Dry out Basement Gym Flooring with a Dehumidifier - Reader situation / Question

Every spring and summer it feels like similar questions come into the site. One of the more common ones is about how to dry out a basement after flooding. This particular reader asked a more specific question about the gym flooring he/she had in their basement. They asked if a dehumidifier is the right way to dry out a wet basement gym floor:
The answer is: Partly.

As I've mentioned before in several posts, one being this year after the massive floods in Rhode Island during March 2010, a dehumidifier can easily deal with moisture in the air, but it's not very good at dealing with puddles.
Should I use AC or Heat to dry up a wet basement?
If you're basement has truly flooded and have had it pumped out then you're working with a good starting point. Many professional flood cleaning companies use high powered submersible pumps in addition too large fans, dehumidifiers, and the heat from your furnace. That's right, adding heat from a furnace can help to break up the puddled moisture by helping it to warm up and evaporate into the air - the dehumidifier can easily handle the humidity and moisture.

This can go for the gym flooring. Hopefully you have a tile system (these are the easiest and most cost effective way of doing it.) and can take it apart. I know, no one wants too, but when there's moisture trapped under the tiles, or between the seems it's easier to dry everything if it's all taken up. Looking for Basement Flooring?

I'd recommend stacking them with cloth or washcloths in between to draw out any moisture. These stacks should be put in your furnace room, or close too it. Turn on the furnace and the dehumidifier and let the room heat up. Eventually the moisture will come out on it's own. This will also be helpful as you tackle the rest of the area that might still be wet.

If you have a question about your basement that you'd like to have answered, or have a situation you need help with, feel free to drop me a line, leave a comment, or visit the Pioneer Basement Help Forums to ask your question. If the question is good I'll share it here on my blog with the answer for my readers. Keep Dry!


Related Reading and Links
Read about the Top 6 Basement Mistakes that contractors and homeowners make. See what other readers have asked in Safe'n'Dry Basement Blog's Reader Questions Section
Ask Pioneer Basement a question Directly on Pioneer Basement's Help Forums!
Basement Waterproofing - So you never have to deal with it again!

Discolored Basement floors & walls - should I be worried? - Reader Question.

Basement walls have been constructed many different ways in the 1900s. Most of the homes we live in have been built to standards created in the 1970s based on the last energy crisis. However older homes have foundations that were created using techniques that predate American History.

With so many different types of basements, wall coverings, and materials used, discoloration could happen for multiple reasons.

The most common foundations that are seen today are: Crawl Spaces (brick, block or poured concrete), Full head height basements (stone, brick, block, or poured concrete).


What having a discolored basement wall could mean:
As I mentioned discolored walls can mean quite a few things. Depending on the history of the house, these stains could be insoluble materials like oil, paint, ink, or anything else that can be washed out of a porous service. The more common cause for discoloration of a floor or a wall is water or fire damage.

Water damage leaves residues behind like efflorescence that is much like a fine powder. Efflorescence is simply the left over minerals from water that has evaporated from the service. Brick or stone foundations that have had plaster laid over it to produce a smooth finish to the wall could also soak up the water, mold, rot and flake off. During this process the plaster will change color. Browns, yellows, oranges and greens are typical to see on a plaster that is coming in contact with water.

Same basic rules apply to the floor.

If you think you have water or fire damage in your home or basement, have your home inspected by a professional to see if there are any possible damage issues that need to be corrected. If your foundation is in fact leaking, or allowing water into your basement, consider correcting any foundation issues that need repair and hiring a basement waterproofing contractor to fully protect the basement from future floods.

Related Reading and Links
Read about the Top 6 Basement Mistakes that contractors and homeowners make. See what other readers have asked in Safe'n'Dry Basement Blog's Reader Questions Section
Ask Jacob A question Directly on Pioneer Basement's Help Forums!
Image thanks to http://www.ehow.com

Is it bad for your health to have standing water in the basement? - Reader Question

The longer water sits in the basement or crawl space, the more time it has to contribute to the conditions of the home.

Water that sits in an area like the basement, doesn't move, doesn't filter, and is allowed to do so, can breed problems.

Water normally carries bacteria and other microscopic organisms with it. Standing water allows these bacteria to multiply in your home. As water evaporates these bacteria can become air born which will effect your air quality. Standing water also directly effects the amount of moisture in a basement or crawl space which will, again, effect your indoor air quality.

A basement that has an increased level of moisture has an increased chance of harboring mold colonies. Mold requires cool, damp and dark conditions to thrive in addition to a food source. A food source for mold is anything that can be organically decomposed or digested by the mold (wood, cardboard, paper, clothing, pictures, wood stairs, etc.)

Dealing with water quickly is the key to success:
As I mentioned, the longer the water stays untouched in the basement, the more of a chance it will effect, and the longer it will have the ability to effect the indoor air quality of the basement and the home.

