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Housing Technology

Moisture in basements: causes and solutions

JohnCarmodyandBrentAnderson
RevisedSeptember2006byRichardStonereviewedApril2014.

A problem that can damage your health and home

Moistureproblemsinexistingbasementsareverycommon,butoften
arenotunderstoodorproperlytreated.Inabasementthatisseldom
usedandseparatefromthelivingspacesabove,thismaynotpresent
agreatproblem.However,mostbasementsinMinnesotaare
connectedtotherestofthehousethroughductworkorother
openings.Inaddition,basementsareincreasinglyusedasfinished
livingandbedroomspaces.Inthesecases,moistureproblemsarenot
onlyannoyinganduncomfortable,butcanleadtosignificanthealth
problems.Moldsandmildewcangrowindampcarpetsandbeneath
wallcoverings.Finishingabasementwithoutfirstdealingwiththe
moistureproblemscanresultinmakinghealthconditionsworseandleadtosignificantdamageaswell.
Basementwaterproblemsaresolvable,butthereisacosttodoingitright.

Understanding the problem

Tocorrectbasementmoistureproblems,itisnecessarytounderstandwherethewateriscomingfrom,and
whatmechanismspermitittoenterthebasement.Therearejustthreesourcesofmoisture:
1. Liquidwaterfromrainorgroundwater.
2. Interiormoisturesourcessuchashumidifiers,unventedclothesdryers,bathrooms,andcooking,aswell
asthemoistureinconcreteafterconstruction.
3. Exteriorhumidairthatentersthebasementandcondensesoncoolersurfaces.
Moistureistransferredfromtheoutsideofthebuildingtothebasementinteriorbyfourmechanisms:
1. liquidwaterflow

2. capillarysuction
3. vapordiffusionand
4. airmovement.
Sometimesproblemsaretracedtopoorconstructionwithcracking,settlingfoundations.Inmanycases,
however,housesandbasementscanbestructurallysoundbutareoftennotproperlybuilttohandlewater
drainage.Failuretoslopethegroundsurfaceawayfromthefoundationorlackofagoodgutterand
downspoutsystemiscommon.Missingornonfunctioningsubsurfacedrainagesystemsarealsofound
relativelyfrequently.Theseproblemscanallbeaddressedandcorrectedifasystematicapproachisused.
Thispublicationbrieflydescribesmoisturesources,moisturemovementmechanisms,andtypicalbasement
moistureproblems.Then,astepbystepprocessforaddressingeachproblemispresentedalongwith
severaldetailedapproachestosolvingtheproblem.

Symptoms
Watertricklingoutofwalls
Standingwateronfloor
Saturatedbaseofconcreteblockwallsaringofdampness
Damp,humidair
Condensationoncoldwallsandfloorinsummer
Odor,mold,andmildew
Deteriorationofcarpetorwood
Rotanddecayofwoodheaders,joists,sillplates,andcolumns
Stainingandblisteringofwallcovering
Efflorescence,spallingofconcreteormasonry

Basement moisture sources

Rain and groundwater
Inaoneinchrain,1,250gallonsofwaterfallontheroofofa2,000
squarefoothouse.Withoutpropergrading,gutters,anddownspouts,
someofthiswaterflowsintothebasement.Thebelowgradewater
tablecanalsoriseduetofloodingorseasonalsiteconditions.Thisis
whydraintilesystemsarerecommendedaroundbasementwalls
eveninsandyorgravelsoils.

Interior moisture sources

Moistureisgeneratedinsideofbasementsfrompeopleandtheiractivities.Commonsourcesare
humidifiers,unventedclothesdryers,showering,andcooking.Whenbasementsarefinished,these
activitiesincrease.Anothersourcethatcanbethoughtofasinternalisthemoisturecontainedinnew
concreteafterconstruction.Inatypicalhouse,thiscanamountto0.2gallonspersquarefootofwall,and
0.1gallonspersquarefootoffloor.Itmaytakemanymonthsorevenyearsforanewhousetocomeinto
equilibriumwithitsenvironment.

Ventilation with humid outside air

Inthesummertime,basementwindowsmaybeopenedforfreshair.If
theoutsideairiswarmandhumid,itwillcondenseonthecool
basementwallandfloorsurfaces.Manyhomeownersseethis
moistureandbelievetheyareexperiencingbasementwallleakage,
wheninfacttheaccumulatedmoistureisfromcondensation.

