Basement Water Problem
Last week I visited a house and a very unhappy home owner. This sparked me to drop a line. Typically, the leaking of water in basements / wine cellars can be caused due to two reasons. First and most common is the condensation due to lack of proper ventilation which causes water accumulating on the basement walls. Much like water droplets that form on a cold drink on a hot day. The other is water ingress from outside. Rainwater, melting snow, groundwater or in this case under-groundwater can saturate the soil around the basement foundation or wall and result in dampness, mildew or leak in. This water can leak through cracks, or it can penetrate through concrete or masonry walls in the form of water vapor. In extreme cases like the basement I visited last week, it can actually stream in through the wall! One way to figure out what's causing the problem is tape an aluminum foil to the basement wall and inspect it a few days later. Moisture on the out...