How do you avoid a damp basement?

Avoiding a damp basement is the key to saving money. We all would rather buy Christmas gifts for our kids, rather than fork out $5,000-$10,000 on fixing our home foundation. Though it will have to be done at some point as a house ages, it is good to prolong that venture so that you can set money aside for that event and enjoy some down time. Do I have an Amen? Yes and Amen!
So, if avoiding a damp basement is the key to protecting our basement and foundation against rot, then what steps do we need to follow to avoid it? Great question, I thought you’d never ask!

1. Use a humidifier in your basement during humid seasons to keep your space dry and protect against condensation that can build up on concrete walls.
2. Inspect your clothes dryer vent and ventilation fans located in the kitchen and bathrooms to make sure they lead airflow directly to the outside of your home.
3. Speak to or consult with your heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system contractor to make sure your system is equipped and properly sized to remove humidity from your basement.
4. Open the door to your basement at least once a month and run an oscillating fan in the basement for between 1 and 2 hours to promote air circulation.
5. Place materials such as clothing, furniture, books, and paperwork in areas away from the basement walls or remove them from the basement completely to prevent increased humidity levels and mold growth.
6. Inspect your basement regularly for water leaks.
7. Hire or consult with a building contractor or plumber immediately to repair the foundation in your home or leaks that originate from other rooms of your house, such as the kitchen or bathroom.
8. Clean your rain gutters and downspout runoffs on a regular basis to prevent flooding and standing water in your basement.
9. Examine the outside perimeter of your house to make sure the ground slopes down and away from your foundation, which will prevent basement leaks and flooding.
10. Check your sump pump regularly if you have one to make sure it works properly and is not causing your basement to flood.
11. Hire a contractor who specializes in mold removal and water damage repairs if leaks have already caused mold growth in certain areas in your basement.

We are a Company, local to Kansas City, and we love to serve our community through educating them on how to avoid foundation issues with them home and what to watch for. We also take great pride in our work and would like to service our local community to keep them safe and dry. If there are any homes that have foundation cracks in Kansas City, please reach out to us and let us take a look at your foundation and give you a free estimate on what it will take to make repairs. Again, we are locals and we repair foundation cracks in Kansas City. So, if you have a home with foundation cracks in Kansas City, check us out online at cpsfoundationrepair.com and give us a call!