You may have heard in the past that you shouldn’t let moisture linger in your basement (perhaps you even heard it from us, a year ago…). But what is it that can cause moisture to infiltrate and collect in that space under your Maine home, and most importantly how can you prevent it from happening in the first place?
Whole Home Moisture Issues
It would be easy to assume that if you have moisture in the basement, the basement is also the only place where the issue stems from. However, there are areas all over the home that can contribute to the moisture and humidity that make their way down to the basement.
Air Leaks
The easiest way for moisture to infiltrate the basement is through the visible and invisible holes, cracks, and gaps in the construction of your home. These leaks are common in the attic and basement, as well as around improperly installed windows and doors and even right through concrete foundations!
Insulation (or Lack Thereof)
It surprises many homeowners to learn that insulation plays an important role in the overall moisture control in a basement or crawlspace. Insulation prevents the transfer of heat between your living space, the outdoors and / or basement and attic, meaning a home that is properly insulated will have more stable temperatures all year round. As these temperatures are stabilized, there will be fewer indoor drafts, and the moisture in the air will be less likely to settle out (condense) on the surfaces in the basement.
Whole Home Moisture Solutions
Gaining total control over the moisture in your home isn’t usually a quick fix. Even if you have removed the current moisture or resulting mold from your basement, it is vital to the long-term health of you and your home to make sure the underlying causes of the moisture have been remedied from top to bottom. Here at Evergreen, we do this through a number of home improvement upgrades — and we determine which upgrades each home will need with a home energy audit.
The Evergreen energy audit utilizes an infrared camera inspection to locate weak or missing insulation, a blower door test to determine exactly how much and locate where leakage is present in the home, health and safety inspections to ensure your equipment is operating properly, a look at your historical energy usage, and an overview of the design of your home to locate any structural factors. Once your energy audit is complete, we will develop a customized plan to tackle your wet basement issues, which can include the following home improvements:
- Air sealing
- Insulation upgrades in the attic and basement
- Basement encapsulation
- French drains and interior drainage systems
A Drier Basement Means a Healthier Home!
Mainers know the problems that come with moisture in a home. Mold, water damage, and musty odors aren’t something any homeowner wants to deal with once, not to mention over and over again. If you are ready to take control of your wet basement and rid your home of moisture issues once and for all, schedule an energy audit with the home performance professionals that homeowners throughout Southern Maine trust, Evergreen Home Performance.
You can even take a look at what it took to relieve this 1930s bungalow home of almost half of its total air leakage, cold morning floors, and headaches that came with moisture issues in the basement. From your first consultation to the final day of work, Evergreen Home Performance is here to help you feel more comfortable and spend less on your energy bills!
