What Causes Condensation?

Whenever the outside air is warmer than the inside air, especially if it’s humid air, there is likely to be a condensation problem in your basement.  This is because the Relative Humidity of air goes up 2.2% for each one-degree it is cooled.  Basements are always cool because they are below ground.  Inside of the home, air flows upward, allowing air to escape the upper levels while new air is sucked in at the lower levels.  So when it’s hot and humid in the summertime, your basement may be the wettest it has been all year.

For example, if it’s 80 degrees outside with a Relative Humidity of 80%, and the air being sucked into the basement is being cooled to 68 degrees, the Relative Humidity goes up by 26.4%.  Since 80% plus 26.4% is more than 100%, the air becomes saturated and gives up its moisture on the cold basement walls, floor, pipes, and other cold things.  This is how the process of condensation works.

Even without condensation, the humidity levels in your basement can still become extremely high, allowing mold to grow and causing a bad odor.  In order to eliminate condensation entirely, you need to take the water out of the air.  This can be done efficiently and effectively with the SaniDry XP Basement Air System offered by Woods Basement Systems.