Moping up, dry "vac-ing", and drying out the area will help you gain back control of the usable space. Run a dehumidifier and turn the heat on to warm up the basement - this will help the water to be moved off of the floor or the basement.


Don't let the water sit
Move the water, clean it up
Dry out the space - dehumidifier, heat and fans.

The longer the water sits the longer it has to cause problems in the basement - especially in a finished basement.

If your basement or crawl space has even a brief history of this occurring, seriously consider having a GrateDrain system installed in the trouble spots to help keep this from happening again.


Related Reading and Links
Read about the Top 6 Basement Mistakes that contractors and homeowners make. See what other readers have asked in Safe'n'Dry Basement Blog's Reader Questions Section
Ask Jacob A question Directly on Pioneer Basement's Help Forums!

Will a sump pump alone solve a wet basement? - Reader Question

This is a common misconception that many homeowners, and even many plumbers and contractors have. A sump pump, by itself, will not completely solve a wet or flooding basement problem.

Sump pumps have limited reach. If the volume of water coming in is higher than the volume the pump can remove from under the home, the pump will run, but leaks and seepage can still happen. This typically seen as seepage in an opposite corner to where the pump is actually installed.

For solving a wet basement, a sump will be needed, however it will need to have it's reach extended by some basic drainage like the GrateDrain in order to be truly effective. 

Sump pumps have limited reach by themselves

As sump pumps remove water from underneath the basement floor, water at higher levels further away fills the void (seeks it's own level) and travels to the low point created by where the pump removes the water. Water further away from the pump could actually be coming into contact with the footing and basement floor, and if the pump can't move the water fast enough, the water touching the floor of the basement could cause seepage or flooding.


Remember water can come in via 3 distinct roots
-the foundation wall (cracks, leaks, and pin holes)
-between the wall and the footing (there's a cold joint where water can sneak through)
-beneath the floor (natural water pooling, water table, springs, saturation, etc)

Sump pumps can most directly deal with the water coming up from the basement floor, but if the cause of water in the basement is from a foundation leak, or water seeping through the cold joint, the sump pump can't isolate and remove it.

This is why sump pumps, alone, can't solve every possible water problem in a basement. Drainage and a possible wall vapor barrier might be needed to solve the issue that you're currently having. Free inspections and estimates are given my most basement waterproofing companies.

Related Reading and Links
Read about the Top 6 Basement Mistakes that contractors and homeowners make. See what other readers have asked in Safe'n'Dry Basement Blog's Reader Questions Section
Ask Jacob A question Directly on Pioneer Basement's Help Forums!

Still getting Water in the Basement - Reader Experience - Plus 3 things you can do.

"It's been weeks since the first storm, and we keep getting water in out basement. It now seems that every rain more comes in, is this normal?"

Disappointingly yes, it is very normal / common for a basement, once it's seen a flood, to experience trickles if not continuous water through the same trouble areas when it rains.

In the situation of the North East, many homeowners are seeing water in their basements and then seeing it again with the next storm. Having an area like the North East and North West where it's damp, moist and rains throughout the year, it's regular thing to have.

Why is this?

Once water finds a way through it means that the openings and separations are large enough for water to come through. Add high volume, heavy saturation in the soil to capillary action, the water can actually attract or pull water behind it into the basement. Pressure behind the water in the basement pushes more water in the fill the void as the water in your basement is cleaned, pumped, or vacuumed out. It's very un-nerving to see and more unsettling to continue to deal with.

Were is this kind of thing "normal"?

Well it can happen to any basement anywhere, but it's most common in valleys. Houses that are situated at the base of a hill which gets run off from the houses above it in elevation. Other homes pump out water, rain comes down, roof run off; all of it collects and runs down the hill. It increases the saturation level as it flows down and if the house is located in just the right area at the bottom, entire sections could be in fact trying to fend off the whole neighborhood's water run off.

How can you fix it?

A house in a situation like this will need an interior drain system. Even if the house had an exterior system it's better to be protected for the long term. Exterior systems don't normally pump or remove water from them - they even sometimes just let the water run through the pipe but don't direct it anywhere - these types of designs can be dangerous.

Give yourself a fighting chance

1.) Make sure all your gutters are flowing, there's no gaps, and that are all being led away from the foundation

2.) Make sure your roof is draining properly. A few shingles out of place can dump more water in 1 section of your home then it can handle.

3.) Install an interior waterproofing system - this will stop any leaks or seepage and give it a place to go - this is the most important step.

If the problem is already happening it's hard to change small things to stop it. However making sure that your home isn't contributing the water is 1 less thing that can cause a problem.

Looking for...
Basement waterproofing in MA?
Basement Waterproofing Contractor in New Hampshire?
Wet Basement Repair in Maryland?

