In our previous article, we discussed about the different causes of basement odors and where they originate from. But how do we get rid of these musty odors to improve our basements in the home? Let us look at some of the effective ways of dealing with these unpleasant and uncomfortable odors in the basement.
1. Cleaning the basement: Cleaning your basement will get rid of most of the musty odors, mold and mildew, dampness and humidity existing in the basement. Choose a sunny day to remove all the furniture and carpets in order to sun-dry them and also deep-clean the carpets. Sweep and dust all around the basement to remove dust that is the primary cause for allergies and other respiratory problems. It is recommended to use a disinfectant to clean the walls and floors, so as to get rid of the musty odor due to mold and mildew growth that are usually found under carpets, behind panels and behind perimeter walls. Throw away all the unnecessary stuff from your basement as they are favorable to the growth of molds and, in addition, you can create space in the basement. Arrange clothes, books and furniture in a neat way by keeping all clothes in the wardrobe, arranging books in stacks and minimizing the furniture in the basement.
2. Waterproofing: Cracks or leakages in the walls are usually caused due to dampness. The dampness could be either due to unfavorable climatic conditions, improper drainage system and excessive humidity. Cracked walls should not be left as they are, and should be either sealed or patched as soon as they are identified. Leaving a cracked wall unattended could worsen the situation by widening and spreading all over the wall. Dehumidification is essential for leaking walls, since it helps in drying the wall. These walls can be cleaned with trisodium phosphate, a hard surface cleaner. Once the walls dry, seal them with a latex concrete sealer to avoid further leakage and musty odor.
3. Dehumidification: Humidity is another primary cause for smelly basements. A dehumidifier can help in controlling the humidity in your basement. Attaching a hose to the dehumidifier will get rid of the excess moist air in the basement, leaving no space for the growth of molds that lead to the musty smell. It is also essential to keep in mind the type of dehumidifier you choose for your basement and should be based on the efficiency and size of your basement.
4. Ventilation: This is undoubtedly one of the most important factors to consider when getting rid of basement odors. On a fine sunny day, just open all the windows in your basement and switch on your exhaust fans to allow circulation of fresh air within the basement from outside. Cross-ventilation is also very important in removing humidity and stagnant air that gets accumulated in the basement.
5. Drainage system: Ensure that you install both a proper interior and exterior basement drainage system to prevent condensation that can lead to dampness. Wrap pipe insulation around the basement pipes to avoid condensation from building up on them. Leaking basement walls can trap water and increase humidity in the basement. Ensure that the ground slopes and downspouts are extended around six feet away from the house. You can also read our blog article on basement drainage systems for more information at http://blog.keystonebasementsystems.com/?p=980.
Apparently, there are also some home remedies that could be useful to get rid of the musty odors in your basement too.
• Baking soda is effective for neutralizing odors and absorbs moisture and so you can either leave it open in a container or sprinkle a little on your smelly carpet and later vacuum it.
• Vinegar is a household product that helps in neutralizing odors, including those left behind by pet accidents and skunk sprays.
• Citrus fruits like lemons and oranges leave a pleasant smell behind and can be used as air fresheners.
• Charcoal and cat litter help in absorbing moisture.
For more on basement related solutions, click on to www.keystonebasementsystems.com.
“Keystone Basement Systems, Inc. is a foundation repair company. KBS is not, however, an engineering firm and should not be considered as such.”
References
1. http://www.ehow.com/how_2209654_clean-basement.html
2. http://www.doityourself.com/stry/householdodors
3. http://www.ehow.com/how_18796_remove-musty-basement.html
4. http://www.howtogetridofstuff.com/odor-removal/how-to-get-rid-of-musty-basement-smell/
You must be wondering how a closed area like a basement would invite chances for dampness. When the level of humidity is high, the amount of moisture increases in the atmosphere. The condensation of moist, warm air on cold interior wall and floor surfaces is more than enough to create dampness in your basement. Wet walls, foggy windows and tiny droplets on cold surfaces are good signs of high levels of humidity. When air is able to hold water vapor at a particular temperature, the relative humidity is 100%. If it goes beyond, that is when condensation takes place, causing dampness.
