Wet basement what to do. How to get rid of capillary moisture

Every private homeowner has a basement in his house. As a rule, it is used to store a variety of food products. In order for them to always be fresh and not be subject to any dangers, dampness in the basement should not be allowed. But if it did appear, you need to know how to get rid of dampness in the basement. This is exactly what you will learn from this article.

Dampness in the basement

Elimination of dampness from the basement must begin with exact definition moisture penetration points. Increased dampness and humidity leads to the formation of mold, as well as fungus, which contribute to the deterioration of the products stored in it. And even more, if you do not get rid of the dampness in the basement in a timely manner, the mold will spread throughout building materials, inside the house, higher and higher, provoking various diseases in all residents and gradually destroying the building itself.

Important! Humid air is formed by capillary action, simply put, small drops of water through the cracks fall into your earthen floor. Then the moisture evaporates, resulting in an increase in air humidity. It must be remembered that sandy rocks contribute to the rise of water much more slowly than clay ones.

Before you start the fight against dampness in the cellar, it is necessary to determine the causes of its appearance:

1. One of these reasons may be poor heat saving and insulation of the house. Because of this, in the cool season, moisture will get inside the walls of the house, contributing to the formation of unpleasant mold. This phenomenon can often be observed in upper corners, on the walls, because moisture enters any room from above, and to be more precise, from the roof.
2. In addition, moisture can enter the cellar due to groundwater.
3. Also, another reason for the appearance of mold may be the lack of waterproofing under the floor.

Methods for combating dampness

How to remove dampness in the cellar - now we will understand in more detail. To date, there are a large number of ways to combat humidity in the room.

Elimination of dampness from the cellar can be done in several ways.

Method 1

One of them is a thorough concreting of the walls and floor of the basement, as well as the use of liquid roofing and glass.

Method 2

We recommend that you pay attention to the use of an inexpensive way to get rid of dampness. Here you will need a plastic film, which can be used, to create high-quality waterproofing. In addition, you will need a shovel, clay and a trowel.

In the event that the basement is made with a clay floor, this clay can be used to speed up the work. To do this, add clay to the waterproofing layer.

Work is carried out as follows:

• Remove a layer of clay about 5 cm thick.
• Level the surface of the floor and cover it with plastic wrap folded in half.
• Pour the clay on top and carefully tamp it down. Clay can be replaced with concrete.

Important! After the clay layer dries, the humidity level in the cellar will drop significantly and the air will be much drier.

Method 3

It also happens that the humidity rises in autumn or spring periods. All this is due to atmospheric precipitation. In such a situation, another method will be effective to get rid of dampness in the basement:

1. Spread a layer of sand or gravel about 10 cm thick on the floor.
2. If the humidity level is constantly rising, add a layer of gravel.

Important! This helps to lower the groundwater level exactly to the point where dampness cannot rise to the level of the floor of your cellar.

Method 4

In order to get rid of dampness in the basement, which appears due to the accumulation of condensate, use a special waterproofing plaster.

Important! Usage this method allows walls and floors to breathe.

In order to do this, purchase a ready-made waterproofing mixture. Or make it yourself. It is obtained by mixing a waterproofing additive with dry plaster.

How to use - see the manufacturer's instructions dry building mix directly on the material packaging.

What to do when the source of dampness is in the room?

If dampness in your basement is formed due to the accumulation of condensate, then to eliminate it, perform work on the arrangement of a high-quality ventilation system. As a rule, only 2 pipes are enough to use, namely the exhaust and supply pipes, which must be placed at different corners of the room, on different height.

Basement pipes

Pipes in the basement require special attention:

1. In large basements, natural ventilation often fails. Therefore, with your own hands, you can make a forced ventilation system. In this case, a controlled ventilation device is assumed, with the help of which at different times it will be possible to with my own hands set a certain temperature regime in the basement.
2. If in the basement are placed water pipes Be sure to insulate them. It is best to use expanded polystyrene or any other suitable material.
3. Pipe insulation is also mandatory if it is necessary to dry the basement for short span time.