Related Reading and Links
Read about the Top 6 Basement Mistakes that contractors and homeowners make. See what other readers have asked in Safe'n'Dry Basement Blog's Reader Questions Section
Ask Jacob A question Directly on Pioneer Basement's Help Forums!

What materials are safe for basement finishing? - Reader Question

The safest materials for finishing a basement are also the best. I've written other posts on this subject and I will elaborate a bit on why my choices of inorganic materials are best.

Traditional materials - Dry Wall, Wood Studs, Drywall ceiling, paper-backed fiberglass insulation

Traditional materials aren't designed for the basement's moist environment. Moisture added to any of these materials, or parts of them, could result in mold issues. Mold issues can lead to health issues and could force you demolish everything you just installed.

Okay, so where do I start when finishing my basement?
Think "moisture" and "mold" proof materials. Plastics, metals, insulation without paper backing - there are solutions out there. Even some Traditional building materials have been reinvented to work in a basement finishing project. Moisture/Mold resistant "dry-wall" - almost every large manufacture has a type that they sell.

Metal studs - for those who are use to using wood to stud out a wall, they take a little getting use to. The MAJOR difference is that these will never rot, cause mold, or will need replacing.

Insulation installed without paper takes away the food source for the mold. The only problem with traditional fiberglass is that it's suseptible to absorbing the moisture in the air, and will be ruined if it comes into contact with larger sources of water.

Floor Solutions -
Flooring is tricky. Normally it comes into direct contact with the basement floor which can be a moisture issue in the future. Make sure to install a plastic or inorganic subfloor first - then a finished style of flooring can be lay on top of it; protecting your carpet or laminate flooring from moisture damage.

First step
Waterproof the basement

Second Step
Plan out the floor plan of the space

Third Step
Purchase moisture and mold resistant materials for the basement.

Every basement has the potential for moisture problems, leaks, and flooding - waterproofing the basement before finishing will help to protect the finished area you put in the now empty area of your basement. Protecting for the future is a good thing to do. It may be dry or have never seen water, but it can and eventually will.

Image from http://www.homebasementfinishing.com

Related Reading and Links
Read about the Top 6 Basement Mistakes that contractors and homeowners make.
See what other readers have asked in Safe'n'Dry Basement Blog's Reader Questions Section
Ask Jacob A question Directly on Pioneer Basement's Help Forums!

How can I cover up water damage for a Home Inspection - Reader Question.

I was actually quite shocked that someone asked me this directly.
My major suggestion: Do the right thing, and don't cover it up.

Water damage can be caused by a number of things in the basement - flooding, pipe bursts, wall leaks, floor leaks, a tub overflowing on the 1st or 2nd floor - so it's important to know how the damage occurred in the first place.

Knowing how the damage occurred will allow you, as the current homeowner, to be able to do 2 things:

1- Know what kind of disclosure you need to put in the open on your home if you're putting it on the market.

2- Know what type of repair is needed - depending on the damage, how it was caused, and how much water you were dealing with makes a difference - Plumbing issues need to be fixed by licensed plumbers, landscaping issues can be corrected, and a basement waterproofing system can be installed - but the key is to know what happened, from where, and what your options are.

Quick story:
Young couple buys a home and on the home inspection report there's no evidence of water damage or previous issues with flooding. A few weeks into ownership, they flooded.

Now the real thing that happened was that there was evidence of water damage on some of the finished areas of the basement, studs, dry wall, and even the foundation walls. Now the previous homeowners put a coat of paint on it, dark color, to cover it up - inspection went swimmingly and house is now passed over to this new homeowner.

So now the new homeowners are trying to sue the previous owners for knowing about the issues and passing known issues onto them.

So - you don't want to be the new couple and you also don't want to be on the other end of a law suit.


Best way to do this is to be honest, repair the cause of the damage, repair the damage and be upfront with a.) what happened and b.) what you did to fix and repair it all.

Related Reading and Links
Read about the Top 6 Basement Mistakes that contractors and homeowners make. See what other readers have asked in Safe'n'Dry Basement Blog's Reader Questions Section
Ask Jacob A question Directly on Pioneer Basement's Help Forums!

Is it safe to leave the home with water in the basement? - Reader Question.

This question can be a tricky one for many homeowners. When is it alright to leave a home if/when I'm in the process of flooding or leaking? The goals are to stay safe and get the water out of the home.

Small leaks and seepage can be controlled, and shouldn't necessarily control your routine. Towels, sand bags and wet vacuums can all help keep these under control. Submersible pumps (sometimes called Floor Suckers) can also help to keep this in check.

If the water is coming in from multiple areas, too quickly for you to handle, then leaving the home probably isn't a good idea.

