How to dry the cellar from dampness. Tips and effective ways to dry a cellar in a garage

Owners of private homes should have an idea of ​​how to dry out the basement when humidity levels rise.

The appearance of dampness in the cellar can lead to various reasons: flood, penetration groundwater, the appearance of condensation on the walls.

Sometimes it is possible to get rid of moisture quickly and without serious financial costs.

In other cases, in order to dry the cellar, serious construction work and some financial investments will be required.

It was necessary to take care of waterproofing and ventilation of the basement during the construction stage. But steps can be taken to eliminate it high humidity and in the finished building.

How to prevent the appearance of dampness even at the construction stage:

  • When building a cellar in a private house or garage, do not use bricks and porous materials (foam and expanded clay blocks, shell rock). Best material for walls and floors it is concrete;
  • Conduct construction work in summer in dry weather to prevent groundwater from entering the pit;
  • Waterproof walls and floors;
  • Take care of ventilation. Properly organized air exchange will prevent the appearance of condensation on the walls and the appearance of mold;
  • Pay attention to the groundwater level; if there is a risk of flooding, make an external or internal drainage system.

If groundwater does not rise above the floor level, then bitumen or heated mastic can be used to waterproof the basement.

After application to walls and ceilings, the materials polymerize and form on the surface protective film. A more reliable method of protection is penetrating waterproofing.

The material impregnates the walls, changing their structure. Penetrating insulation reliably seals all microcracks, making concrete more frost-resistant and stronger.

There is also waterproofing membrane type based on polymers. Once applied, the material transforms into a membrane that is impermeable to water.

Properly organized ventilation in the basement consists of an exhaust air duct and supply openings.

The exhaust duct is installed in one of the corners of the room, on the ceiling or the top of the wall.

The upper end of the pipe is located 0.5 meters above the ridge of the roof. The air duct is installed strictly vertically to reduce the amount of condensate, it outer part should be insulated.

Fresh air is supplied to the basement through the supply opening; the air duct is installed in the corner opposite from the hood.

Moreover, the lower part of the channel should be located 30 cm from the floor. The supply and exhaust openings are closed mosquito net. This ventilation operates under the influence of natural draft force.

Fresh air penetrates into the lower part of the basement, gradually warms up, rises and is removed through the exhaust hole.

The best time to dehumidify the basement of your home or garage is during the summer. Old stocks have almost come to an end, and the period of new procurement has not yet begun.

Previously, the basement is completely cleared of stocks of fruits, vegetables and canned goods. It is also necessary to dismantle and remove all structures intended for storing supplies.

The doors to the room should be left open for several days, thanks to this the basement can be quickly dried from settled condensation.

While the room is being ventilated, take care of the structures removed from the basement. Wooden shelves You need to dry it in the sun and wash it with soapy water.

Finally, the wood is covered with a layer of whitewash with the addition of copper sulfate. To destroy mold, you can burn the structures with a blowtorch.

Metal elements also need to be dried, then cleaned of rust and painted.

After the basement has been ventilated, the walls and floor are cleared of debris and treated with a solution of potassium permanganate.

To completely destroy mold and larvae of harmful insects, it is recommended to fumigate the basement after ventilation with special smoke bombs containing sulfur.

You can buy them in stores that sell agricultural implements.

If there are still high levels of humidity and mold in the basement, then it is recommended to resort to one of the forced dehumidification options.

What additional devices can be used to dry the cellar in a house or garage:

  • Metal brazier – you can use an old metal bucket with holes in the bottom for draft as a brazier. You need to attach legs and a hook with a cable to the bucket, with which the frypot will lower down. The bucket is filled with firewood or charcoal. After igniting the flame, the brazier is lowered down and placed on a flat, non-combustible base. To completely dry the basement, the fire must burn for at least 12 hours. It is prohibited to go down to the basement during fumigation; to add fuel, the bucket must be pulled up. You can use a brazier to dry the cellar only in rooms with a concrete or earthen floor;
  • Candle - in order to dry the cellar after penetration of groundwater, an ordinary lit candle is placed in an iron can and installed near the exhaust hole. The entrance doors remain open. The burning flame increases the draft, air exchange occurs more intensely, and the stale air is replaced by hot streams from the street. In order to dry the underground, instead of a candle, you can use a burner with dry alcohol;
  • Electrical appliances - an infrared or oil heater is installed in the middle of the basement. This method can take a lot of time, so if possible, it is better to replace the heater with a heat gun. Due to the high power of the heat gun, this method can be used to dry basements even after the penetration of sewage and groundwater.

Drainage system design

If the groundwater level is high, it is necessary to take care of the drainage system when constructing a basement.

If this is not done, the subfloor will periodically be subject to flooding. Most often used outdoor system drainage, it can be erected around an already finished building.

The main difficulty is that you will have to dig out the foundation along the entire perimeter of the building. If this is not possible, it is better to opt for more affordable internal drainage.

The basis of the drainage is a perforated pipe, through the holes of which will leak groundwater and precipitation. The pipe is laid at foot level along the entire perimeter of the basement.

Keep in mind that internal drainage does not guarantee a 100% result. In addition, after all the work is completed, the basement will be at least 30 cm lower.

Therefore, this method is resorted to only as a last resort.

Internal drainage device:

  1. Dry the basement thoroughly after groundwater has penetrated;
  2. Waterproof the walls, preferably with penetrating materials. As a last resort, use liquid rubber;
  3. Remove the finished floor (if there is one) and place a layer of crushed stone on the base plate;
  4. Lay perforated pipes on top of the crushed stone cushion and lead them outside the basement into a well to collect water;
  5. Place a layer on the crushed stone cushion insulating material and do concrete screed. This will be the new floor.

