Humidity in the basement: causes, consequences and methods of elimination. A fungus or mold in the cellar, similar to cotton wool: how to get rid of it forever and clean the room What material to close the damp soil in the basement

With the arrival of the cold season, homeowners with basements are faced with such a serious problem as the formation of dampness in them. The appearance of condensate on the ceiling and walls is a signal that urgent action needs to be taken. This phenomenon can destroy things, food supplies, lead to the growth of moldy fungus, and become the culprit in the destruction of the entire structure of the building.

Causes of dampness

The trend towards accelerated construction has led to the fact that it is carried out in violation of time-tested technologies, on projects drawn up contrary to all existing norms. As a result, after a certain interval following the delivery of the object, moisture appears in the basement. Its effect on materials reduces their strength, shortens their service life, and forces them to spend additional funds on restoration work.

There can be several reasons for dampness in the cellar. In some cases, the source of moisture is clearly visible, and it is not difficult to remove it, in others, it is necessary to involve specialists with equipment to search for it.

The reasonsEffects
Lack of ventilationHumidity is the first sign of insufficient air mass flow during interior spaces. Its high content in the air leads to the formation of condensate. This happens if calculation errors were made and as a result there are not enough ventilation ducts or they are completely absent.

Ventilation shafts clogged construction waste, which is often observed due to improperly laid slabs.

High primer locationWith spring snowmelt and heavy heavy rains, the underground water level rises sharply. An improperly executed drainage system entails the accumulation of moisture near the walls and dampness in basements.

The presence of the first underground aquifer is a permanent phenomenon and plays a key role in laying the foundation. This factor must be taken into account, otherwise the threat of flooding will always exist.

Capillary formation of dampnessFoundation masonry made in violation technological processes, leads to the appearance of microcracks through which moisture will seep. It gradually erodes the base, leading to the growth of mold, which can subsequently cause partial damage and even collapse. This can be caused by the lack of waterproofing on the floor or its damage.
Incorrect or insufficient insulation of the foundationTemperature fluctuations, which are especially pronounced with the onset of cold weather, lead to the fact that the warm air inside the cellar, cooling sharply, causes condensation.
Incorrectly formed drainage systemThe runoff from the roof must be diverted from the private house to the drainage network. The lack of slopes on the roof, above the windows and porch, the blind area around the building, as well as gutters and pipes, becomes the culprit for the fact that water flows down next to the building, causing dampness in the basement.
Trees planted near the houseThe reason for the erosion of the walls is provoked by the growth of the root system of plants that are too close to the structure.

Having appeared in the basement, dampness will not disappear by itself. The walls will gradually accumulate moisture and collapse. A moldy fungus is formed on them, which harms not only the structure of the building, but also human health, the changes will also affect temperature regime.

The best ways to get rid

To find the source, carefully examine the cellar:

  • Moisture on the walls and ceiling indicates insufficient ventilation.
  • The appearance of puddles on the floor informs about the lack of drainage and elevated level ground water.
  • If the condensate appears only on the walls, then the foundation is poorly insulated.

If it was not possible to find out the reason, it is necessary to perform forced drying, using ventilation and special devices to maintain a certain temperature regime.

CondensationInstallation of ventilationIn opposite corners of the cellar different levels exhaust and supply pipes are built in. The first is under the ceiling, and the second is fixed almost at the floor - they both go outside. in the basement with large area in addition, a forced system is installed, with which you can adjust the set temperature and humidity.
Capillary penetration of moistureThe level does not exceed 10%Surfaces must be cleaned of mold, dried and treated with an antiseptic. From the inside of the basement, waterproof them and make the final finish.
Level from 30% and aboveIt is required to install a vertical waterproofing layer outside a private house with a mandatory blind area. Wall preparation with inside foundation with preliminary clearing of leaks, their sealing and priming and subsequent application of a moisture insulating composition.
Moisture penetration through the floorThe existing coating does not provide the proper level of tightnessflooring or concrete screed dismantled, waterproofing is carefully studied. Found gaps are closed, the room is dried. A layer of sand or expanded clay with a thickness of at least 5 cm is poured onto the resulting base, roofing material is placed and a new coating is being installed.
Increased humidity in the cellar due to the high occurrence of groundwaterRequires constant pumping of liquidIf it is impossible to remove dampness inside the basement, then you need to dig a pit into which it will be collected, and subsequently remove it with a pump. To do this, the floor is made with a slope in the direction of this design.
The building is old and there are cracks in the foundation.Building new wallsFoundation gaps are sealed with rags soaked in bituminous mastic, plastered and completely treated with a waterproofing compound. They build an additional wall inside the cellar, the thickness of which is ¼ brick.