Important! It is necessary to carry out the process of draining the basement only after the work to eliminate the source of dampness has been completed.

What to do when the source of dampness is outdoors?

In the event that you have determined that the source of dampness is probably located outside, then consider several options for this problem:

• high groundwater level;
• precipitation;
• a kind of capillary rise of moisture.

The work will depend on the specific source of moisture and dampness, as well as the level of moisture in the walls inside the basement. When the level of humidity and dampness inside the room is insignificant - no more than 10%, it is enough to do the following with your own hands to get rid of dampness in the basement:

Now there will be a dry basement that will remain so for a long time.

When your walls are completely damp, you will need to make additional work, which will include the installation of an external high-quality waterproofing layer. In addition, external work can be divided into:

• preparatory work, namely: cleaning, strengthening the surface, priming;
• installation of a vertical waterproofing layer - absolutely any suitable moisture-repellent materials can be used for this;
• device of high-quality and effective blind area.

Important! In certain circumstances, additional work may be required to allow you to get rid of indoor moisture, as well as eliminate the cause of condensation.

In the event that you have even the slightest doubt about the source of dampness or the choice of waterproofing material for its elimination, consult with experts on this matter.

Basement waterproofing - the choice of technology

If the formation of dampness and condensation in your basement is due to the fact that capillary moisture rises, make high-quality horizontal waterproofing with your own hands.

In this case, you can use one of two methods for arranging an insulating layer - using rolled or coating waterproofing:

We hope that you have learned everything from this article. necessary information in order to get rid of dampness in the basement of your house. Accordingly, now you are not threatened by mold, fungus and other unpleasant manifestations of excess moisture.

Dampness in the cellar is a huge problem for most summer residents and suburban residents. As a rule, humidity rises due to poorly made heat or waterproofing, as well as due to a large number vegetables and fruits 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 include the complete emptying of the premises from 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 out into the street, and then washed 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.

Fairly common and effective method disinfection of the wooden elements of the storage - applying a layer of whitewash with the addition of ordinary blue vitriol. 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 on 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 efficiently, 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. Humidity and condensate, even after several days of keeping the storage with the hatch open, will not go anywhere. To dry the cellar before the seasonal laying of the crop, you should use more radical methods.

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 the cellar or vegetable store with iron stove.
• Drying the basement using a brazier.
• Using the most common candles that will improve natural draft 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

Put away excess moisture air and condensate from the cellar can be done using the simplest brazier. This device is not large sizes(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 with natural drying within a few 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, for effective disposal from moisture, special dehumidifiers are used. 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 for commercial operation. 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. One or the other method should be chosen based on total area your 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 large area, then a device is recommended forced ventilation. 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.

Home is the place where we come to rest. A healthy microclimate allows us to fully restore mental and physical strength by the next morning. But what to do when you feel dampness in the house and on the walls and ceiling? Let's take a closer look.

Sources of moisture

It should be understood that high humidity appears for a reason.

How to get rid of the damp smell in the house? - one of the most common questions. First of all, you should find the cause and location of this problem.

If we imagine a house as a structure, then several possible sources stand out:

• foundation;
• walls;
• roof;
• plumbing wiring;
• ventilation.

Let us consider in more detail each type of construction, communication, the reasons that can lead to the appearance of humidity, as well as how to get rid of dampness in the house.

Foundation

The main problem of private housing is the violation of construction technology:

• Lack of geodetic research. The result is an incorrectly selected type of base design.
• Poor waterproofing of the base leads to the penetration of moisture. Distinctive feature concrete - good ability to absorb water. Therefore, waterproofing the foundation is recommended to be given Special attention during construction work.
• Absence of vents. Such devices must be present in the house. They are sources natural ventilation underground space.
• Destruction of the base, the appearance of cracks, violation of waterproofing.
• Underground. Supply and exhaust ventilation must be provided. Its absence can lead to high humidity this room, which will later be transferred to the entire structure. They also provide waterproofing and insulation of the subfloor ceiling.
• Close proximity to groundwater.
• Plumbing wiring can cause high humidity. Excessive formation of condensate, system leakage.