Moisture movement mechanisms

Capillary suction
Capillarysuctionmovesmoisturethroughporousmaterials.Thewater
canbedrawnupwardthroughsmallporesintheconcretefootingand
slabandlaterallythroughwalls.Thiseffectcreatestheringof
dampnessseenatthebaseofmanybasementwalls.Thisisvery
commonatcoldjoints.Watercanrisebycapillarydrawsignificantly
asshownbelow:
SoiltypeCapillaryrise
GravelLessthanafewinches
Sand1to8feet
Silt12to16feet
Clay12to20feet

Air leakage through walls and oor

Inmosthouses,astackeffectiscreatedbecausewarmairrises.Thisinducesa
negativepressureonthebasementanddrawsmoistairinthroughanycracksor
openingsinthefoundationincludingopensumppits.Forthisreason,sumps
shouldhaveanairtightcover.Withaconcreteblockfoundation,moistairis
drawnthroughtheblockcores,especiallyiftheyareleftopenatthetopcourse.

Vapor diffusion through foundation walls

Vapordiffusionisthemovementofmoistureinthevaporstatethroughamaterial.Itisthefunctionofthe
permeabilityofthematerialandthedrivingforceofvaporpressuredifferential.Inabasement,vaporcan
diffusefromthewettergroundthroughconcretewallsandfloorstowardthedryerbasementinterior.Vapor
retarderssuchasfoundationwaterproofingandpolyethyleneslowdownthisprocess.

Typical causes of basement moisture problems

Inadequate grading
PROBLEM:Ifthegroundaroundafoundationislevelorslopes
towardthehouse,waterisdirectedintothebasement.Thesoilnextto
thehouseisoftenbackfilledwithoutpropercompactionandlater
settles.Thisisespeciallytrueunderstoopswherewatercancollect
nexttothebasementwall.
SOLUTION:Placeeartharoundthehousesothatitslopesawayfrom
thefoundationwallaminimumofoneinchperfootforatleastsixfeet.

Defective or missing gutters and downspouts

PROBLEM:Missingguttersanddownspoutscauserainwatertobe
directedtowardthefoundationperimeter.Adownspoutwithoutan
extenderorsplashblockisworsethannodownspoutatall.Itis
depositingthehugevolumeofrainwaterfromtheroofinasingle
concentratedlocationnearthebasement.
SOLUTION:Placeaminimumofonedownspoutper50linearfeetof
roofeave.Extensionsshoulddischargewateratleastfourfeet
beyondthewall.Slopedconcretesidewalksaroundbasementsare
veryeffectiveindirectingrainrunoff.

Improperly designed window wells

PROBLEM:Windowwellsarelikeadrainrightnexttothebasement
wall.Oftentheyareimproperlybuiltsothatanywaterisdirected
toward,ratherthanawayfromthefoundation.
SOLUTION:Windowwellsshouldbefilledfromthefootingtothe
windowsillwith3/8to3/4inchcoarseaggregate.Asupplemental
draintileextensionshouldextendfromthefootingtothebaseofthe
windowwell.

Ineffective drain tile and sump pit

PROBLEM:Manyexistinghousessimplyhavenosubsurfacedrainagesystem.Thiscomesfromatime
whenbasementswerenotusedashabitablespace.Inothercases,thesystemsdonotworkforavarietyof
reasons,suchascollapseofthepipe,cloggingofthepipewithsiltand/ortreeroots,orabrokenconnection
tothesump.Thesumppitusuallycontainsapumpdesignedtoliftthewatertothegroundsurfaceoutside
thefoundationwall.Thispumpcanfail.

SOLUTION:SeeApproaches2through5thatfollow.

Improper drainage with underslab ducts

PROBLEM:Ifheatingductsareinstalledbeneathabasementfloor
slab,thedrainagesystemmaybeinappropriatelyleftatalevelhigher
thantheduct.Ineffect,theductbecomesthedrainagesystem,and
withstandingwaterwithintheheatingduct,therearepotentially
serioushealthconsequencesfrommoldcontamination.
SOLUTION:Heatingductsplacedbeneaththebasementfloormust
beinsulated,watertight,andslopedtocollectionpointsfordrainage
andcleaning.Adraintileandcoarseaggregatecanbeplacedunder
theductwork.