Floods consisting of feet of water in the basement can in fact happen over night. Letting your home sit with this much water can be dangerous for your first floor and for your electrical wires running through your home.

The question's answer boils down to loss. Will your stuff be ruined? By my leaving am I putting my home in danger?

If you're planning on going on vacation and don't have any moisture/water/flooding protection in the house, sadly to say leaving while your basement is flooding might be a bad move. In order for any emergency service companies to come and help, you have to be home.

Puddles and small leaks are another matter.

Flooding is a natural thing that happens in many parts of the world, but if it's happening to your basement often (so much so that you have to even think about leaving the house with water in the basement) then it might be time to have a full waterproofing system installed. You don't have to choose between your life and bailing out your basement.

Some basic guidelines:
*Few inches or less in the basement = generally safe to step out of the home

*anything more than that - especially a few feet = generally not safe to leave.

Safety issues:
*Water could be high enough to short out electrical box
*Water could turn off heat and hot water in the home
*Water + Electricity = Death = Make the safe call and call a professional to come and help.
*Long periods of water in contact with dry wall, insulation or wood can cause rot and mold - this is a huge issue for people with respiratory illnesses or complications.


Related Reading and Links
Read about the Top 6 Basement Mistakes that contractors and homeowners make. See what other readers have asked in Safe'n'Dry Basement Blog's Reader Questions Section
Ask Jacob A question Directly on Pioneer Basement's Help Forums!
Image copyright www.heimer.com

Should I use Heat or AC to dry up a wet basement? - Reader Question

After flooding your primary goal is to get the water out. Once the water is out, or is to a manageable "dry-vac" level is the point where fans, dehumidifiers and heat will help.

Using your AC to dry the home is not going to work nearly as well as turning your furnace on and increasing the temperature of the basement and running a dehumidifier. Read more in a previous post about Indoor Air Quality Affected by the Basement

ACs have to work harder to take in air, heat it to remove the moisture, then force cool the air to push it into the home. Cold air isn't nearly as effective in forcing air movement in a basement as warm air is.

Best plan: Use warm air to force circulation and decrease the amount that the dehumidifiers have to work (it's easier for them to remove moisture from warm air than cool air). The heat will help the wet areas dry quicker by evaporating the water trapped in the surface which will again, make your dehumidifier more effective.

Fan + Dehumidifier + Warmer Temperatures = Win

Related Reading and Links

Safe'n'Dry Basement Blog: Indoor Air Quality Affected by the basement.
Read about the Top 6 Basement Mistakes that contractors and homeowners make.

Image copyright: Independent Ireland (Independent.IE)

Ask Jacob A question Directly on Pioneer Basement's Help Forums!

How much water should be in my sump? - Reader Question

Answer - whatever the height of the water under your home should be the level that you see in your sump.

This is typically a question that many homeowners have if they have an open sump pump pit location somewhere in their basement. Looking into the sump basin you can see water sitting in the sump. There are, however, a few things that will effect what you see in the sump location.

Things that effect what you see:
1.) The sump has openings to allow water into it besides pipes dumping into the location. - If the sump has openings and is allowing the water underneath the home to have access to the sump then you will be seeing the actual level of water under your home. If there are no holes or entry points then the water you see could be what is left over after the pump switch turns off.

2.) weather conditions and soil saturation - You will see more water in a sump location typically while there is rain coming down and when the soil reaches it's max saturation point.

3.) the height of the sump pump relative to the floor - sump pumps that are deeper than 17 inches in the ground will see more water. If you have a deep sump location you will see more water because there's more water the further down in the earth you go.

If you're sump is working properly it will react with the rise in the level of water and remove it accordingly. If you're seeing long standing water it's possible that your sump location is too deep and needs to be updated.

Having a sump location in your home will allow water to collect. Don't be surprised when you see water, but do be cautious with how the water is being removed.


Related Reading and Links

Read about the Top 6 Basement Mistakes that contractors and homeowners make.

Need answers to your Basement Waterproofing Questions?
Read previous posts about Basement Waterproofing @ Safe'n'Dry Blog

Ask Jacob A question Directly on Pioneer Basement's Help Forums!

Image of Sump pump taken by Paul Thirst @ http://www.catskillhouse.us/blog/

Looking to answer your Questions about Basements and Basement Waterproofing

I periodically get emails, posts on the Pioneer Basement Forums, or comments here on the blog that I try to get to at length.

I wanted to give an opportunity to people who read to ask their own questions and get a solid response.


Feel free to submit your question via comment or email them directly to me. - I look forward to helping you out! 


Or read other Reader Questions that I've answered: Safe'n'Dry Basement Blog - reader questions

Related Reading and Links

Read about the Top 6 Basement Mistakes that contractors and homeowners make.

Ask Jacob A question Directly on Pioneer Basement's Help Forums!