Waterproofing & Foundation Specialists

Basement & Crawl Space Dehumidifiers
in Buffalo and Western NY

When "dry" means – feels dry, smells dry, and looks dry.

Just because you have a waterproofing system, doesn't mean you have a dry basement. Basements can become damp even after a basement waterproofing system is installed.

• 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.

Whenever the outside air is warmer than the inside air – and especially when it's humid outside 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.

Even without condensation, we still get high relative humidity levels, which allows mold to grow and cause "stinky basement syndrome." And dust mites love high relative humidity levels as well. In order to eliminate condensation you need to either heat the air (ridiculous in summer), or take water out of it (easy to do). Correction. I should say take water out of it efficiently and effectively (not so easy unless you have the right equipment to do it with).

Not Just Any Dehumidifier

A dehumidifier is the plain answer. But not just any dehumidifier. Basement Systems has been dealing with this issue intensely for nearly 20 years. The only machine that will get you the results you need is one called a SaniDry Basement Air System. And it's awesome.

To receive a FREE copy of "Dry Basement Science," which talks in more detail abou 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 to you. We provide services to the Greater Buffalo, NY area.