10 tips to remove humidity in the basement

How to remove humidity from a cellar? Moisture in the basement can come from cracks in the foundation, leaking windows, sewer backup, leaking pipes, ineffective insulation, etc. It is important to find the exact causes of this humidity to quickly solve the problem.
10 Tips offers you today its tips and tricks to remove humidity in a cellar as well as bad smells.

1. Remove humidity from a basement with a dehumidifier

As it is important to act quickly and effectively against humidity in the basement in order to avoid odors and mold, I recommend that you purchase a dehumidifier.

Indeed, the best trick to quickly remove humidity in a small cellar or even in a large basement is to use a dehumidifier.

Depending on the number of rooms in the basement and its size, it will be necessary to make the right choice in order to remove the excess humidity and the smell that emanates from it. Avoid small portable dehumidifiers as they are not powerful enough to remove the entire humidity.

Here is a powerful dehumidifier that will successfully remove all that excess humidity in the basement:

To discover other good dehumidifier models, read our complete guide here: Which dehumidifier to choose?

2. Know the high humidity level in the basement

First of all, it is better to know the humidity level in the basement. Of course, dehumidifiers allow you to know this rate, but if you don’t have one at home, what can you do to know exactly how much excess humidity there is in the house?

There is only one solution to know the relative humidity level in the basement and elsewhere in the house, a hygrometer!

There are many models of hygrometers but know one thing, it is useless to pay dearly for a top-of-the-range model, a basic model is more than enough to have a good indication of the humidity in the cellar.

Here is a hygrometer model available on amazon at the best price:

3. Seal cracks in the foundation

If you have an old house with an old cellar it is very important to check the condition of the foundation. If you notice cracks in the foundation of the house, you must quickly repair everything to avoid water infiltration and therefore excessive humidity.

Don’t hesitate to invest and plug the cracks and make the concrete more impermeable to avoid too much humidity in the cellar and basement. It is not uncommon to see cracks in the concrete floor of the basement or worse in the foundation of an old house.

This serious problem of cracks can unfortunately cause a sharp increase in humidity, thus causing mold and significant risks for the health of the inhabitants.

4. Move the gutters to reduce humidity

It is not uncommon to see the gutters or rather the downspouts badly positioned depending on the foundation of the house. New or old house it is important to check the location of your gutters to avoid too high humidity in the basement of the house.

In fact, if you notice that the rainwater is not properly evacuated, it is better to move the downspouts as far as possible from the foundation of the house. It is really very important to keep rainwater as far away as possible, at least 8 feet from your house foundation.

Water near the foundation can increase the humidity level in the basement in addition to causing cracks in the floor and foundation at times.

5. Change basement windows

This other trick often solves the humidity problem in the basement of old houses: Changing the windows! Of course it is an expensive renovation project but the simple fact of changing the windows at the basement level of the house will greatly help to reduce the relative humidity of the house.

How do you manage to maintain a good level of humidity in the basement and elsewhere if your windows and the insulation are in poor condition?

So if your basement windows are too old or not insulated enough, you will have to think about changing them or risk seeing water seeping into the cellar. Of course, this can cause the appearance of humidity in the basement but also of mold which can be harmful to the health of the occupants.

6. A humidity absorber for the cellar

If you have a humidity problem in a specific room in the basement and there are also bad odors, there is a product that can help you. This is the humidity absorber which can be effective for a small room or a closet for example.

Much less expensive than a dehumidifier, the humidity absorber can reduce the humidity a little but is above all practical for eliminating bad odors and reducing the risk of mold.

This absorber is ideal against the smell of humidity but other tricks exist as you can discover here: How to get rid of damp smell in a house?

7. Bathroom and laundry room in the basement

Having a bathroom and a laundry room in the basement is often an advantage for new owners, but these rooms can cause an increase in the humidity level of a basement.

If your washer and dryer are in the basement, make sure the dryer exhaust is properly connected and vents well outside the house. Also, as far as the bathroom is concerned, make sure the air extractor is working properly and if you don’t have one, run quickly to buy one.

Also, to avoid too much humidity in the bathroom and or laundry room in the basement, why not run a dehumidifier in this room only?

A portable dehumidifier for the basement bathroom!

Earlier you were offered a high-performance dehumidifier for the entire basement, but now I am offering you a portable model for smaller spaces.

8. Pay attention to the storage of firewood!

It is not uncommon to see people storing their firewood for the winter in the basement of the house. This is not something harmful in itself, but if your firewood is not completely dry during storage you risk increasing the humidity of the cellar but also of the whole house.

You can run a dehumidifier in the room where the firewood is located for a few weeks to remove any moisture from the firewood.

It is therefore advisable to string your firewood near the house outside. On the other hand, for the practical side of the thing and if you have no other choice then make sure that the wood is completely dry before entering it in the cellar.

9. Change the basement floor covering

If your basement tends to have a relatively higher level of humidity than elsewhere in the house, perhaps it is better to change the floor covering.

Do you have a rug or carpet on the basement floor? In a basement it is better to install a hard coating. We can think of floating parquet or even better vinyl flooring which is recommended as a floor covering in a cellar. If you have a good budget you can also opt for the purchase and installation of tiling.

Above all, don’t forget to place under the parquet floor in the basement a membrane and vapor barrier specially designed for basement coverings and concrete slabs. You will thus cut the humidity and especially the cold of the ground. It will be much more comfortable for your feet.

10. What humidity for the basement?

Do you know what the ideal relative humidity level is for a basement or cellar? If you have just purchased a hygrometer it will be easier to make adjustments later with a dehumidifier and our other anti-humidity tips and tricks mentioned above.

Humidity in a basement:

• The ideal humidity level to be comfortable in the basement and elsewhere in the house should be between 35 and 50%.
• If the humidity level in the cellar is 60 to 70%, it must be quickly remedied by installing a dehumidifier.
• If the rate exceeds 80% then pay attention to your health because mold may form in large quantities.
• But if, on the contrary, the humidity level in the basement is 20 to 30%, you risk being very uncomfortable because the air will be much too dry.

If you are looking for tips to reduce humidity in all rooms of the house, these tips are for you: How to reduce humidity in the house?