Negative Effects of a Wet Basement

Due to what’s known as the “stack effect,” air flows upward into the upper levels of the home from the basement.  Along with the air, it also brings humidity from the basement, which can have several negative effects on your home.

The number one indoor allergen is dust mites.  These are parasites that live in your carpeting, bedding, and furniture.  They are extremely small, and their droppings are even smaller, which is what floats in the air from your basement to the upper levels of your home.  Their droppings are the number one thing people with asthma and allergies react to indoors.  Dust mites absorb water out of the air, so they thrive when the relative humidity is greater than 50%.  However, when the humidity is less than 50%, they dry up and die, leaving larvae behind to hatch when it gets damp again.  The best way to fight dust mites is to ensure that your basement is completely dry and keep the relative humidity below 50%.

Another downfall of having a wet basement is it increases both your cooling and heating bills.  Damp air takes more energy to cool and more energy to heat.  So no matter what time of year it is, you’re losing money because of your wet basement.

There are numerous other negative effects including jammed doors and windows, odors throughout the home, rotting or mold in upper levels, and a shorter life-span for your roof shingles and exterior paint.

In addition to all of these negative outcomes, there’s also the damage that is being done to the basement itself.  Your basement is valuable space and has more of an impact on your entire home than you may think.