The cause of increased humidity in the basement of a private house is plumbing and sewer communications. The temperature of their pipes is always much different from the temperature of the room, which causes the appearance of moisture and mold. In this case, thermal insulation is necessary.

Best working ways to deal with moisture and mold

There are a number of proven over the years folk methods, allowing to dry a damp basement during its seasonal flooding. They will not help to completely eliminate the problem, but in an emergency they are effective.

1. Calcium chloride has the ability to absorb moisture in in large numbers. Arranged cans with the substance will allow you to get rid of condensate. For an area of ​​8-9 m2, 1 kg is required.

2. Quicklime, poured on the floor, will not only absorb excess moisture and dry the basement, but at the same time disinfect the air and destroy mold. For a medium-sized room, you need 4-5 kg. This method requires caution, as the vapors of the substance are poisonous. After processing, you need to perform ventilation.

3. Dried, calcined clay, laid out in the corners, cooling down, will absorb dampness. If necessary, it can be removed and reused.

4. Eliminate mold on the walls and ceiling of the cellar by washing it off with boric or acetic acid. For this, 20 ml of the composition is diluted in 0.5 l of water. Applied with a brush. To obtain a greater effect, washing should be repeated twice with a frequency of 2-3 days. Wash the surface after the first time.

5. If the affected area is extensive, then it is appropriate to treat the basement with diesel fuel, and then whiten it.

Fighting mold takes a long time and can take several years. Therefore, one must think about how to remove dampness when laying the foundation of a building.

The importance of the cellar in the economy of each family is known to all. This is exactly the place where everything that is stored for the winter is stored - vegetables, various kinds conservation. High humidity is enemy No. 1, since vegetables in such conditions do not store well and do not last long. The temperature should be constant - from +2 to +4°C.

The location of the cellar can be different: in the house, in the yard, in the garage. Given the close level of groundwater, it is not possible to have a cellar dug in the usual way. In this case, bulk vegetable stores are made.

In any case, water should not have access to the cellar. It often happens that in the spring, the owners suffer from floods. Many have time to remove all the contents of the cellar before they appear.

Dampness occurs when groundwater rises too high. To prevent water from penetrating into the cellar itself, clay should be used to cover the foundation with a layer of 40 cm.

In the basement, the walls are additionally lined with bricks (a gap of up to 8 cm is desirable between the wall and the new masonry). At the very top, you need to leave a hole that will connect the air in the basement with the air in the gap. Then it will serve as an element of ventilation.

The floor also needs to be covered with clay. Then a wooden one is already placed on it. An air gap should remain under the floor, which will subsequently connect with the same gap that was made between the foundation wall and the new masonry.

All these layers must have access to the hood. The chimney must be closed for the summer. This method ensures complete drying of the cellar.

It happens that there is no water as such in the cellar, but there are droplets of it on the ceiling, and dampness is felt. This can only mean that the ventilation is not arranged correctly.

Cellar ventilation

If we talk about the cellar, which is not located in the house, but on the street, then a slightly different ventilation system is required here. In opposite corners of this room, two steel pipe. One to enter Fresh air, and the second is needed to extract the fumes.

