Making a Musty Basement Liveable
Unfortunately half our living space in our home is really a basement with stone walls. We have taken out most of the drywall (in order to get to termite damage) and are wondering what is the best way to coat the stone walls in order to make a livable space while also allowing the stone…
Unfortunately half our living space in our home is really a basement with stone walls. We have taken out most of the drywall (in order to get to termite damage) and are wondering what is the best way to coat the stone walls in order to make a livable space while also allowing the stone to breathe. I was thinking of “rendering” with a lime/sand mix. Not even quite sure what it all means.
bobjohn offers good advice above: you need to figure out where the dampness is coming from in order to fix the problem.
There was a show on teh DIY channel about exactly this. It was very interesting and I bet they have that information on their website. Could be a good place to start your research- the show talked about sealing the foundation (it was fieldstone, I believe, lining the walls, etc.
Keep in mind two things about a dehumidifier….
* They create heat. A/C units do the same thing, but the heat is outside a window or otherwise outside. (This is a HUGE contributing factor to the unbearable heat in the subway tunnels in the summer!) A little added heat may not be too big of a deal in a basement.
* You need to get rid of the water. You can either do this by hand several times a day…. Or you need a drain. If your drain is *above* your dehumidifier, you’ll need a little pump (lift station) for the water so it can get into the drain. Not a big deal, just something to make sure you think of.
you must figure out source of dumpiness. It can be one of two:
1. water infiltrates through the walls/floor
2. water condensates because colder air in basement.
you can do it by taping 2×2′ piece of plastic to the wall and observing on which side the water drops will appear. If water appear on the wall side of the plastic – water comes through the walls and you need to hire professionals to deal with this. But most likely the water simply condensates in colder basement. To deal with this you need to dehumidify the air. Buy dehumidifier or install air conditioner. People on this forum suggested to install fan (search forum for details).