A basement or a crawl space is usually a closed area and is not frequently used as compared to the other rooms in the house. This reduces the amount of air entering into the basement. A musty odor in the basement develops due to lack of circulation of air. This can be found out by opening the windows in your basement and switching on the exhaust fans on one fine day to allow air circulation. If the bad odor in your basement does not exist, then you have the answer to your problem!
The chances of water penetration in the basement are always high, since it is located below the ground where water gets accumulated. There are basically two ways in which water can enter into the basement, through the foundation walls and the basement floor. When water gets soaked in the soil, there is always pressure of the heavy water to push through the foundation walls. If there are any cracks or joints on the walls, then water is sure to pass through depending on the quantity and pressure of water against the walls. Stains on the concrete, paneling of a finished basement and efflorescence are common indicators of water penetration. Corners of basements are also popular for water penetration caused by the discharge of rain water from the rain down spout in this area.
Humidity is a result of relative humidity where moisture is suspended in the air. A dehumidifier is a device that helps reduce humidity in any building or room by removing moisture from the air. Dehumidifiers play a vital role in preventing mold, bacteria and biological allergens, musty odors, and furniture, carpeting, storage box mildew damage that arise when humidity levels are above 50%.
Dew point, or otherwise better known as dew point temperature, is the temperature at which the liquid and gaseous phases of a material present in a gas, such as water in air, are in equilibrium at a given gas pressure. In the case of water, the temperature at which both evaporation and condensation of water take place are the same. An interesting point to note about dew point is that it is related with evaporation, condensation and relative humidity.
Relative Humidity
4. Vehicles
Household activities such as cooking, washing and drying clothes are responsible for the excess moisture present in the air within your home. An average family creates around 20 pints of water vapor per day. This can be usually seen in the form of fog, mist, dew or frost in the atmosphere and plays a significant role in the formation of clouds, rain and snow.
(a) Grading: One would wonder as to what the soil has to do with a drainage system. Proper grading of the soil around the house would eliminate the entrance of water into the basement. Creating slopes would drive away water before it reaches the basement walls. In fact, this method would not even require a basement drainage.
HISTORY
2. Ensuring a nice slope: Grading and survey issues are the critical elements for water to actually flow in the right direction. Check extremely short drainage stretches to ensure there exists a slope of at least 0.5 percent and a grade of 1 or 2 percent.
An French drain is typically covered with geotextile socks that keep it free from debris and silt. Additionally, its drain pipe can be connected to green space, sump well or other such outlets.If the French drain is placed beneath the lawn, the drain can get encapsulated in the landscape fabric replacing grass and soil on the top. If placed outside the lawn, a river bed of 6 to 8 inch width on the top may get created which is both functional and decorative. In this system, the surface water goes straight through river dock to the pipe below getting carried to the water outlet.
Production Of Steel:
Yet another modern development is the ‘Electric Arc Furnace’ which manufactures high grade steel in large proportions using positive temperature control, desulphurization, de-oxidation and freedom from fuel contaminated products. The benefit of this process is it allows the steel mill to vary production according to demand. Thus allowing a large reduction in energy consumption used in producing per unit weight of steel.
Steel high in carbon is used for cutting tools and dyeing purposes while medium or low-carbon steel is used for structural and sheeting purposes. The qualities of steel are enhanced by adding other metals or elements. Aluminum imparts tensile strength and smoothness to steel. Nickel is most widely used of the alloys. It not only is nonmagnetic, but also possesses high tensile properties like high carbon steel, but without any brittleness. Chromium Nickel steel has shock resistant properties, which make it highly suitable for armor plates. The high tensile strength of chrome steel makes it suitable for use in airplane and automobile parts.
Factors Contributing To The Strength Of Steel:
With “Green Construction” gaining popularity, growing interest to use “Steel” is becoming more evident. Steel is one of those building materials that allow recyclability option without degrading its structural strength and other chemical properties to the specifiers of the construction industry.Everything, right from covering walls and roof is made from steel. Forming a complete building with steel would make it feasible to erect affordable construction without giving up on factors such as design, safety and durability.