My basement gets damp during havy rain fall and snow storms. I say damp because it never gets wet to the point that there's standing water. The bottom portions of the wall get wet and the water seems to seep through the wall. When that happens we then start to get mildew beacuse of the dampness and the dark. Anyway I looked at a few of the solutions and wanted to know which one is best. 1. Dig around the perimeter of the house and seal from the outside basement walls. 2. A pressure relase system. Dirlling holes in the walls to allow the water in a french drain type of system. 3. French Drain. Number one sounds very expensive but probably the most effective. What does everyone else think?

Is it possible for there to be no load bearing walls in the basement? It appears to be only the steal beam riunning the legth of the basemennt, and of course the foundation it ties into, are the only things that reall support anything. I can actually look above the batroom celing down there, and it seems like the entire bathroom could be taken away without even removing anyhting attached to the ground leavel flooring.