Moisture issues in basements and crawl spaces are a common problem for homeowners, often resulting in costly repairs and an unhealthy home for you and your family. By keeping a diligent eye open for signs and symptoms of high moisture levels, you can fix them quickly without breaking the bank. We’ve compiled a list of causes and remedies for basements and crawl spaces to help you stay one step ahead of excess moisture problems.
- Signs of Moisture Issues in Basements
- Causes of Moisture in Basements
- Signs of Moisture Issues in Your Crawl Space
- Causes of Moisture in Crawl Spaces
- How to Fix Moisture Issues in Basements and Crawl Spaces
- Top Basement and Crawl Space Dehumidifiers
- Finding the Right Size Basement or Crawl Space Dehumidifier
Signs of Moisture Issues In Basements
There are several telltale factors to indicate that you're dealing with a damp basement:
- Mold or mildew on floors and walls
- Walls that feel or look unusually cold or wet
- Damp areas on the base of the wall that creep upwards
- Salt deposits, also known as efflorescence, are often found when water is present on or in brick, stone, concrete, and stucco
- Peeling of floor paint or wallpaper
- Loose or lifting tiles, vinyl, or carpet
- Excessive condensation on windows
Causes of Moisture In Basements
Moisture in your basement can result from various problems, including:
- Underground Condensation: Because basements are significantly cooler than the rest of your home, the air can't hold as much moisture as the warm air in other locations. So, as the air from your upper rooms mixes with your basement air, the humidity has to go somewhere. It usually condenses on basement walls and uninsulated pipes to create the perfect environment for mold growth.
- Lack of Waterproofing: In a poorly waterproofed basement, moisture can rise from the ground below, through the foundation, and into the floor and walls.
- Laundry Rooms: For homes with a laundry room in the basement, dryers can direct moisture gathered from clothes to the walls, where it can condense and cause the walls to become damp over time.
- Leaky Pipes and Cracks: Leaky pipes or cracks in your foundation commonly cause water to come into contact with basement walls and floors.
Signs of Moisture Issues In Your Crawl Space
When moisture enters your crawl space, you may notice a combination of signs that indicate a problem, including:
- Muddy Soil: If your crawl space doesn't have a vapor barrier or has poor coverage, you'll see muddy soil in your crawl space.
- Condensation: A common indication of moisture issues in crawl spaces is condensation forming on walls, vapor barriers, and HVAC equipment.
- Standing Water: Flooding or standing water, along with blooming evidence that indicates there once was standing water, is another tell.
- Fallen Insulation: When insulation falls or hangs, the culprit may be high moisture levels. Fallen insulation becomes a wick that can draw moisture to your floor joists and subfloors.
- Mold Growth: Mold on floor joists and subfloors can cause many issues for your home and your health. Addressing this issue quickly and thoroughly ensures a safe and healthy environment.
- Musty Smells: A high level of moisture often causes an appearance of a mysterious and musty odor.
Causes of Moisture in Crawl Spaces
While many of the same issues that cause moisture problems in basements can also cause them in crawl spaces, such as leaking pipes, cracks, lack of waterproofing, and underground condensation, one issue is unique to crawl spaces.
Crawl spaces usually feature vents touted as a fix for humidity issues in this specific area of a house. Unfortunately, it's an outdated fix. If the air is damp outside, like during periods of rain or in the humid-heavy climate of the southern United States, you're simply venting your crawl space with damp air. This setup creates more problems instead of fixing them because the cooler air of the crawl space cannot hold moisture like the warm outside air can. So, as the damp outside air enters the crawl space, the moisture forms as condensation and ends up along the surfaces inside your crawl space.
How To Fix Moisture Issues in Basements and Crawl Spaces
The first step in addressing water issues in crawl spaces and basements is to stop the source of the moisture, such as fixing a leaky pipe.
Your next step, if needed, is to seal or encapsulate your crawl space properly. You can find out more from Sylvane's crawl space encapsulation guide.
Adding a hygrometer to your toolbox makes maintenance easy. It allows you to check hard-to-reach areas and monitor levels.
If the moisture levels are still high, it's time to bring in a specialized basement or crawl space dehumidifier.
Top Basement and Crawl Space Dehumidifiers
Dehumidifiers aren't one-size-fits-all, so finding the right one for your space is essential. Santa Fe is a well-known and popular brand known for reliable, rugged models backed by long warranties. Other brands, like Danby and LG, feature sleek designs for finished basements.
Santa Fe also offers a variety of solutions for crawl space moisture removal. Aprilaire crawl space dehumidifiers are another popular choice thanks to their compact design and simple ducting options. For harsh conditions, consider the reliable crawl space options from EcorPro.
Want to see our recommendations? Use the links below to see our highest-rated crawl space and basement dehumidifiers.
Best Basement Dehumidifiers | Best Crawl Space Dehumidifiers
Finding The Right Size Basement or Crawl Space Dehumidifier
An appropriately sized dehumidifier for your basement or crawl space can help save you money while effectively treating high humidity levels. If you're unsure what size is best for your space, learn how to size a crawl space, basement, or whole-house dehumidifier.
Questions
If you're still unsure which dehumidifier is best for your space, contact one of our product experts at 1-800-934-9194.