Structural cracks
PROBLEM:Concreteandconcreteblockfoundationsusuallydevelop
somecracks.Theycanbesevereiffloorjoistsarenotproperly
connectedtothefoundationwall,thuspermittingthewalltomove.
Also,soilsettlingcausescracking.Placeswherewallsmeetrigid
structureslikethefireplaceoftencrackaswell.Usually,drainage
removesthewaterfromcracks,butrepairmaybenecessary.
SOLUTION:Properfootingdesignandproperconnectionbetween
thefoundationwallandthestructureabovearerequired(e.g.anchor
boltsorstrapsatthesillplateandfloorjoistsnailedtothesillplate).

An overview of solutions to basement moisture

problems
Thebestwaytoapproachanybuildingproblemistofirstdothethingsthatareeasyandlowcost.Then
proceedinalogicalorderdoingthenextleastcostlytechniquewiththemostpositivelikelyresult.With
moistureproblems,thebestapproachisalmostalwaystoremoveorcontrolthesourceofthemoisture,not
totrytostopitatthelastlineofdefense.
First,thesimplestandleastcostlytechniquesaretoremoveexcessiveinternalmoisturesourcesinthe
basement(humidifiers,cooking)andventilateothersources(clothesdryer,bathroom).Second,if
condensationinthesummeristheproblem,donotventilatethebasementdirectlywithwarm,humidair.
Ventilationthroughanairconditioningsystemorwithadessicanttypeheatexchangerisrecommended.
Dehumidificationcanbeusedasameansofreducingthesymptomsofhumidityandodorinabasement,
butitisnotapermanentorcompletesolution.Infact,ifadehumidifierisusedinabasementwithmoisture
problems,itmaycausegreaterdamage.Bydryingoutthebasementair,moistureisdrawnintothe
basementmorerapidlycausingefflorescenceandspallingofconcreteandfurtherdamagetointerior
finishes.
Itisappealingtosolveabasementmoistureproblemwithamembraneorcoatingontheinside.Itisless
expensivethanadrainagesystemandseemstoworkforatimeinsomecases.Thewaterisstillthere,
however,andeventuallythesesystemsdeteriorateorsimplymovethewatertoanotherpathwayintothe
basement.
Therecommendedapproachafterremovinginteriormoisturesourcesistoevaluatethegutters,

downspouts,andsurfacegradingaroundthehouse.Theseshouldbecorrectedfirstandmaysolvethe
problem.Then,ifamoistureproblempersists,proceedwithaninteriororexteriordrainagesystem.Allof
thesetechniquesaredescribedintheremainderofthispublication.Ifyourgoalistofinishabasementthat
haswaterproblems,itisrecommendedtofirstdealwiththewaterproblem.
Anactivesubslabdepressurizationsystemincludingawashedrocklayerbelowtheslabisrecommended.
Thisdrawsmoistairfrombeneaththeslabandmayhelptoreducetheamountofmoisturevaporthatenters
thehomethroughopeningsintheslab.Italsoassistsincontrollingradonandothersoilgases.Sumpsand
otheropenconnectionstothesoiloutsidethefoundationandbelowtheslabshouldbeblockedandsealed.
Moreinformationonsoilgasmanagementcanbefoundin"BuildingRadonOut ,"abookletavailablein
electronicformat(PDF)fromtheEnvironmentalProtectionAgency.

Step by step process

1. Controlinteriormoisturesources.
2. Ifsummertime,don'tventilatewithoutsideair.
3. Correctgrading,gutteranddownspoutsystem.
4. Provideaninteriororexteriordrainagesystem.
NOTES:

Adehumidifiercanhelpreducethesymptomsofhumidityandodor,butdoesnotsolvetheproblem.
Amembraneorcoatingontheinteriorwithoutprovidingdrainagegenerallywillnotsolvetheproblemin
thelongterm.
Wallsmustbedrybeforeinsulating.Slabsmustbewarmanddrybeforecarpeting.

Approach 1: Install proper gutters and downspouts and correct grading

Agreatnumberofbasementwaterproblemscanbesolvedby
handlingrainwaterandsurfacedrainageproperlyusingguttersand
downspoutswithextendersorsplashblockstocarrythewateraway
fromthefoundation.Slopingthegradeawayfromthehouse,which
mayrequirehaulingfilltothesite,isveryimportant.Thisshouldbe
donebeforeanybelowgradedrainagesystemisinstalled,sincethe
abovegradecorrectionsmaysolvetheproblem.Evenifadrainage
systemisrequired,removingwateratthesourceasmuchaspossible
isnecessary.