As you can see, there can be many reasons, let's look at how to get rid of dampness in the basement of the house.

Eliminate moisture due to foundation problems

The integrity of the foundation is supported by its waterproofing, its violation leads to the destruction of the foundation.

Therefore, its examination allows you to determine the cause of moisture. Research to be done:

• The presence of vents on each side of the building. Their absence will lead to the formation of dampness. If this is the reason, then you will have to open the floor in stages and make vents on each wall. This will provide the required natural ventilation of the underground space.
• Underground. The first is the presence supply and exhaust ventilation. If it's missing, it needs to be done. Two holes are punched on opposite walls. One pipe is lowered to the floor at a distance of 200-300 mm from it, the second is mounted under ceiling space. The second is the close occurrence of groundwater. Only high-quality waterproofing can save such a foundation from destruction and the appearance of moisture. Moreover, it must be done both inside and outside. So that moisture does not penetrate from the underground into the house, it is produced and insulated. In this case, maximum sealing should be achieved. It is carried out using mounting foam.
• If the building does not provide for an underground, then you will have to make pits to examine the foundation. This will allow you to make a qualitative assessment. If cracks are found, the lack of waterproofing, it will be necessary to carry out a major restoration. Only high-quality sealing of cracks and waterproofing will help to cope with the problem of how to get rid of dampness in the house.
• Plumbing wiring. Another reason for the appearance of moisture. They make a complete audit of communications and, if necessary, insulate, seal, change.
• no tides, storm system. It leads to the accumulation of moisture near the foundation, which provokes its early destruction. This protection should be provided for the base.

Walls

There are not many causes of dampness associated with this type of construction:

• Depressurization of heating. A leak with hidden wiring is not always determined.
• No hood. Especially critical in rooms with an aggressive environment: bath, toilet, kitchen.
• Insufficient thickness of partitions, including capital ones. Causes condensation on their surfaces, windows in the cold season.
• Destruction, cracks.

As a rule, the integrity of the walls depends primarily on the quality of the foundation and roof. But consider how to get rid of dampness in the house, if the walls are the main place of its appearance.

Eliminate moisture due to wall problems

The first step is to review the existing ventilation systems, their performance. Check with a lit match or candle. Fluctuation or attenuation of the flame indicates that the system is working. If the fire does not fluctuate, then the hood has failed. Accordingly, it must be cleaned. Especially important is the performance of forced ventilation of the bathroom, kitchen.

If the main condensate accumulates on the walls, they are insulated using waterproofing. They make insulation of either the facade or internal surfaces. For additional effect waterproofings are used. As for cracks, destruction, they are covered with plaster.

If a heating leak is detected, it is eliminated, wet surfaces are dried with heating. It all depends on the scale of the disaster. Note that moisture also accumulates from human activity. In such cases, you can apply which will reduce the level of humidity in the room.

Roof

Very often, problems with the appearance of moisture are associated with the roof. This can be determined by the location of the spot. If it appears on the ceiling, at the top of the wall, this indicates that it is time to examine the roof.

To begin with, it is determined whether there is a drain on the roof and whether it is intact. Looking at the roof. They find out if there is destruction, whether waterproofing, insulation is done. Below we will look at how to get rid of dampness in a private house, if it is related to the roof.

Eliminate moisture due to roof problems

There are two main reasons:

• Gutter - a properly installed system serves to drain precipitation from the roof. This protects the walls and foundation from their impact. You should know that the drain is made with a slope, and all parts are hermetically connected. Water must be diverted to the storm system.
• Roof. According to the technology, the roof should have double waterproofing, insulation, a gap for natural ventilation of the under-roof space (this is the place where condensation most often forms). To assess the condition of the roof, it is better to contact a specialist who will determine the quality of the materials and whether they are installed correctly. It will also help to correctly eliminate the shortcomings.

We examined how you can get rid of dampness in the house, depending on the walls, foundation, roof, communications. But there are features of the fight against high humidity, depending on the material from which the building was erected.

How to get rid of dampness in a wooden house

Such structures can collapse due to high humidity. Wood under the influence of water begins to rot, a fungus and mold form. Therefore, at the slightest manifestation of moisture, it is worth looking for the cause and eliminating it urgently.

