Moisture in my Basement.
#1
01-29-02, 08:19 AM
Moisture in my Basement.
I am getting ready to finish my Basement but I have noticed that under some of my plastic tubs I have moisture however under others I don't. Does it hurt anything if I do a concrete sealer even in places I don't need it? I don't know anything about conrcrete sealers but they look like you just "paint" them on. Any words of advice would be great.
A little more info is that my house is 1yr old and I asked the builder about this and they said that since concrete is so "porous" that there is always moisture. Is this true of should I go back to them and start complaining?
A little more info is that my house is 1yr old and I asked the builder about this and they said that since concrete is so "porous" that there is always moisture. Is this true of should I go back to them and start complaining?
#2
01-29-02, 09:18 AM
It is true that concrete is porous. The moisture that was found under some of the plastic tubs and not others indicate that the tubs with moisture were probably warmer than the concrete floor. This caused condensation to occur between the two different materials. It could be as simple as those tubs being exposed to sunlight for a period of time during the day and the others were not. A simple test is to move the tubs where it occurred and check later to see if moisture occurs again. When moisture is confined to specific areas, like under a plastic tub, the problem is rarely high humidity levels or porous cement.
#4
01-29-02, 04:06 PM
do more investigation first...
Do some more investigtion first. Its odd that you have moisture under some plastic tubs and not others.
1. Are these tubs all the same size, shape, brand, etc?
2. What is in these tubs? Different "stuff" in the wet ones versus the dry ones?
3. What happens if you move the tubs around - do the same ones always have moisture under them?
4. Are the wet spots near a wall? Near a drain or sink?
5. Is there a spring nearby?
6. Do your gutters overflow?
7. Does the landscaping slope away from the house?
Try taping a 3' x 3' plastic to the floor. Tape the entire perimeter. Let it be for a coupl of days and then check on it. If there is moisture between the plastic and the concrete, you have a moisture problem. If its dry, then you are probably ok.
Sealing the concrete will only last a few years at best. The only long term solution is to stop the water from the outside.
1. Are these tubs all the same size, shape, brand, etc?
2. What is in these tubs? Different "stuff" in the wet ones versus the dry ones?
3. What happens if you move the tubs around - do the same ones always have moisture under them?
4. Are the wet spots near a wall? Near a drain or sink?
5. Is there a spring nearby?
6. Do your gutters overflow?
7. Does the landscaping slope away from the house?
Try taping a 3' x 3' plastic to the floor. Tape the entire perimeter. Let it be for a coupl of days and then check on it. If there is moisture between the plastic and the concrete, you have a moisture problem. If its dry, then you are probably ok.
Sealing the concrete will only last a few years at best. The only long term solution is to stop the water from the outside.
