Warm, Dry & Fungus Free
Published: Nov-2000	Printer-friendly version

Now that the winter weather seems to have settled in, its time to nestle by the fireplace in our favourite chair with a good book and a hot cup of coffee while the contractor finishes our basements. For the energetic, that chair will collect dust this winter while we begin the task ourselves and start out with a plan to be sure that the basement is clean and dry and ready for that much needed future rec room.

Water vapor is less visible than a basement flood, but can just as effectively cause that dreaded mould and rot. Here’s how: on humid summer days the air that seeps into your basement is loaded with moisture, as it travels down it cools, thereby reducing its ability to hold moisture, and forcing out small droplets on walls and other surfaces. Condensation causes their population to explode, eating up everything that’s even remotely organic.

Ventilation isn’t the cure for summertime basement humidity, because outside air is the source of moisture itself. More ventilation of summer air just means more moisture. The only solution to summertime dampness is either a dehumidifier or an air conditioning system.

How are you going to insulate the masonry walls in the basement? The standard approach for building a warm wall is to assemble wooden studs into a wall frame, fill the hollow spaces with fibreglass insulation then seal the wall under a sheet of polyethylene vapour barrier and add drywall. This system works well above ground, but it is not ideal in the basement because moisture can still creep through walls from the outside, despite your best efforts. Moisture sealed under plastic within several inches of warm fibreglass may provide excellent conditions for growing mushroom, by not for a dry basement.

There is a polystyrene foam product, “Styrofoam Wallmate”. It is designed to mound directly onto basement walls. It is held in place with wood strapping that fits into pre-moulded slots along the edges of the foam’s inside surface. This strapping spreads out the pressure of nails or screws used to anchor the system to the masonry walls. Thee strapping also provides a place to fasten drywall, for larger basements you can assemble your wooden studs into a wall frame after placing the Wallmate onto your concrete or block walls. In any case eliminate the vapour barrier process in basements.

If I can be of any help to you, your friends, relatives or associates, please do not hesitate to contact me.  Your referrals are greatly appreciated.