The pipe, which will serve for the flow of air, should be installed closer to the floor in the cellar at a distance of 20-50 cm from it. On the street, it should peek out of the ground a little. In order to prevent insects and pests from entering the cellar, the pipe opening must be closed with a net.

The exhaust pipe should be installed under the ceiling at a distance of 20-50 cm from it. But above the ground, the pipe should rise an average of 1.5 m. If the cellar is in the garage, then it must be brought out half a meter above the surface. The chimney must be covered with an umbrella. It will protect against the ingress of precipitation into the cellar.

Install dampers on both pipes. In especially cold weather, they will need to be covered so that the cellar does not cool down so quickly. Moreover, the exhaust damper must be closed more tightly.

The street part of the pipe does not hurt to insulate. This will reduce the formation of frost and frost. But in severe frosts, it is still worth additionally covering vegetables.

The pipe may become clogged with frost, it must be completely cleaned of it. Condensation may accumulate in it. A container placed under the pipe will protect from excess moisture on the floor. Don't forget to empty the water from the container.

cellar ventilation summer time

The main task in the summer is to dry the cellar. The air temperature outside is much higher than that in the cellar, so its penetration into the room is impossible. In this case, the method of forced ventilation operates. You can install a fan near the hood for a while. This method is quite effective, but expensive.

If condensate still collects, then you should think about raising the exhaust pipe higher. This will increase traction and ventilation respectively. If you are sure that ventilation has nothing to do with it, since it is done correctly, and moisture is still present, then you should think about waterproofing. Perhaps a mistake was made here, and moisture penetrates through the ceiling and walls.

The ceiling and walls are usually made of concrete, but sometimes they are laid out of brick. It may not be entirely clear how, but water seeps through the concrete into the cellar. Thanks to those people who came up with materials with which you can fix this.

The consumer is offered such a mixture. It is called the Pinetrate waterproofing system. The composition includes High Quality cement with additives, which is diluted with water. It also prevents moisture from seeping in. The main thing is to apply it with a layer of no more than 1 mm. Can be applied to damp walls and ceilings.

As it turned out in practice, this mixture has a unique effect on concrete. It seems to merge with it, filling all the microcracks with nanocrystals and becoming one with it. This closes the access to moisture in the cellar.

After application, Pinerate is left for several days until the crystals completely fill the concrete. After that, the mixture layer can be removed. After a while, the walls will dry out. This method is not difficult, so you can use it yourself. The production of this drug is established in Belarus, so it is also affordable at a price.

  • Date: 28-05-2014
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How to remove moisture in the cellar

Dampness is the first enemy for basements in country houses. The problem of dampness in the basement or cellar is quite common. There are many ways to deal with it, but it's even better to prevent it from happening.

Dampness in the cellar manifests itself in the form of condensate due to evaporation of moisture in the soil.

High humidity and dampness in the room contribute to the formation of mold and mildew, which can spoil the food stored there. The appearance of moist air occurs in a capillary way, that is, the smallest droplets of water penetrate into the earthen floor through the cracks, after which the moisture begins to evaporate, which provokes an increase in air humidity. It is worth noting that clay rocks raise water much faster than sandy rocks.

Before proceeding with the fight against, it is necessary to identify the cause of its formation. One of the problems may be the lack of insulation of the house, it is because of this that moisture will penetrate the walls of the house in cold weather, provoking the formation of mold. Most often, this phenomenon is characteristic of the upper corners on the walls, as moisture penetrates from above from the roof.

In addition, moisture enters the cellar through groundwater. Another reason for the formation of dampness is the lack of waterproofing under the floor covering.

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Ways to deal with moisture

There are several options for dealing with moisture in the cellar. country house, this is a method of concreting walls and floors, plus the use of roofing and liquid glass. Pay attention to the application inexpensive way removing moisture. It involves the use polyethylene film, you can use already used. You will also need to use clay, a trowel, a shovel.

A good remedy for dampness is calcium chloride, which absorbs excess moisture. This powder is scattered glass jars, which are placed in the corners in the cellar. For a small cellar, 500 g of powder will be enough.