To the previously listed features of the fight against dampness, you can add a number of typical for wooden housing:

• Foundation. The gasket between the base and the walls is made of two components: larch and waterproofing material. If the technology is broken, dampness will appear. This problem is solved with the help of an additional ventilation device, which must be installed so that moisture is not transferred to neighboring rooms.
• Interventional seams. If during construction this stage is poorly produced, then moisture may also appear. In such cases, the places are treated with antiseptics and caulked, achieving maximum sealing.
• Humidity in the short period after construction. One of the factors is uncured lumber. Such structures are subject to greater shrinkage than structures made of quality wood. This can cause cracks and gaps that lead to drafts and dampness. It is necessary to make a major drying of the entire structure.

If, nevertheless, the wood began to darken, this is an occasion to make a high-quality drying of the building. This is done in the summer, as it is desirable that the temperature inside the building and outside is the same. Next, the blackened areas are cleaned and treated with special compounds.

The smell of damp wooden house, which is quite difficult to get rid of, can also appear with improper use. It is impossible to dry wet clothes in such buildings. It is better to provide for this place on the street. It is necessary to make high-quality sealing of the bathroom and the bathroom.

How to get rid of dampness in a brick house

All of the measures listed above will help to cope with dampness in a brick structure. But if the masonry has ever been exposed to a lot of water, then it must be dried. Sometimes this requires jointing and sealing with a new solution. If a brick walls do not dry in a timely manner, then in winter they will freeze, which will significantly reduce the heat in the building. AT advanced cases frost may appear, wallpaper peeling off.

The gardening season seems to be over, and worries and troubles do not become less. And, perhaps, the most important thing is to preserve everything that was grown and harvested. We devoted the previous issue to homemade vegetables and fruits. We hope that our recommendations will be useful to many of you. However, I want to keep the grown and harvested crop not only in canned, but also in fresh. This is what will be discussed this time. Behind useful advice we again turned to a practitioner - the 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 Evening

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

We go down to the cellar

The cellar is a special building. And with the usual standards, for example, as a house, you can’t approach it. If humidity of 65% is optimal for you and me, then for most vegetables and fruits, humidity of 70% is already critical - they begin to wither, dry, lose useful material and, of course, poorly stored. Each fruit has its own requirements. But if the entire garden crop is harvested 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 a hygrometer.

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

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

If puddles regularly stand in the cellar (and this is the most difficult case), then this is possible in two cases: the construction technology has been violated or the place has simply been chosen unsuccessfully. But there is only one way out - the construction of a new storage facility.

Take care of ventilation

The key to good storage is good ventilation. And it should not be 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. Through it comes air from the street. The second pipe ends almost under the ceiling - 10 cm below its level. This is an extractor. Ventilation pipes on the street should be covered with umbrellas so that foliage and precipitation do not fall into them. The exhaust pipe should be higher and it is better to install a deflector on it to activate the draft - a special aerodynamic device. Also, the pipe can be painted black: due to heating from the sun, traction will be better.

It is desirable that the supply and exhaust pipes be spaced apart in different corners of the cellar: then the 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 should be installed on them. The valves will allow you to reduce the flow of air in winter so that the cellar does not cool too much in cold weather.

Good ventilation will regulate humidity, eliminate excess moisture, prevent mold and help dry storage faster.

BY THE WAY

For good traction ventilation ducts make it straight. If a side diversion is necessary, then the angle of inclination must be at least 60 degrees, and the length of the inclined section must not exceed 100 cm.

With stove and candle

Sometimes dampness appears in dry storage. Again - check the ventilation: if its channels are clogged. If they cleaned it, and nothing has changed, then 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 itself. 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, it is necessary to accelerate the movement of air.

Usually in such cases, stoves, kerosene gases are installed in the storage and the walls are heated. But this is a complex and laborious task. Someone puts the primus, and someone turns it on blowtorch. However, all this is fraught with undesirable consequences: the cellar may not be dried, and the house may be lost due to a fire. Yes, and you should not deal with such heating alone: ​​it is necessary that someone insure you after all. First, the temperature is high. Secondly, smoke accumulates inside and maybe even carbon monoxide.

