The basement is the lowest floor of the building, typically at or below ground level. In commercial buildings, the basement is used for parking and for placing big ventilation pipes or sewer lines. In residential buildings it can be used for storage, for parking or some people even renovate and finish their basements to add additional living and entertaining spaces in their homes. In hospitals, mostly radiation therapy department will be found in the basement as the earth provides a natural shield. Technically, the basement though is mostly ignored during maintenance. It is very important to keep up on routine maintenance and checks of all basement components.
Your basement should always be dry; otherwise water will seep in the walls causing rot, fungus growth, caulking, etc. Also because it’s an underground place, it gets lot moisture from the earth, which should be prevented. A lot of people have their vents in the basement, which leads to increase in moisture, which apart from having bad effects on the building, causes a foul odor. The last thing you want is a major outbreak of black mold in your home. At that point you would need to schedule to get a mold assessment completed to determine the extent of the problem.
There are a few easy ways in which people can keep their basement dry and safe for family use:
1.Make sure there is never stagnant water in the basement- water entering the basement, due to natural reasons like rain or because of the type of soil around, should have an immediate outlet and should never be allowed to form small puddles inside the basement. One may also consider water proof the basement.
2.Always have roof drainage away from the house- a lot of people don’t have a well designed gutter and downspout system and hence water from the roof, flows directly on the ground and into the basement. Roof drainage should be installed with water outlet outside the house.
3. Make the sidewalls of the basement with rocks- rocks are known to absorb moisture from the surroundings, and also they dry quickly. This is a cheap and easy way to reduce moisture in the basement.
4. Make sure there are no leaks in the pipes placed in the basement- usually in commercial spaces, all the vent pipes run through the basement, one must watch out for any leaks and if there are any they should be fixed immediately.
A good home inspector in Albany will be able to adequately assess any damage or areas of concern. If you need home inspection services, please contact Bald Eagle today!