In the case when dampness occurs due to groundwater that appears in autumn and spring period, additional waterproofing is required. To begin with, a waterproofing of the floor is created by covering it with several layers of bitumen, which is then heated building hair dryer. On top of it, two layers of roofing material are laid, the height of which should be no less than 15 cm. The roofing material must be replaced with waterproofing, the advantages of which are the absence of decay and resistance to mold. The second stage of waterproofing involves the construction of additional walls and filling the space between the walls with waterproofing materials.

There should be a space of about 2 cm between the additional wall and the cellar wall. It is important to pay attention to the fact that there should be no mortar in this space. The thickness of the completed additional wall should be about half a brick.

Runs first brickwork, and when the solution dries, the space must be filled with a special melted waterproofing material. Next, the cellar is covered with a white screed 10 cm wide.

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What to do with dampness in the basement?

For many households, it is a common problem with the onset winter period. Moisture causes mold to form wooden shelves begin to rot and collapse under the weight of, for example, jars of pickles standing on them. In order to prevent such a situation, it is necessary to fight dampness and mold that have settled in the cellar or basement in time.

Basically, there are two reasons for high humidity - this is the close occurrence of groundwater and poor ventilation in the basement. The increase in groundwater is associated with the melting of snow, moisture seeps into the basement, where the walls get wet from the water. If there is poor ventilation in the basement or there is none at all, the air there becomes stale and there is no escape from dampness - condensation forms, moisture settles on the ceiling, walls and shelves in the cellar.

The consequences of dampness are quite sad - this is rotting, and the formation of mold, and the appearance of rust, as well as spoilage of products that were left in the cellar for storage.

If groundwater is the cause, a waterproofing device will be the solution to the problem, there is no other way to cope with it. First you need to equip the floor with waterproofing, which can be done in several ways. It is acceptable to use small gravel, which is then covered with several layers of bitumen, on the heated layer of which a material for waterproofing (for example, roofing material) is laid. A concrete layer is organized on top (it is better to mix concrete with expanded clay).

Possibly device clay castle by pavement and tamping of a greasy layer of clay. Dry sand is poured on top and everything is poured with concrete or cement.

Both options involve raising the level of the floor. In cases where the basement and so on low ceilings, this option is not recommended. That is why it is possible to deepen the floor to the resulting height of the waterproofing layer.

In addition to waterproofing, the method of erecting additional walls in the cellar is used. By outside brick wall it is necessary to cover with a layer of waterproofing, although it is permissible to coat the wall with a layer of bitumen (the layer must be thick) or lay sheets of roofing material. The laying of the wall is carried out by the method on the edge. This method undoubtedly reduces the usable space inside the basement, but this good way to get rid of damp walls. Therefore, you will have to sacrifice something, choosing between space or dampness.

Very often, dampness appears due to poor ventilation, when it small size or just stuck. A solution using exhaust vents with fans is suitable. Thus, air exchange can be increased, and moist air will not linger in the room.

Any living space requires maintaining an optimal level of humidity. Special attention it is necessary to pay attention to the control of the level of humidity in the basements and cellars of garages. To do this, they equip them with good ventilation and waterproofing. But what to do if the water in the cellar still appeared? In this case, the owners of the garage should immediately take measures to dry the cellar. How to do it right, and what are the ways to dry the cellars from moisture - read our article.

Why does moisture accumulate in the cellar

main reason high humidity in the cellar of the garage is poor waterproofing or its complete absence. Due to mistakes made during the construction of a garage with a cellar, moisture gradually begins to accumulate in the room, and condensation appears on the walls. As a result of high humidity, an ugly plaque (fungus) appears on the walls. This phenomenon is unacceptable for cellars in which food is stored, therefore it is important to carry out high-quality drying of the room in a timely manner.

Ways to dry the cellar in the garage

The constant accumulation of moisture in the cellar negatively affects the condition of the entire structure. To dry the cellar in the garage, you can use several methods. The most effective of these are candles and a brazier (metal stove, photo 1).

