Moist cellar

Suffering from a damp basement? Aquaconsult solves it for you

In many cases, the basement is the most humid place in the house. The absence of fresh and dry air also causes problems. And since you don't normally go into the basement every day, the moist air doesn't get a chance to escape either. So it is not surprising that moisture problems often arise in the basement.

Yet a damp basement is not without consequences if you don't address it. For example, it can jeopardize the stability of your home and is detrimental to your health. Mold and high humidity cause many health problems. Especially for people who already have underlying respiratory or lung problems.

If you waterproof your basement, there is another great advantage: you can expand the space where you can live in your home. Something that also increases the value of your home.

Want to address basement moisture? Then first and foremost you need to know the cause.

How do you recognize a damp basement?

Basement moisture causes several symptoms, each of which also requires a different diagnosis. There are two main causes for a damp basement: moisture problems caused by infiltration and moisture problems that did not involve infiltration.

Infiltration

There are four major and common diagnoses in infiltration.

Resuscitating moisture

Permeable moisture is a moisture problem that is above ground. The problem there lies with the outer walls of the house. These are no longer able to keep the moisture out at that time. For example, a wall can suffer badly if it rains a lot for a while. Most of the moisture is then in the outer walls, but sometimes it can be so severe that the moisture penetrates into the inner walls.

Permeable moisture can be especially dangerous in the winter. At temperatures below zero, the penetrating moisture freezes in the walls of the house, which can cause cracks in those walls.

Groundwater

A basement is literally surrounded by moisture, namely groundwater. The ground contains a lot of moisture, especially if you live in an area where it rains a lot. Because of a poor foundation or cracks in the walls, groundwater can easily enter the basement. Sometimes it is so bad that your basement is literally flooded.

Pocket water

The name kind of says it all: water sinking down into the walls. When a large amount of precipitation has fallen, the water looks for a way down. When the ground is oversaturated, the water looks for another way. Sometimes that's the walls of your home and, more specifically, your basement.

Without infiltration

Moisture problems can also occur without infiltration. There is one common example of this.

Condensation

In condensation, warm air settles on a cold surface where it condenses. Condensation mainly causes high humidity in the home, which can cause all kinds of problems. Also for your health.

How do I ensure a dry basement?

Every moisture problem has its own solutions. Therefore, it is important to always have an expert look at basement moisture.

The solutions

Bekuiping

Waterproofing a basement is often done with a casing. With a casing, first of all, a pump is placed in the ground. Then the basement is covered with waterproof concrete so that the moisture can be stopped. With this option you lose 8cm of height through the concrete.

Basement waterproofing, a method unique to Aquaconsult

Another method of completely waterproofing the basement is unique to Aquaconsult. If you want to turn your basement into a real living space, this is the way to go. Instead of concrete, we use ceramic tiles here. Of those tiles, you can also choose the color. So it's a lot more stylish than an ordinary casing.

Ventilation

Lack of ventilation is often the cause of condensation moisture. Natural ventilation is almost impossible in a basement, so we connect a mechanical ventilation. Before you know it, the moisture problem is solved.

Are you suffering from moisture in the basement yourself? Then contact Aquaconsult and our specialists will come by for a free moisture expertise; anywhere in Flanders.