Key takeaways
- Find where the water comes from before choosing a product.
- Control water outside first, then inside.
- Dry the air last, with the right dehumidifier.
Find the source
Water enters from three places: runoff and gutters at the surface, groundwater pushing against walls and floors, and humid air condensing on cool surfaces. Each needs a different fix.
Watch the lot in a rainstorm, look for water at the floor and wall joint and measure humidity.
Control the water
Fix gutters and downspouts, regrade so soil slopes away, and add a French drain if water pools. Inside, an interior drain and sump pump handle groundwater pressure. Cracks can be injected and sealed.
Painting over a wet wall hides the problem for a season at best.
Seal and dry
Once liquid water is handled, seal the crawl space or basement and dehumidify. A dehumidifier sized to the space holds the humidity under about sixty percent, and keeps mold from growing.
A system with drainage, sealing and dehumidifying works as a set.
Related services
Quick answers
Can a dehumidifier alone fix a wet basement?
It helps with humidity, but not with liquid water. A basement that leaks needs drainage first.
How much does it cost to dry a basement?
Costs range from a few hundred dollars for gutter and grading fixes to several thousand dollars or more for drains and pumps, and a free estimate gives you a written price.
Ready to talk it through? Get a free estimate or call 615-209-7643.