If you’ve read up on the common basement and crawlspace problems we have recently covered, you already know that a wet basement is an unhealthy hazard to your home comfort.
Here is how Evergreen Home Performance approaches fixing issues with moisture, and how you will benefit from a dry basement in your southern or midcoast Maine home.
Assessing Drainage and Moisture Infiltration
The first step towards stopping moisture from damaging your indoor air quality, your well-being, and even the structure of your home, is figuring out where it is coming from. Common causes for moisture issues in the basement can be:
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Lack of a home drainage solution
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Plumbing issues
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Basement wall cracks
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Poor ventilation
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Infiltration of outdoor humidity through air holes and gaps
If you experience occasional flooding in your basement during a heavy rain, or have standing water in your basement almost any time of year, you may need a sump pump installed to remove the “bulk water” from your basement. After the bulk water into your home is controlled, then the more hidden sources of moisture infiltration can be addressed.
Insulate and Air Seal
Once we have located the source(s) of moisture using a few diagnostic tools and our extensive experience fixing Maine basements, we can move forward with stopping it and keeping your basement dry. For nearly every kind of basement, we install a tough polyethylene vapor barrier to stop the leakage.
Then, we can choose from a number of basement insulation materials like Thermax rigid foam or expanding spray foam, each with its own benefits and preferred uses. For homeowners seeking to create a finished space in their basement, we can frame out walls to densely pack with cellulose insulation, leaving the walls ready for drywall or paneling.
The Benefits of a Dry Basement
The goal of our basement encapsulation process is to stabilize the temperature and humidity levels in your crawlspace or basement. But if you don’t spend much time down there, how can this affect the rest of your home?
Due to a principle called the “stack effect”, the air in your basement is often pulled up into your living space. The warmer air inside your home will most often escape from air holes and poorly insulated areas, like the attic or the top of your home. When your indoor air escapes, the air in the area underneath your feet is ready and waiting to take its place. So, if you have a humid and musty basement, you’re likely going to have a humid and musty rest of your home!
With a fully encapsulated basement or crawl space, you can expect:
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Increased stability of indoor temperatures
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Less indoor humidity
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Reduced risk of mold growth
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A more comfortable home
Evergreen Your Home Today
Not only is all of this basement talk good for your overall comfort, but it can also reduce the amount of energy you need to use in order to keep your home comfortable. The less energy your home requires, the smaller your carbon footprint, which is great for the environment and the state of Maine! Whether you’ve just moved to the area or you are a Mainer of many years, Evergreen Home Performance is ready to help you with your next home improvement project.