It is better, having filled an old leaky bucket or any other metal container with glowing coals, lower them into the vegetable store, securing it so that it hangs above the floor. Once every 20-30 minutes, the cellar lid must be opened to let in an additional portion of oxygen. Can be on supply pipe put a fan. When the coals burn out, remove the bucket and close the lid tightly. Do not look inside for three days: smoke and gases will not only dry the room, but at the same time kill the mold, disinfect the cellar.

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

Sometimes traction sufficient for drying can be created by other, more in a simple way- 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 in a tin can under it. To create an initial draft, light the paper directly in the pipe, and later the flame of a candle will suffice. The air in the pipe will warm up and a normal draft will arise, which will pull the damp air from the floor. In two or three days, it is quite possible to dry the cellar. Instead of candles, dry alcohol tablets are also used.

To get rid of rain and melt water penetrating 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 that will break the capillarity of the soil. Gravel or sand is poured until the humidity decreases and the groundwater level drops.

Nice solution and clay. It is known to be a natural moisture regulator. But today in the cellars, unfortunately, adobe floors and clay plaster rarely done on the 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 polyethylene film folded in half. You can use roofing felt, but it breaks and breaks more often, although it seems to be more durable.

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

You can not cover the film with anything - leave it like that. And so that it does not tear when you walk on it, knock down wooden shields and lay them on the floor. Scatter pieces of slaked lime under them. They will collect moisture, and mold fungi will not be allowed to roam.

If water droplets accumulate on the ceiling (this is condensation), then the ceilings are poorly insulated. You can fix this by additionally insulating the top of the cellar. And to quickly remove drops, walk along the ceiling with a rubber plate. Sticking, it will "push" the 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 up and lay them out in the corners and along the walls. When hot, they will actively absorb moisture in the room. And when it cools down, heat it up 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. Only it is necessary to apply on the walls not a thin, but a thick layer of lime. And it would be nice to add a little diluted copper sulphate 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 until everything dries. Whiten 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 in a day, heated or calcined and used again. You just need to work carefully: chlorine and calcium vapors are also toxic!

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

And you can even arrange empty carton boxes They absorb moisture very well. After 10-15 hours, remove the wet and sour ones, and put new ones in their place.

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

Acid them!

High humidity leads to the fact that mold and fungi appear on the walls, ceiling shelves - different types, colors and fragrances. Did you know that they are acid intolerant? 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 over your face. Take quicklime lump lime at the rate of 2-3 kg per 10 cubic meters. m of the volume of the cellar, put it in a tank or barrel, fill it with water, do not interfere (!) And leave the cellar immediately. Close doors and ventilation pipes tightly. For tightness, caulk them with clay. Keep the cellar closed for two days, then open and ventilate thoroughly. If a lot of pests have divorced, repeat the treatment after 5-6 days.

Sulfur is also used for disinfection: per 1 cu. m of the volume of the cellar, it is burned 40-50 g. But you must be especially careful with it: fumigate only rooms that are not adjacent to residential buildings!

It is very good to disinfect storages also with sulfuric 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 scare off rodents for a long time.

Uninvited guests

Mice and rats are not only unwanted, but also dangerous guests in the vault. Take a close look at the walls, seal the cracks with cement, tin or brick with special care, and close all ventilation ducts metal meshes so that no rodents can get in. Since they cannot tolerate the smell of mothballs, mix it in equal parts with sawdust and sprinkle around their loopholes, passages, minks. They also do not like the aroma of black root, wild mint. Dried plants spread near their nests will put the rodents to flight.

Mice can't stand the smell of burnt rubber. Therefore, you can fumigate the cellar with rubber smoke. Place an old bucket of glowing coals on a pallet of sand and place pieces of old coals on them. car tires or galoshes.

