Are you
looking for a way to reduce the humidity levels inside of your home? If so, one
way to do that while decreasing your chances for developing mold and mildew and
also paying less when it comes to your energy bills is to control the amount of
moisture that you have in your basement and crawl space.
Although
there are professionals who can do this job for you, if you're willing to take
out a couple of days and follow these instructions, you can keep a few dollars
in your pocket by doing it yourself.
So, if
you're ready to get started on eliminating the moisture in your basement and crawl space, please read on:
Slope the
earth from the house. If the
ground around your house naturally slopes towards it, this means that rainwater
will easily collect close to the foundation of your home. This can definitely
result in significant moisture issues. One thing that you can do to remedy this
problem is to slope the earth five feet away from your home at a five percent
grade. For specific instructions on how to slope your ground, visit
Landscaping.About and put "how much slope you need near your house"
or Yard Care and put "fix grade problems" into the search field.
Check your
gutters. The reason
why gutters are so essential to any home is that they help to catch a lot of
water and debris. But when gutters are not cleaned out regularly or they are
broken and don't get repaired, they can also lead to moisture and even
foundation problems. As far as the best time to clean your gutters, you should
do it once in the spring and once in the fall. For tips on how to clean them,
visit Planit DIY and put "how to clean gutters" in the search field.
For tips on how to repair one of your gutters, visit This Old House and put
"repair damaged gutters" in the search field.
Add a
foundation drainage system. Something
else that can greatly benefit your basement and crawl space is to add a
foundation drainage system at the bottom of the footing of your home; that way
water can easily drain out of that space. Once you're done installing the
system, you should also perforate a four-inch drain pipe with some gravel and
then cover it with filter fabric. YouTube has videos that can walk you through
the insulation process. Go to the site and put "DIY foundation drainage
system" in the search field.
Seal your
cracks and holes. Someone
who works for a company like Stay Dry Basements of Ct would probably tell you that you
should also check for small holes and cracks in your basement. If you happen to
notice any, this is one of the main ways for outdoor moisture to seep into your
house. The best way to seal these open spaces is with a bit of caulking. You
can pick some up at your local home improvement store.
Invest in
a dehumidifier. One of the
best things that you can get for any room that has a humidity issue is a
dehumidifier. It's a very effective and affordable way to reduce moisture, especially
in places such as your basement. If you're wondering what the best dehumidifier
on the market is, you can read some pretty thorough reviews by going to
ConsumerReports.org and putting "dehumidifier reviews" in the search
field.
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