Dampness in a basement is an unpleasant phenomenon. What to do if it appears? Before you start dealing with the problem, you need to find out the reason for the appearance of moisture in the house. Understanding the reason will help you choose effective methods and for a long time, or maybe forever, get rid of such a nuisance as wet surfaces in the room.

Why dampness is dangerous

Why is it necessary to remove excess moisture from the premises? The appearance of moisture in the basement can lead to unpleasant phenomena, which are difficult to get rid of.... Condensation on surfaces has the following consequences:

• the appearance of mold and mildew;
• violation of the temperature and humidity conditions of the premises;
• violation of the operating conditions of building structures, which leads to destruction in the foundation and other load-bearing elements;
• the appearance in the premises of various microorganisms that are dangerous to humans and lead to serious diseases;
• wetting of walls and ceilings, violation of the decoration of the premises.

Causes of the problem

Basement grows moldy as a result of dampness

There are several reasons why condensation can occur on the ceiling, floor and walls of the basement:

1. Violations of ventilation in the basement. This can be caused by errors during the design or construction phase. Sometimes it happens that the ventilation ducts provided for by the norms are cut by incorrectly laid floor slabs or clogged with construction waste. The lack of normal ventilation leads to the fact that during cold weather, condensation forms in the basement, which is warm compared to the outside air, and windows sweat.
2. Change in the level of groundwater. This problem is especially relevant in the spring, when the snow begins to actively melt, and the soil is oversaturated with moisture. The issue must be taken into account at the design stage and provide for a drainage system and reliable waterproofing of the basement. The rise in water in the ground leads to the fact that puddles appear on the floor. Their depth depends on the extent of the problem.
3. Why does this phenomenon occur? The answer to the question will be - a violation of the technology for the construction of the foundation. If during construction attention is not paid to the vertical waterproofing of the basement walls, then during operation, droplets of moisture will appear on them from the inside.

Diagram of the wrong organization of ventilation

Groundwater in the basement - the cause of dampness in the basement

Capillary penetration of moisture from the ground - the cause of dampness in the basement

All these reasons why dampness appears in the basement are associated with neglect of technology at the stage of building construction.

Ways to fight

To understand what to do with dampness, it is necessary to correctly determine the reason why surfaces are getting wet. Further actions aimed at getting rid of excess moisture depend on its source. The cause can be determined by the location of the moisture.

• if droplets form on the ceiling and walls, the reason is insufficient ventilation;
• the formation of liquid droplets only on the walls - the absence of vertical waterproofing of the basement walls;
• in the presence of puddles on the floor, the reason is flooding by groundwater.

Further steps are taken depending on the source of the problem.

Insufficient ventilation

If condensation has formed due to insufficient air exchange in the room, it can be removed by organizing additional ventilation. The same situation is relevant for the occurrence of dampness in the attic. This room also heats up, but at the same time it is in direct contact with the external environment.

The scheme of natural ventilation of the cellar

The contact of warm air with cold surfaces is the main and only reason why condensation forms. With sufficient air exchange in the basement or in the attic of the house, the air heated from the interior is cooled. No condensation will form.

Ventilation in the basement of a private house or in the attic can be done in two ways:

• natural;
• forced.

Natural includes air vents and ventilation ducts. According to the norms, the total area of ​​the air must be at least one four hundredth of the area of ​​the room. Compulsory implies the use of special equipment, the installation of which will require serious financial costs. The method is relevant only for large rooms.

To remove condensation on the ceiling and walls in the basement or attic, the following measures must be taken:

The scheme of forced ventilation in the cellar

1. Thermal insulation of engineering networks... In the basement there are water and sewer pipes, the temperature of the liquid in which is higher than in the room. This leads to the fact that condensation falls on their surface. To get rid of heat losses, it is necessary to make reliable heat-insulating protection of pipes that sweat precisely because of heat leaks into a cold space. Thermal insulation measures can be performed using special materials. Manufacturers of mineral wool, foam and extruded polystyrene foam produce special products that are convenient to put on pipes. Effective materials allow you to remove heat leaks and get rid of the reason why pipes sweat.
2. To eliminate dampness in the attic or in the basement of the house and the appearance of moisture droplets on the ceiling or walls, ventilation ducts or pipes are installed. After the completion of the construction of the house, it is not possible to place ventilation ducts in the walls, so they are attached to vertical structures. To get rid of dampness on the ceiling and other surfaces, the room provides for two pipes - supply and exhaust. They must be done in different corners of the room, placing them at different heights from the floor.

After the reason why condensation appears in the attic or in the basement has been eliminated, the room is dehumidified.

Insufficient waterproofing

If the walls of the basement of the house (without a ceiling) sweat, the reason is capillary moisture. You can get rid of it in one of the following ways:

1. Wrapping waterproofing materials. Presented on the construction market mainly by roofing material, linokrom and waterproofing. They are made on the basis of a canvas impregnated with bitumen. The gluing process is a rather laborious undertaking. It is better to entrust such work to professionals.
2. You can protect the walls of the basement of the house from moisture using bitumen mastic. In addition to it, polymer compounds and synthetic resins are used. The advantage of the method is the ability to do the work with your own hands. Minus - insufficient degree of protection. Usually used in conjunction with pasting materials.
3. Penetrating compounds... To get rid of capillary moisture, you can use compounds that penetrate the concrete and increase its moisture resistance. The action is achieved by narrowing the pores in the structure. This method can be called highly effective, since not only the room is protected, but also part of the supporting structure. The composition is able to penetrate a great thickness and prevent water damage to the foundation for many years.
4. Screens... This method is suitable when there is a large head of groundwater. Clay castle, geotextile or bentonite become screens.

Basement waterproofing scheme with roofing material

Basement waterproofing scheme

Basement waterproofing with penetrating compounds

Basement waterproofing using a clay castle

Work with any material is performed in the following sequence:

• removal of decoration from the walls, their cleaning;
• antiseptic surface treatment;
• primer;
• waterproofing walls and floors;
• finishing;
• installation of a blind area around the perimeter of the building, if it is missing or damaged.
• drainage of basement space.

Rise of the groundwater level

Wet walls due to the high water level in the soil is the most serious problem in the home. If the condensate does not require external measures, then in this case it is necessary to dig out the foundations. It is recommended to make waterproofing in the following order:

• digging out the foundation;
• drainage device along the perimeter of the building;
• reinforcement of the foundation if necessary;
• performing external waterproofing (the same materials are used as in the previous case);
• execution of internal waterproofing;
• backfilling;
• installation of a blind area around the perimeter of the building;
• dehumidification of the room.

Diagram of the structure of the basement waterproofing structure with a high head of the groundwater level

The method will require impressive financial and labor costs, but will protect the foundations and basement from groundwater. The material is selected depending on the water pressure. Several methods can be used together, for example, penetrating compositions together with glued waterproofing.