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damp proofing & insulating basement

17 years ago

I live in a raised ranch with about 3.5 feet of basement below ground. The walls, for some reason, were never insulated and smell very musty. I was going to take down the paneling in this area and clean up the area (there was water in the past so I'll clean any mold/mildew I find) and use the foam panels to insulate the walls between the studs. I was wondering if I should damp proof the cement? There is damproofing on the outside but it looks weak (the house was built in 1969). Is it recommended to dampproof the interior walls (maybe with Thomsons waterproofer) before I insulate? Any advice would be helpful.

Greg

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Comments (5)

mike24
17 years ago
Im no expert, but have done some research on a product called radonseal. I am in the first stages of finishing my basement and will be using this product. RadonSeal Penetrating Concrete Sealer. It penetrates deep inside concrete (up to 4'), chemically reacts with lime and alkalis, expands into even microscopic pores and hardens. It seals concrete internally against water, water vapor, and even radon gas, combining concrete waterproofing, damp-proofing, concrete preservation, and radon mitigation in one product. Hope this link is useful.

Here is a link that might be useful: radonseal
nevea2be
17 years ago
It seals up to 4 inches not 4 feet. I think I would like to see some reviews and to know how safe a product it is before applying it to a finished basement. Seems like an interesting product though.
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Get a dehu going there immediately. Run it all the time you are there on the weekend. Empty it just before you leave so it runs (and shuts it self off when reservoir is full) after you leave. As for opening the cellar door, if you do that you will see an immediate rise in condensation when the warm moist outdoor air hits the stone walls of the basement. I might do that while I was away from the house buying a dehu, today since you may have such an accumulation of moisture there by now and could lose some in the ensuing air exchange. Obviously, you don't run the dehu with the door open. And the cellar door should be closed at night when dew falls (which would add humidity to the basement). Plus animals may come if it's open at night. One of the problems is that you can't run a dehu (unless you get a complicated, somewhat pricey model that pumps the condensate upstairs to a drain) when you are not there to dump the reservoir a couple of times per day. Do you have a local contact or watchman that could do that for you over the next few weeks? I would hold off on removing the insulation until after you've had a chance to dry out the area. It may not need to be replaced. Don't pull up the plastic on the floor. It's there to impede rising moisture vapor fom the soil ( ayear-round as opposed to seasonal problem). There are better solutions, but it will be fine, for now. You can buy dehus at any big box hardware home center. Get one with the biggest reservoir, for your convenience. You may be able to rig up some Rube Goldberg arrangement to deal with the condensate when you are not there, but a simple portable model will work immediately and you'll be surprised at how much effect they have in first day. They are not cheap to run, however, so expect your power bill to rise. Be comforted by this fact: the problem is at its worst right now; even if you did nothing it will seem better in a few months because of the changing seasons. Unfortunately it won't go away, just temporaily abate. So get that dehu and get it cranking - that will start the process of reversing what's going on so you can accurately assess what needs to be done in the long term. Oh, and congratulations on buying an old cottage. It sounds intriguing. L
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homebound
17 years ago
I'd take down the paneling, let it all air out, and check for any cracks, etc.

Also look for all sources of moisture, and there can be many:

You might have:
* moist "interior" air that condensed behind the paneling on on cold winter walls.
* bad grade/drainage outside
* clogged gutters that cause water to get behind your wall/ sheathing etc. and find it's way to the basement
* cracks in the foundation
etc, etc.

Check all these and more.

My prep for finishing our basement (which is about to go into high gear) has included crack repair, regrading, sealing some gaps around the main entrance above, installing a drip edge under the gutters, and adding another downspout for the less-than-occasional torrential rains.

I'll be putting solid extruded foam insulation onto the walls next, and then frame it out in front of that.
fnmroberts
17 years ago
I am not knowledgeable about damp proofing, however when our home was new there was a musty aroma the first summer. I cut a cold air return into the furnace ducting and the problem was immediately corrected. If you have forced air heat/air conditioning you may want to do the same after removing any impregnated old paneling, etc.
duracoat
14 years ago
Duracoat offers a complete repair and decorative exterior coating system which gives a life long protective surface, thereby weatherproofing the structure of your home. The exterior coating system will completely reface your home's exterior walls regardless of surface condition allowing your house to breathe, so no more worries about damp walls, peeling paint, mould or bleaching. You will never need to paint again with Duracoat Systems UK Ltd.

Here is a link that might be useful: Damp Proofing

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