Hello everyone,
In the house we bought just over a year ago (built in 1990), I am currently facing major issues with high humidity in the basement. I measured the levels with a hygrometer, and they are around 83%. The rooms also smell musty and damp. The light wells of the basement windows are also damp and musty, with humidity around 88%. The stones inside are even covered with green moss (or whatever it is). However, this is not the case for all the light wells around the house.
Since our previous owners claim they did not have such problems, I think we might have caused this issue ourselves due to incorrect ventilation. Shortly after moving in, a musty smell developed quickly in the basement, so I tried to keep the windows open as often as possible, even in summer. Now I have done some research and read that in summer, basements should only be ventilated at night because it is more humid outside during the day.
I have several urgent questions about my situation:
What actions can I take to speed up the reduction of humidity? The windows are now closed during the day. Would it help to use a fan at night to push the humid air outside? How can I prevent the wooden paneling and furniture in the basement (there are no wallpapers) from developing mold? Are there ways to keep the light wells of the windows dry? What effect does the sauna have on the humidity? Generally, the sauna provides very dry heat, but every 2-3 weeks about half a liter of infusion liquid evaporates there, which then escapes into the room air.
Additionally, there is the problem that the storage room (open clay floor with sandstone) got wet from below due to flooding in the Württemberg region. This room has only a small window, which has been kept open continuously since then. Also, a company installed a fan here for over a month, which ran nonstop during that time. Shortly after the floor got wet, mold started to develop. The company then removed the fan, but now the mold has spread to the wooden shelves in the room.
My question here is how we should proceed with this room. It is clear that the shelves must be removed. But how can we get rid of the mold spores that are obviously airborne? After all, this room is meant for storing our food. Should we use a fan? Should the door be kept open or closed?
I realize I have written quite a long message about my problem, but I hope you can still help me with some of these points. The situation is quite stressful for me.
I would really appreciate any answers!
Best regards,
Markus
In the house we bought just over a year ago (built in 1990), I am currently facing major issues with high humidity in the basement. I measured the levels with a hygrometer, and they are around 83%. The rooms also smell musty and damp. The light wells of the basement windows are also damp and musty, with humidity around 88%. The stones inside are even covered with green moss (or whatever it is). However, this is not the case for all the light wells around the house.
Since our previous owners claim they did not have such problems, I think we might have caused this issue ourselves due to incorrect ventilation. Shortly after moving in, a musty smell developed quickly in the basement, so I tried to keep the windows open as often as possible, even in summer. Now I have done some research and read that in summer, basements should only be ventilated at night because it is more humid outside during the day.
I have several urgent questions about my situation:
What actions can I take to speed up the reduction of humidity? The windows are now closed during the day. Would it help to use a fan at night to push the humid air outside? How can I prevent the wooden paneling and furniture in the basement (there are no wallpapers) from developing mold? Are there ways to keep the light wells of the windows dry? What effect does the sauna have on the humidity? Generally, the sauna provides very dry heat, but every 2-3 weeks about half a liter of infusion liquid evaporates there, which then escapes into the room air.
Additionally, there is the problem that the storage room (open clay floor with sandstone) got wet from below due to flooding in the Württemberg region. This room has only a small window, which has been kept open continuously since then. Also, a company installed a fan here for over a month, which ran nonstop during that time. Shortly after the floor got wet, mold started to develop. The company then removed the fan, but now the mold has spread to the wooden shelves in the room.
My question here is how we should proceed with this room. It is clear that the shelves must be removed. But how can we get rid of the mold spores that are obviously airborne? After all, this room is meant for storing our food. Should we use a fan? Should the door be kept open or closed?
I realize I have written quite a long message about my problem, but I hope you can still help me with some of these points. The situation is quite stressful for me.
I would really appreciate any answers!
Best regards,
Markus
B
Baumfachmann30 Dec 2017 18:52Hi, I can only recommend checking walls and floors for moisture and measuring every 50cm (20 inches) with a detection device; only then can you be sure it’s not coming from the wall or floor. It’s usually not visible to the naked eye. These devices can also be rented. If you have moisture in the walls, don’t despair—there are affordable solutions, such as isotec or other companies. A friend of mine had problems with humidity a few years ago; I measured the wall moisture and everything was fine. Isotec managed to keep her basement dry permanently. If you can definitely rule out moisture in the walls, dehumidifiers are a good solution. With excessive humidity, you should always proceed by eliminating possible causes step by step.
T
toxicmolotof30 Dec 2017 21:41After one and a half years, this might be a bit late.
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Baumfachmann30 Dec 2017 22:47If the plaster is not crumbling and no mold is visible, there should be no problem.
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