Of course, poisons can be used to control rodents. But we must be careful that they do not get pets, the same cats. Most often, "Zookumarin" is used (50 g per 1 kg of bait) - 0.5 g per 1 sq. m. Some in a container with quicklime malt or sugar is mixed in, and a bowl of water is placed next to it. Eaten lime causes thirst, and after drinking water, the rat dies.

You can lay out poisoned baits and "tastier" (bread and potatoes, watered sunflower oil, cottage cheese, minced meat or fish, etc.). But since rodents can move 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 - poor ventilation.

* Drips on walls only -- no vertical waterproofing of basement walls.

* Puddles on the floor - groundwater flooding.

ADVICE

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

Peat is also used as a sorbent to remove unpleasant odors and an antiseptic. Potatoes, onions, turnips are perfectly preserved in peat dust. But it must be borne in mind that when laying it should be well dried. And mice do not like to settle in peat.

WIND ON THE US

It is easy to make a psychrometer yourself. To do this, you need two alcohol thermometers. Fix them next to each other on a common stand. Wrap the ball of one thermometer with damp gauze, but let the other remain dry. A wet bulb thermometer will indicate more low temperature. From the data difference (see table), it will be possible to find out the relative humidity.

To get rid of dampness, you need to conduct a series preparatory activities. Understand why it appeared, where moisture oozes from and how you can fix it. You will learn about all this from our article.

Dampness is a very unpleasant phenomenon that can destroy the crop stored for storage. If moisture "settles" in the room, this can lead to the destruction of the structure and the deterioration of the health of everyone who regularly descends into the cellar or basement. About why dampness "comes to visit" and how to get rid of it as soon as possible - read in our material.

Dampness in the house- causes of occurrence

Condensation forms on ceilings, floors and walls for a number of reasons. The most common causes of dampness are the following factors:

• ventilation problems. Errors at the design or construction stage lead to the fact that ventilation is disturbed in the room. The most common mistake is poorly laid floor slabs and construction garbage block ventilation ducts. With a temperature difference inside and outside the room, condensation forms on the windows and walls, and this is the first sign that mold will appear soon;
• groundwater level rise. In spring and autumn, when basements and cellars begin to flood due to heavy rains, dampness also becomes more active. Poor drainage leads to the fact that water accumulates in underground storages, the level of humidity rises sharply, and the room turns into an eternally damp closed system;
• capillary penetration of moisture from the soil or through cracks. If the foundation was erected in violation of technology, then after some time, due to temperature changes, droplets of moisture will appear on its inner walls. Over time, this can lead to partial damage to the walls and even their collapse.

Why is dampness dangerous?

The appearance of condensation and characteristic bad smell These are just the first signs of impending trouble. Condensation causes the following effects:

• mold and fungus appear;
• violated temperature regime and the level of humidity in the room;
• microorganisms harmful to humans multiply;
• walls, ceilings and ceilings are constantly waterlogged, because of which the finish suffers;
• the destruction of the foundation, walls and ceilings begins.

First of all, all summer residents are concerned about the question of how to remove dampness. There are several reliable ways to eliminate dampness in the cellar and basement, but first you need to find out what caused the appearance excess moisture. To do this, carefully inspect the room:

• if water droplets appeared on the walls and ceiling, the reason is in violation of ventilation;
• puddles on the floor indicate an increase in the level of groundwater;
• drops only on the walls hint at the lack of basement waterproofing.

Now let's take a closer look at ways to eliminate each of the causes.

How to improve ventilation

If the air exchange in the room is disturbed, the easiest way is to improve it by organizing additional ventilation. Basement ventilation is of two types:

• natural - involves the use of the so-called. "vents" - holes around the perimeter of the building. Their total area should be about 1/400 of the total area of ​​the building;
• coercive means to apply special equipment, which forces Fresh air. Usually used in large rooms.

To get rid of condensation on the ceiling and walls, you can carry out the following procedures:

1. thermal insulation engineering networks . If you have communications in the basement - plumbing and sewer pipes- the temperature of the water in them is always higher than the temperature in the room. As a result, condensation forms on them. To get rid of heat loss, you need to use a protective sheath of mineral wool, foam and extruded polystyrene foam.
2. Organization of the hood. For additional ventilation of the room, ventilation ducts or pipes are installed. Usually they are attached to vertical load-bearing elements or attached to existing structures. Two pipes are installed in the room - exhaust and supply, placing them at different heights from the floor in opposite corners of the room. This is necessary in order for draft to appear and the room to be purged.

