How to Keep Your Basement Warm and Dry in the Winter
Basements are often the site of moisture accumulation in the home, as excess water vapor enters from the ground. Due to the Stack Effect, which moves air upward throughout the home, basements are also often the coldest area of the house, especially during the winter. However, a cold, damp basement doesn’t have to be the norm, and with proper insulation and waterproofing/drainage systems, you can keep your home comfortable and moisture-free this winter. Summit Waterproofing Solutions offers the best basement waterproofing and crawl space encapsulation services in Alexandria, Arlington, Fairfax, Fredericksburg and Stafford. We offer FREE estimates, so get in touch with us today at 703-291-1516!
Why Basements Get Cold and Damp in Winter
The Stack Effect is the natural process of heat rising throughout a building and exiting through the top layer, or the attic in most homes. The Stack Effect often leads to basements being the coldest area of the home, as it’s the lowest area. This can be even worse if your home isn’t properly insulated, as insulation within floors and ceilings keeps warm air where it needs to be, and without properly insulated floors, your basement can become extremely cold. Basements are also an unfortunate hotspot of moisture and mold growth. If humid air with high levels of moisture hits the cool walls of your basement foundation, then it can form condensation on the walls, which can lead to mold and mildew issues. Proper insulation in your basement is crucial to avoid condensation and other moisture issues.
Insulating Your Basement Properly
A crucial aspect of keeping your basement’s temperature consistent during the winter is to have a proper insulation job. Attics require the most heavy-duty insulation, as keeping the warm air generated from your HVAC system from leaving out of the top of the home is the most important, but properly insulating walls and floors can keep temperatures consistent in the home. Keeping floors insulated can assure an even distribution of heat throughout the home. Basement walls that are well-insulated are less likely to form condensation, which can prevent the growth of mold and mildew in the basement. When mold and mildew begins to grow on basement walls, the spores thrown off by this growth will rise through the rest of the home, which can lead to allergy-like symptoms for you and your family.
Using a Dehumidifier to Control Moisture
In addition to proper insulation, a good dehumidifier can help control the levels of moisture within a basement. If your walls are “sweating” via condensation, or if groundwater has begun seeping into your home, a dehumidifier can help take the moisture out of the air, which can prevent the associated problems of excess water vapor, like mold and mildew growth, water stains, and flooding. Humid air can also lead to dust mites in the air, which cause what we experience as the “dust allergy”. Keeping the humidity level in your basement around 30-50% is ideal to prevent dust mites and water damage. Summit Waterproofing Solutions offers the best dehumidifier installation service in the Northern Virginia area. Contact our team to get started with dehumidification for your basement or crawl space today!
Improving Basement Ventilation
Improving basement ventilation is another way to keep moisture and temperature under control. It’s important to keep dry air circulating through the home to prevent pockets of humid air that might cause mold or mildew. If you have a bathroom in your basement, having exhaust fans installed will keep your area free of humidity. A proper HVAC system in your basement should be outfitted with an air exchange system that removes stale air from the home and replaces it with fresh air, improving ventilation and lowering the moisture levels in the home.
Waterproofing Solutions for Winter Protection
Groundwater seeping into your home can be a major problem if your basement isn’t properly waterproofed. Precipitation, including melting snow in the winter, can raise levels of groundwater that can seep into the home, causing flooding, water stains, mold, mildew, and proliferation of pests like termites and dust mites. Summit Waterproofing Solutions offers several different basement waterproofing solutions to protect your home this winter. Sump pumps are a crucial waterproofing fixture for any basement, as these systems automatically detect rising levels of groundwater, and begin pumping the water away from the home. French drains are a type of interior drainage system that work alongside sump pumps to prevent groundwater from reaching your basement floors. If you are interested in having a sump pump or French drain installed, repaired, or replaced, contact the basement waterproofing experts at Summit Waterproofing Solutions today for a FREE estimate at 703-291-1516!
