Many people are adding usable living space to their residence by redoing their basements. This adds a lot of extra living space that previously was likely used for storing excess junk or providing a home for our washers and dryers. Many times when people decide to use the basement for more living quarters, they will begin the renovation job by hiring additional help. This can surely be an undertaking that is huge, but an even bigger job is if there might be serious issues to deal with like water condensation that has to be fixed.
If you have ever dealt with a basement with condensation problems, you may not have actually seen the moistness on the cinder block or cemented walls, but could tell by the stuffy damp smell that they can have also. If you have decided to remodel your basement and you have moist walls down there, you must fix this hazard before you do anything. Even though you may not have a desire to remodel your basement, you will want to repair the condensation problem anyway because of the gradual water damage it can do wood and other things near it.
To check your basement walls for condensation take a large section of plastic wrap, perhaps around a foot in length, and tape it to the basement wall securely. Let it alone for several days and then check if there is water on the inside or outside of the plastic. If there is moisture on the inside then the moisture may be stemming from an issue somewhere in the basement, but if it is on the outside, then it is a condensation problem.
If it is a leak causing wet walls, they can probably be easily resolved. To resolve condensation, you have to find the problem. It could be a clothes dryer that is not vented to the outside adequately, from hot water vapors from a shower or tub because there is no ventilation, from cooking moisture upstairs, from dew outside, or from faulty basement pipes. Any one of these problems may be remedied and have to be prior to putting up sheet rocked walls in a basement.
Putting in exhaust fans in your basement can help get rid of moisture that builds up, especially if it coming from a shower, tub, or cooking vapors. Rotating air using a fan might help a little. Insulating duct work, water pipes and walls may help get rid of the moisture too. Water will not accumulate on these surfaces if you do not permit the cold air to get to these areas.
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