disassemble the racks or shelves, lift the boxes and barrels for pickles. If the basement is equipped with a wooden floor, you will need to carefully disassemble it. If the wood is suitable for subsequent use, the boards are dried outside and treated with an antiseptic or whitened with lime.

If the humidity is low, you can try to dry the garage by opening the cellar hatch and boxing doors on a sunny, hot summer day. You may need to repeat this operation several times. If the dampness is negligible and the ventilation is working properly, such work can solve the problem of a damp wall.

To check the operation of ventilation, it is enough to light a paper or a lighter and bring it to the pipe. If the air does not pass well, the flame will burn evenly, with a good exhaust, the fire deviates and trembles, and may even go out completely. Cleaning ventilation pipes is easy. Lower the rope into the pipe, tie a brush or a rag to it in the basement and pull the brush up. Thus, the pipe will be cleaned, there will be no mold in the basement of the garage.

Cope with a small damp spot on the wall, in addition to natural ventilation, a brought container with charcoal, sawdust or lime will help. These materials absorb moisture, but after processing, do not leave a container with them in the cellar.

If the dampness in the basement is not removed using natural ventilation, you can proceed to radical methods. Before this, the walls and floor must be cleaned of dirt and plaque. To remove the fungus, in the garage, all surfaces are treated with a special impregnation or a concentrated solution of manganese.

If the floors in the garage are earth or clay, you will need to remove and remove the top layer, treat with manganese and cover with an even layer of sand or clay.

How to dry the basement in the garage, if simple methods did not work out? There are several ways to eliminate dampness in the cellar.

Methods for forced drying of the cellar.

There are several ways to get rid of dampness in the cellar, each of them has its own advantages and disadvantages.

It is important to know! All work to dry the air in the basement should be carried out in the summer, during hot and dry weather.

How to dry the basement in the garage with a candle?

This is the oldest, proven way to deal with moist air. To do this, it is enough to install a large paraffin candle in a jar or other non-combustible container and install it near the ventilation pipe at a short distance from the floor. This allows you to increase the circulation of air masses and replace damp, musty air in the cellar.

During processing, the cellar lid must be open. With the help of a candle, damp air is replaced by dry atmospheric air and the wall gradually dries out. But the candle can go out with gusts of wind, so it is recommended to replace it with dry alcohol and a burner.

Continue processing until the wall is completely dry. Dry alcohol, when burned, releases chemical elements that work as antiseptics and help get rid of fungus in the basement. But you should stock up on a sufficient amount of the substance, it may take 15-20 tablets to process a small basement.

If candles and dry alcohol do not help, you do not get rid of moisture, try the following method.

Processing with a roaster

How to get rid of mold in the basement, perhaps a homemade brazier from an old bucket or a small barrel will help. Having made 2-3 holes in the upper and lower parts of the bucket, we install it on the ground. The brazier should stand at a distance of 60-70 mm from the floor. Several bricks can be used for the stand. You need to install a bucket under the hatch. Having securely hooked the hook with the cable to the shackle, we take it out to the garage.

Having loaded the first bookmark from coal and firewood, we ignite the mixture. It is impossible to be in the basement during processing, a large amount of carbon monoxide is released. Therefore, the subsequent bookmarks of fuel are carried out at the top, then the brazier goes down to the basement.

Due to the gap between the bucket and the floor, a natural draft is formed, it remains to monitor the combustion and lay firewood in time. Processing lasts for 12-15 hours. At the same time, hot smoke immediately begins to displace moisture from the room, will gradually dry the walls and remove harmful microflora and fungus. Firewood is best used from hardwood, acacia, birch will keep burning for a long time, remove an unpleasant odor.

But there are situations when more effective methods are required. How to dry the cellar in the garage after flooding, in this case, the treatment of the room will help with the help of electric heating devices of various power.

How to get rid of dampness with electricity?

Such treatment is carried out for quick relief in case of flooding or a significant level of air humidity. It prevents the defeat of the basement by fungal spores. In this case, you can use oil radiators, heat guns, converter heaters or infrared heaters. The work is carried out according to a similar scheme, but a person can go down to the cellar to transfer heaters.

The most important thing is to quickly remove moisture so that the treated surfaces become dry, like the air in the room. Be sure, after the first heating of the cellar, open the basement door to quickly remove stale air. The best option is a powerful heat gun. Such a device not only dries the air, but also ensures its circulation during processing.

But it should be understood that the use of powerful electric heaters will require additional costs to pay the energy bills.

How to remove dampness faster when processing with open fire, for this it is enough to connect several fans that will remove moist heated air and provide forced ventilation of the cellar. But if we process a small room, for the purpose of prevention before laying vegetables for the winter, it will be enough to use dry fuel with additional fumigation of the basement with a sulfur checker.

Such treatment will not only dry the cellar, in this case we get rid of harmful microorganisms and fungi.
How to get rid of fungus and damp air in the basement of the garage - in conclusion, here are some tips.
To maintain a dry microclimate in the basement, you can install small fans in the ventilation pipes. In this case, the air will constantly change, and dampness will not be able to develop mycelium.

What to do if the fungus has already appeared on the wall. A simple, uncomplicated operation will help to remove it. It is necessary to clean the wall of dirt and mycelium, dry the surfaces and treat them with industrial impregnations or a solution of potassium permanganate.

The fight against fungi and mold helps a simple sulfur checker. This treatment is carried out before laying vegetables. It is not recommended to repeat fumigation with sulfur or to warm up the air. In addition to waterproofing, the basement must have a sufficient layer of thermal insulation to prevent cold, damp air from entering the room.

Such simple and inexpensive methods will allow you to maintain a constant microclimate in the basement of the garage and provide optimal conditions for storing vegetables.