Dampness in basement- new construction

[James E. Braun, CMI]

Sump pumps should be the last resort. A home should not need a sump pump if it is constructed and designed right.

[Brian A. MacNeish]

Originally Posted by jbraun

Sump pumps should be the last resort. A home should not need a sump pump if it is constructed and designed right.

Somewhat true. But if people decide to build in a rural flat area with no storm sewers to connect to or grade to run perimeter tiles for gravity drainage, what do you do? Sump pump with backup and battery back up. We use sewage lift pumps for basement bathroom fixtures at times.

[James E. Braun, CMI]

As long as the pump does not quit, everything will be fine.

[jcundiff]

"Sump pumps should be the last resort. A home should not need a sump pump if it is constructed and designed right."

Not at all- seems the majority of new sub-divisions around here are built without storm sewers low enough to accommodate footer drainage. Even the sanitary sewers are rarely low enough for basement bathrooms- thereby requiring a sewage pump.

[James E. Braun, CMI]

Your point is?
You said new subdivisions. How did the old subdivisions do it without sump pumps? They probably did not build in those areas for a reason.
Most of the newer ways are not better, just cheaper for the builder.

[jcundiff]

"your point is... "

geezus christmas, you sound like a wife I know. I don't think I was really making a point. I was simply stating a fact based in reality, and not banter. I can't pin the widespread absence of 8' or deeper storm sewers on an individual builder. If all municipalities provided an infrastructure that made it possible tie in every footer drain without the use of mechanics- I'm sure builders, owners, myself and you, would have no complaint.

[jcundiff]

"How did the old subdivisions do it without sump pumps?"

Sewers were deeper. It's expensive and municipal sewer districts are just not diggin deep, literally and figuratively. Whats more, the population was much more tolerant of a little basement water.

[James E. Braun, CMI]

Sounds like you answered your first post.

[jcundiff]

brilliant.

[Kevin Luce]

Went to a house with the same problem with high moisture in basement. The basement on this new construction was finished everywhere but under the stairs. My moisture meter pegged out when testing the tack strip for the carpeting. Under the stairs, the cement floor was saturated and about 10 inches up the wall. Gutters were fine, slope of soil was fine & sump pump had very little water in it. I would think the drain tile would be taking care of this if it came from the soil. Don't know what could be causing this.

Second picture is a general picture of the basement.

[Brian A. MacNeish]

Originally Posted by Kevin Luce

Went to a house with the same problem with high moisture in basement. The basement on this new construction was finished everywhere but under the stairs. My moisture meter pegged out when testing the tack strip for the carpeting. Under the stairs, the cement floor was saturated and about 10 inches up the wall. Gutters were fine, slope of soil was fine & sump pump had very little water in it. I would think the drain tile would be taking care of this if it came from the soil. Don't know what could be causing this.

Second picture is a general picture of the basement.

Higher air RH + not fully dried concrete + cool concrete + little or no air circulation

The right angle junction of the wall/floor creates a dead air pocket (since air moves not in right angles but gentle curves/swoops) thus the air does not bring heat and drier air into the junction leading to a dew point situation (microclimate).

Last summer, got called to a home with similar "problem" by a local franchisor* of a pre-manufactured home company. His clients had just moved here from New Hampshire or Vermont (Tired of Mr. Shrub; the gent was ex forces) They were sure thay had a leak in the basement corner where the well system pressure tank was located. The vendor had already dug up the exterior corner to check the drain tiles- no problem (He should have called me first; would have saved the $$$$ from digging up a new foundation)

I told them it was a localized microclimate from the coolness of well water in the tank and the tank being in a basement corner allowing no natural air circulation into the corner. I said more heat in the area plus a fan to circulate air and a dehumidifier should cure the problem.......it was not a leak!! When I said this, the lady walked out of the room and would not speak to me again on site. This was on a late Friday afternoon.......On Monday morning the gent drove into the vendor's yard (on his $30-35,000 Harley) and said the moisture was gone!!!


*(It was a bit funny as he had talked to me in 1986/7 about becoming an associate HI with us in another city..........then he became a home builder/vendor)

[Michael Roberson]

My $.02
The builder knows what it is, whatever it is. He wont let you take pictures, Prehaps hes just covering his butt, but that does sound silly. Ask the client to take them.

There are a number of products that will damp proof the INSIDE of a poured wall. buy a quart and a do a section. If you get the clear stuff, no one has to know.

[Kevin Luce]

This is all hearsay from the buyer but he told me 6 dehumidfiers before installing the drywall and carpeting (they had to wait another day before installing the carpeting due to the amount of moisture on the basement floor), then the running of the central air.

I've been in a lot of basement during new construction over the years and never seen it close to what was described or what I had seen during the home inspection (especally when the house as been closed up for as long as it has) so I'm having a hard time with the high humidity thinking. Moisture has to be coming from somewhere and all of it from the warmer air from the first floor or a combination from the air from the first floor and concrete is hard for me to beleive.

Walls and floors are covered up at this time so getting the humidity out of the basement is going to be much harder.

[jcundiff]

Ya see- that's just the thing. When starting this thread, I was not really asking for help diagnosing the problem. Leaks, concrete out-gassing, micro environment... what ever. I think the liquid water standing at every wall / floor intersection is not acceptable.

[Brian A. MacNeish]

Originally Posted by jcundiff

Ya see- that's just the thing. When starting this thread, I was not really asking for help diagnosing the problem. Leaks, concrete out-gassing, micro environment... what ever. I think the liquid water standing at every wall / floor intersection is not acceptable.

So what's causing it???