If groundwater enters the premises, this is a serious problem, which over time can lead to a partial collapse of the building. In this case, it is necessary to carry out a number of additional measures aimed at strengthening the foundation and pumping out groundwater. In particular, you will need to do the following:

• dig the foundation
• organize drainage around the perimeter of the building;
• strengthen the foundation
• arrange external and internal waterproofing;
• make a blind area around the perimeter of the building;
• dry the room.

If moisture forms on the walls of a building, it means that it penetrates from external environment namely, from soil. To prevent its access to the premises, you can use some of the most popular measures:

• usage waterproofing materials - primarily roofing material, linocrom and hydroisol. All of them are made from pieces of dense material impregnated with bitumen. The cellar or basement is pasted over both from the outside and from the inside;
• protective compounds, which clog pores in concrete, are also considered an excellent "cure" for capillary moisture. Thanks to these compositions, it is possible to organize both a point effect on the holes through which moisture oozes, and application to all problem areas;
• bituminous mastic and polymer resins use for additional protection walls and floors from condensation. These compounds can be applied independently, but they do not always provide required level protection and it is better to supplement them with waterproofing materials;
• shielding applied in particular difficult cases when, simultaneously with capillary action, groundwater appears in the room. Protective shields are made of geotextile, concrete or clay.

Inspect the structure and check the condition of the slopes, downpipes, drainage system and blind areas. If you, in principle, do not have a drainage system, then first start by installing downpipes and slopes. Next, proceed to the protection of the outer walls:

• remove the old blind area;
• dig a hole about 50 cm wide from outer wall basement;
• dry the outer wall;
• apply an antifungal composition to it;
• paint the wall bituminous mastic, clay or concrete with liquid glass additives;
• make a blind area from a sheet of roofing material - fix it 0.5 m above the ground level and take it out of the edges outer wall basement;
• fill in the hole.

After performing outdoor work, it is also possible to insulate the basement or cellar with inside. It is done like this:

• dry the room;
• remove all loose coatings and whitewash;
• find and clear all cracks;
• soak the walls with an antifungal drug;
• apply a waterproofing compound;
• if desired, plaster the walls at a height of 0.5-1 m from the floor.

If moisture penetrates the walls, hits the floor and evaporates, you should also deal with flooring. The floor and walls should be concreted using liquid glass and only. You can also follow simple algorithm(in the event that you have a clay floor):

• remove a layer of clay about 5 cm thick;
• level the floor surface and cover it with two layers of waterproofing film;
• sprinkle it on top with clay or fill it with concrete and level the surface.

When seasonal flooding of the site use another method:

• lay a layer of sand or gravel about 10 cm thick on the floor to protect against groundwater flooding. Add more gravel if necessary if groundwater seeps through the drainage layer;
• apply a special waterproofing plaster to the walls;
• arrange in the corners of the cellar glass jars with calcium chloride (it will absorb excess moisture). For one cellar, no more than 0.5-1 kg of powder is required;
• sprinkle the floor with quicklime with a layer of 1 cm - it will absorb excess moisture and dry the room. To combat fungus and mold, you can slake lime right in the basement. Pour some lime into an empty container and fill it with water. The vapors released will destroy germs and mold.

Folk methods of dealing with dampness

You can normalize the level of humidity in the cellar using folk remedies:

• dry the walls of the cellar with clay bricks. Place in different angles basement 2-3 bricks heated on a fire. As they cool, they begin to absorb moisture. To achieve maximum effect, they can be reused;
• to get rid of mold, treat the walls of the cellar with vinegar or boric acid(dilute 20 ml of acid in 1 liter of water), you can use citric acid(dissolve 100 g of powder in 1 liter of water);
• take out all the products stored there from the basement or cellar and treat the damp walls with diesel fuel, and then whitewash them.