It has many uses, but it is mostly used for storage of equipment that is not regularly used. A wet basement describes a basement that is chronically wet. The degree of wetness varies from being just humid to disastrous flooding.

The humid wetness is caused by warm, moist air that gets trapped in these rooms since most of the basements have poor ventilation. This may be the case all year regardless of the season. The wet basement is manifested in a variety of ways. It may start as condensation of the warm, moist air that enters and meets a cooler environment in the basement, leading to formation of water droplets on the walls of the basement. A more severe cause is the leakage of water from the outside ground above it leading to the room flooding, especially when it rains. All these causes point to a possible fault in the structural construction of the house from the foundation to the roofing that includes an upsurge of ground water pushed by hydrostatic pressure through the foundation concrete, leaking roof, faulty gutters and excessive rainwater runoff near the foundation concrete.

Having known the cause for the wetness in your basement, it becomes easier to know which repair method to use. This reduces the chances of repeat jobs arising from a wrong approach to the repair. Each problem is tackled individually and may combine various methods if success is to be achieved.

One of the solutions is to get the surface water controlled. This can be done by ensuring that the ground near the house is leveled or banked to reduce the chances of puddles of water that form when it rains. Equally, it is important to make sure that the roof and gutter are well connected to the sprout that drains away from the house.

A professional approach to deal with the problem is waterproofing the basement. This is in realization that at one point every wall develops small cracks that seeps moisture inside. Waterproofing is done by experts after a careful evaluation of the problem and offers a permanent solution.

Another approach is to use a basement dehumidifier. These have the ability to remove a lot of moisture from the basement. It is particularly important where the problem does not lie in the engineering of the house. Apart from reducing the wetness of the basement, it has the ability to make it dry and comfortable just as in any other room in the main house.

Many people after rectifying these problems forget to remove the equipment, especially furniture, in these areas. The problem of mildew and moulds will still persist, not unless they are cleaned and dried properly.

Wet basements can lead to problems such as ill health caused by dampness. Moulds and mildew also form in these areas creating a health risk. This is besides the possessions that occupants may lose as a result of destruction caused by dampness e.g. rotting wooden products, rusty metals and peeling paints. Property also loses value as home buyers do not accept a house with this problem causing losses to real estate businesses. It is therefore important to seek professional advice when tackling a wet basement.