Important! Before you start drying the cellar, you need to carry out a good audit in it, remove the shelves, take out the interfering equipment and supplies upstairs. When all the debris is removed from it, the room is dried with outside air to remove excess moisture, and then a method is chosen to normalize the humidity level.

There are two most known methods combating excessive moisture in the basement of the garage.

Attention! If there is a lot of water in the basement, then before drying it must be pumped out with a pump, or scooped out manually. It is important to determine what is the source of water in the cellar. Possibly poor insulation. But it may also be that the room was built next to the spring. AT this case you need to divert the water to the side with a pump and equip the cellar with good waterproofing.

Arrangement of waterproofing in a damp basement

In order for the drying of the basement in the garage to be effective, it is necessary to take care of the arrangement of external and internal insulation. You can create it with your own hands, without involving specialists. You can purchase materials for external and internal drainage at a hardware store.

Arrangement external drainage(Scheme 3) in the cellar involves the creation of a system for removing excess moisture outside the premises. It is best to equip the exterior at the construction stage of the garage, but you can perform waterproofing in an already finished room if the humidity level increases greatly. The principle of creating external waterproofing is as follows:

  • A trench is dug along the outer perimeter of the building (it should be 50 cm lower than the floor level in the cellar);
  • Drainages are installed along the entire length of the dug trench in the form of plastic pipes (for them, wells must be prepared in advance to a depth of the first layer of sand). top drains must be covered metal mesh(this will prevent contamination of the entire system);
  • A geotextile is laid at the bottom of the trench waterproofing material(it should also go to the walls);
  • The finished drainage channel is covered with crushed stone to a height of 40 cm. The crushed stone layer should be larger than the floor line in the cellar;
  • The embankment is well rammed.


Scheme 3

internal drainage(Scheme 4) will dry the cellar much faster. For its arrangement, the following materials are needed: geotextile waterproofing, crushed stone and gravel, drainage pipes, drainage pump, PVC tank, sand. Pipes are laid around the perimeter of the room to collect excess water. The diameter of these pipes can be different, but it is best to choose designs with a diameter of 110 mm. Arrangement of internal drainage system in the basement of the garage is better to do during the construction phase. Otherwise, you will have to dismantle the floor in order to lay all structural elements systems.

Internal drainage in the garage cellar is laid in accordance with the following scheme:

  • They dig a trench about 50 cm deep around the entire perimeter of the room;
  • The bottom is well tamped, then a geoseptic is laid on it (this material perfectly absorbs moisture, thereby performing the function of waterproofing);
  • A layer of fine-grained material (gravel, crushed stone) 20 cm thick is laid in the trench;
  • Pipes are laid on top of the embankment, maintaining an angle of inclination of 3 mm;
  • A layer of gravel is again poured over the laid pipes, but already of an average fraction. The material is well rammed and a layer of geotextile is laid on it;
  • The final action in this case will be backfilling the trench with sand and soil (taken out during digging), careful tamping.


Scheme 4

There is another method for effectively drying the cellar in the basement - injection protection(scheme 5). This method one of the most expensive, but at the same time it is the most effective. When using this method, the waterproofing in the cellar is equipped using injections. Naturally, specialized equipment is required to perform such work. The injection drying method is recommended for garages built of concrete, brick and foam blocks. The injection drying technology looks like this:

  • Holes with a diameter of 1.5 to 4 mm are drilled around the entire perimeter of the raw basement. A distance of 20-80 cm must be observed between adjacent holes. In each case, the parameter will be different and depend on the level of humidity, wall thickness and soil characteristics;
  • Special elements are inserted into the prepared holes, through which the pump is injected liquid waterproofing or polymers;
  • The advantages of such waterproofing are obvious. There is no need to dismantle the cladding from the walls, breakage building structures. In addition, work on the arrangement of waterproofing in this way can be carried out in any weather, at any time of the year.