• Date: 28-05-2014
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How can you remove moisture in the cellar

Dampness is the first enemy for basements in country houses. The problem of dampness in a basement or cellar is quite common. There are many ways to combat it, but it is even better to prevent it from occurring.

Dampness in the cellar manifests itself in the form of condensation due to moisture evaporation in the soil.

Excessive humidity and dampness in the room contribute to the formation of mold and mildew, which can spoil the food stored there. The appearance of moist air occurs in a capillary way, that is, the smallest droplets of water penetrate into the earthen floor through the cracks, after which the moisture begins to evaporate, which provokes an increase in air humidity. It is worth noting that clay rocks raise water much faster than sandy rocks.

Before starting the fight, it is necessary to identify the cause of its formation. One of the problems may be the lack of insulation of the house, it is because of this that moisture will penetrate into the walls of the house in cold weather, provoking the formation of mold. Most often, this phenomenon is typical for the upper corners on the walls, as moisture penetrates from the roof from above.

In addition, moisture penetrates into the cellar through groundwater. Another reason for the formation of dampness is the lack of waterproofing under the flooring.

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Ways to deal with dampness

There are several known options for dealing with moisture in the cellar of a country house; this is a method of concreting walls and floors, plus the use of roofing tar and liquid glass. It is worth paying attention to the use of an inexpensive way to eliminate moisture. It involves the use of polyethylene film, you can use already used one. You will also need to use clay, trowel, shovel.

A good remedy for dampness is calcium chloride, which absorbs excess moisture. This powder is scattered into glass jars, which are placed in the corners of the cellar. For a small cellar, 500 g of powder will be enough.

In the case when dampness occurs due to groundwater appearing in the autumn and spring, additional waterproofing is required. To begin with, a waterproofing of the floor is created by covering it with several layers of bitumen, which is then heated with a construction hairdryer. On top of it, two layers of roofing material are laid, the height of which should be at least 15 cm. The roofing material should be replaced with waterproofing, the advantages of which are in the absence of decay and resistance to mold. The second stage of waterproofing involves the construction of additional walls and filling the space between the walls with waterproofing materials.

There should be a space of about 2 cm between the additional wall and the wall of the cellar. It is important to pay attention to the fact that there should be no mortar in this space. The thickness of the additional wall made should be about half the brick.

First, the brickwork is done, and when the mortar dries, the space must be filled with a special molten waterproofing material. Next, the cellar is covered with a 10 cm wide white screed.

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What to do with dampness in the basement?

For many household members, it is a frequent problem with the onset of the winter period. Due to the humidity in the room, mold forms, the wooden shelves begin to rot and crumble under the weight, for example, the jars of pickles standing on them. In order to prevent such a situation, it is necessary to combat dampness and mold in time, which has settled in the cellar or basement.

Basically, there are two reasons for high humidity - a close occurrence of groundwater and poor ventilation in the basement. The increase in groundwater is associated with melting snow, moisture seeps into the basement, where the walls get wet from the water. If there is poor ventilation in the basement or there is no ventilation at all, the air there becomes musty and there is no escape from the dampness - condensation forms, moisture settles on the ceiling, walls and shelves in the cellar.

The consequences of dampness are quite sad - it is rotting, and the formation of mold, and the appearance of rust, as well as damage to products that were left in the cellar for storage.

If the cause is groundwater, the solution to the problem will be a waterproofing device, there is no other way to deal with it. First, it is necessary to equip the floor waterproofing, which can be done in several ways. It is permissible to use fine crushed stone, which is then covered with several layers of bitumen, on the heated layer of which a waterproofing material (for example, roofing material) is laid. A concrete layer is organized on top (it is better to mix concrete with expanded clay).

It is possible to build a clay castle by laying and ramming a fat layer of clay. Dry sand is poured on top and everything is poured with concrete or cement.

Both options involve raising the floor level. In cases where the basement is already with low ceilings, this option is undesirable. That is why it is possible to deepen the floor to the resulting height of the waterproofing layer.

In addition to waterproofing, the method of erecting additional walls in the cellar is used. On the outside, a brick wall must be covered with a layer of waterproofing, although it is permissible to smear the wall with a layer of bitumen (the layer must be thick) or laying sheets of roofing material. The wall is laid using the edge method. This method will undoubtedly reduce the usable space inside the basement, but it is a good way to get rid of damp walls. Therefore, you have to sacrifice something, choosing between space or dampness.

Very often, dampness appears due to poor ventilation, when it is small, or just clogged. A solution with exhaust vents with fans will work. Thus, air exchange can be increased, and humid air will not be retained in the room.