Much of the time when people decide to use their basement for additional living quarters, they will undertake the remodeling job their self. This can be quite an undertaking in itself, but even more so if there are serious issues to deal with condensation on the basement walls.

If you have ever had a basement with condensation problems you could probably tell it not from the damp appearance of the cemented or cinder block walls, but by the musty damp small that they often have as well.

If you are thinking of finishing your basement and you have damp walls down there, you will have to alleviate this problem before you begin. If you do not ever want to finish your basement you should take care of the condensation problem because of the eventual water damage it can do to the wood that is exposed to it.

To test your basement walls for condensation take a large square of plastic wrap, perhaps 1 foot by 1 foot, and tape it to the basement wall securely. Leave it for a few days and then notice if there is moisture on the inside or outside of the plastic.

If there is moisture on the inside then the condensation might be coming from a leak somewhere in your basement, but if it on the outside then it is a condensation problem.

If it is a leak causing damp walls, they can usually be easily fixed. To fix condensation you first need to find the cause. It could be a clothes dryer that is not vented to the outside properly, from steam vapors from a tub or shower because there is no exhaust ventilation, cooking, from dew, or from leaking basement pipes.

Any of these problems can be solved and must be before you put in walls for a basement.

Installing exhaust fans in your basement can help dispel any moisture that might build up, especially if there is a shower, tub, or cooking there. Circulating air with a fan might help some if the air can circulate well.

Insulating duct work, pipes and walls will also help reduce moisture. Water can not condense on these surfaces if you do not allow the cold air to get to the.