Basement & Crawl Space Dehumidifier in Greater Baltimore, D.C., and Northern Virginia
When "dry" means your basement feels dry, smells dry, and looks dry.
Condensation builds up on duct
work with high relative humidity
- Capillary action, meaning wicking, can bring in moisture. For example a block wall may not leak, but it feels damp because it's wicking the water inside it to the surface like a sponge.
- Water vapor coming through your walls and floor also needs to be addressed. By installing one of the basement wall systems and our ThermalDry Floor Matting, we don't have to worry about wicking and have slowed water vapor transmission down considerably.
- Water also gets into your basement from exterior air leaking into your basement. This is not a problem as long as the outside air is cooler than the basement. It's the warmer summertime air that moves lots of water into our basement.
Dehumidifier
Whenever the outside air is warmer than the inside air – and especially when it's humid outdoor air – we are likely to have a condensation problem in our subterranean levels. This is because the relative humidity of air goes up 2.2% for every one-degree you cool it. Basements are always cool because they are below ground. And we know that a house is like a chimney – air flows upwards, allowing air to escape the upper levels, with new air being sucked in at the lower levels.
So when it's hot and humid in the summer, rain or not, our basement may be the wettest it has been all year!
If it's an 80-degree day with Relative Humidity of 80%, and we suck this air into our basements and cool it to 68 degrees, the Relative Humidity goes up by 26.4% (12 degrees x 2.2%). But wait a minute... 80% plus 26.4% is more than 100%, and we can't have more than 100%. So instead, as the air becomes saturated it gives up its moisture on your cold basement walls, floor, water tank, pipes, and other cold things. This is called condensation.
Basement moisture caused mold to
grow on these shoes on the first floor!
High humidity levels in the basement or crawl space is possible even without high condensation levels. Mold is allowed to grow freely, causing “stinky basement syndrome” and dust mites thrive in the humid air, releasing their fecal material into your breathing space.
If you want to eliminate this condensation, you will either need to heat the air in the summer (ridiculous and ineffective against mold, rot and bacteria) or take water out of the air (easy to do). Without a proper dehumidifier, you may not be able to take water out of the air effectively or efficiently.
Not Just Any Dehumidifier
A basement or crawlspace dehumidifier is the clearest answer. However, an ordinary dehumidifier will not produce the best results for your damp subterranean space. After dealing with this issue intensely for nearly 20 years, Basement Systems has the only machine that has the results you need- the SaniDry Basement Air System. With its self-draining capability, Energy Star Rating, and air filtration system, it's designed to produce the results you need without the hassle of an ordinary, energy-sucking dehumidifier.
If you would like a FREE copy of "Dry Basement Science," and find out about dehumidification, relative humidity, and the SaniDry Basement and Crawl Space Air System, schedule your FREE home inspection and estimate and we’ll send the book for you to look over before we visit.
To read more about the SaniDry Basement and Crawl Space Air System, visit the SaniDry website.
We service Maryland including Baltimore, Annapolis, Catonsville, Chevy Chase, Churchville, Edgewater, Gaithersburg, Laurel, Linthicum Heights, Savage, D.C., and Northern Virginia including Arlington, Falls Church, Springfield, Alexandria, Fairfax, Sterling.