Approach 2: Exterior drainage system

Installinganexteriordrainagesystematanexistingbuildingisthemostcostly,butalsothemosteffective
watercontrolapproach.Thisrequiresdigginguptheareaaroundthefoundationandrebuildingitsimilartoa
newhouseinstallation.Italsorequiresdiggingupshrubsandotherobstaclesaroundthehouse.
Usually,waterproofingandinsulationareinstalledatthesametime,inadditiontomakinganyrepairstothe
structure.Thetraditionalexteriordrainagesystemsusefreedrainingsandinthebackfill.Draintilecanbe
placedbesideorontopofthefooting.Leveldrainpipeinstallationsaresatisfactory.Aminimumof12inches
ofcoarseaggregateshouldbeplacedaroundthedraintile.
Free-draining membrane or board

Itcanbeexpensivetohaulpearockorsandtoasiteforbackfillingpurposes.Instead,adrainagematcan

beplacedagainstthefoundationwallandthenbackfilledwithanysoil
onsite.Thedrainagemusthaveafreeflowingpathtotheperforated
drainpipebelow.
Draining to a sump

Allexteriordrainagesystemsmustdraintoasumpthatcanbe
pumpedout.Thesumpmusthaveanairtight,childproofcover.

Approach 3: Interior drainage channel above the concrete slab

Inmostcaseswhenwaterisenteringthebasement,aninterior
drainagesystemisinstalled.Thesimplestandleastcostlyapproachis
adrainagechanneladheredatthebaseofthewallandthefloorslab.
Wateriscollectedanddrainedintoasumpusinganotherchannel
placedontopoftheslab,thenthroughatraptothesumpbasin.The
sumpshouldhaveanairtight,childproofcover.Thissystemisbest
suitedtoaconcretewallwithcracks.Itdoesnotsolvetheproblemin
masonrywallsbecausewaterremainsintheblockcoresatfloorlevel
andthewaterlevelisonlyloweredtothetopoftheslab.Withthis
approach,thewaterisnotcompletelyremovedfromthespace.The
resultisthathumidity,mold,andmildewcanstillbeaproblem.This
systemcannotdraingroundwaterfromunderthefloorslab.

Approach 4:Interior drainage channel within the slab edge

Anothertechniqueistoplaceadrainagechannelatthebaseofthe
wallontopofthefooting.Thisrequiresremovingandthenreplacing
theconcretealongtheslabedge.Thedrainagechannelisconnected
toadrainpipeleadingtothesump.Thesumpshouldhaveanairtight,
childproofcover.Thisapproachiseffectiveforconcretemasonrywalls
withwaterproblemsbecauseitdrainstheblockcorescompletely.
Holesmustbedrilledatthebaseofeveryblockcoretopermit
drainage.Thismayrequireremovingmorethantheminimumamount
ofconcrete,asshown,tofitthedrillin.Thesesystemshavedifferent
shapesandpricesdependingontheproductinstalled.Because
moistureisallowedtopenetratetheblockcores,itisessentialtocap
thetopsandplaceavaporretardercoatingontheinteriorbasement
walls.

Approach 5: Interior drainage system beneath the slab

Themosteffectiveoftheinteriordrainagesystemsisaperforated
drainpipeinstalledinsidetheperimeterofthefooting.Thisrequires
removingandreplacingconcreteattheslabedge.Byplacingthedrainpipebeneaththeslab,itdrainsthe
areatoalowerlevel.Similartoanexteriorsystem,thedrainagepipeconnectstoasump.Thesumpshould
haveanairtight,childproofcover.Acriticalcomponentofthisapproachisthedimpledplasticsheeting
placedatthebaseofthewallandbeneaththeslabedge.Dimpledsheetingissimilartoasmalleggcrate
andpermitsfreedrainageofthewallintothedrainpipe.Itislessexpensivethanmanyspecializeddrainage
channelsystems.Inlowpermeabilitysoils,thissystemcannotacceptrisinggroundwaterunlessthereisan
aggregatelayerundertheslab.
Itisrecommendedthatthisapproachbecombinedwithanactivesoilgasmanagementsystemthat

connectswiththesumpandperimeterdrainpipe.

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