External drainage device:

  1. After removing the formwork, cover the foundation with waterproofing materials;
  2. Dig a drainage trench around the foundation. The ditch should be located at a slope towards the water collection point (drainage well);
  3. Dig a drainage well. It should be located no further than 10-15 cm from the cellar. Strengthen the walls of the well with a casing pipe with a diameter of 300 mm and a depth of at least 3 m;
  4. Make a trench for the pipe connecting the drainage and catchment well;
  5. Place geotextiles at the bottom of the drainage trench and add a layer of gravel;
  6. Lay down drainage pipes, fill with gravel and cover with overlapping edges of geotextile;
  7. Connect the drainage catchment well with a pipe;
  8. Fill the trenches with the previously selected soil.

Carry out construction work better in summer. If the basement is located on an area with loose soil, then the walls of the trench must first be strengthened.

The cellar always maintains a low temperature, which ensures the safety of food. However low temperature and insufficient air access lead to dampness and, as a consequence, mold. In addition, in spring there is a risk of flooding the cellar with melt water. And even if you forcibly pump out all the liquid, the room will still remain damp. Therefore, the owners are faced with the question: how to dry the cellar? Let's look at all the main methods and determine how effective they are.

How to dry a cellar outside

So, we have a cellar on the street, for example, in the country. How does this structure differ from the underground floor in the house? As a rule, such a cellar is a single structure or a pit connected to non-residential premises. This means that drying and disinfection can be carried out here using fire and smoke.

How to dry a cellar using a roasting pan? First, the racks and shelves are taken out of storage - they can be dried in the sun and treated with a solution of copper sulfate, which will prevent the development of mold. We light a brazier (it’s easy to make from a bucket) and lower it on a hook into the hole. The heat will promote drying and the smoke will disinfect the room.

You can also dry the storage by creating additional traction. To do this, we extend the pipe supply ventilation by using tin cans almost to the floor and place a candle next to it.

Both methods are not fast, and drying may take several days.

in the house

The easiest way to dry out vegetable storage in your home is with a regular heater. You need to take an extension cord, lower it into the cellar and connect any heater closed type(no open spiral). The type of device is chosen for safety reasons, since a person cannot stay in the cellar all the time. It is also necessary that the heater has a fuse that will turn off the device if it overheats. Drying time will depend on the power of the device and the area of ​​the room, but, as a rule, it happens quite quickly.

How to dry a cellar using a heat gun? This method is rarely used in private homes, but these devices are used to get rid of dampness in industrial premises. Heat guns are highly efficient fan heaters. They are used for heating large premises, and for drying. The disadvantage of this method is that you have to buy special equipment, and, most likely, this explains the rare use of the method when drying private cellars. However, recently it has become possible to rent heat guns, or, as an option, order dehumidification of the room from a specialized company.

So, now you know how to dry the cellar. However, it must be remembered that it is best to foresee the possibility of this problem occurring at the construction stage. Groundwater level analysis at a selected location and wiring supply and exhaust ventilation will reduce the appearance of dampness and mold during cellar operation.

In case of violations in construction technology country house, various adverse consequences are possible, which are associated with best case scenario only financial investments in repairs and correction of errors. One of common problems problems that arise among private homeowners, and are explained by inaccuracies in construction procedures, is the flooding of the basement of the house. Read this article about what to do in such an unpleasant situation and how to save your home.

Primary drying of the basement

There can be many reasons for basement flooding, but they all boil down to two main ones:

  • in case of improperly organized waterproofing of construction on a site with high level groundwater in the spring, during floods, flooding of the basement will occur on a regular basis;
  • if there are errors in calculations and construction around the building, autumn rains will also cause flooding basement.

Regardless of the reasons for the flooding, the first step is to remove the water from the basement if it has not all gone away. To do this, use a hydraulic pump. After cleaning the basement from water, carry out a few more procedures before drying:

  • Remove furniture, shelving and other accessories used for storing food and supplies from the basement. Subject to availability wooden elements, start drying them under the sun and further treating them with protective agents.
  • If the weather continues to be good, open the basement doors and windows to let fresh air into the room.


  • To eliminate air humidity, place boxes with absorbent substances (charcoal, dry lime) in the basement. If possible, remove top layer flooring, cover with dry sand.
  • Wipe the walls from condensation and moisture. Treat with a solution of potassium permanganate.
  • If you have time and opportunity, fumigate the room with sulfur. Sulfur helps destroy dangerous bacteria that thrive in damp areas. For this procedure you will need a smoke bomb and time; you cannot enter the room, because the substances are dangerous to human lungs.

How to dry out a basement


There are several common methods for drying a basement; the choice of one depends on the availability of equipment.

  • Drying the basement using a broiler. An old bucket will serve as a brazier. Make holes in its bottom, attach legs to the bottom - this work is necessary to create traction. Attach a hook with a cable to the handle. Fill a bucket with birch logs, light it and lower it into the center of the basement. Keep an eye on the broiler for at least 12 hours of burn time. Remember that going down into the basement at this time is strictly prohibited.
  • Drying the basement with a candle. Longer, but safe way. Place the candle under ventilation hole. Extend the ventilation duct with an additional segment so that the spark plug is inside the pipe. Since the procedure will take several days, it is optimal to replace the candle with a gasoline burner. And when using dry alcohol, disinfection of the room will be an additional advantage.
  • Drying the basement with electrical appliances. When choosing between electric heaters and a heat gun, give preference to the second option. The equipment is more powerful, but will cope with the task faster, saving the family budget.
  • Drying the basement with forced ventilation. Installing powerful fans will help dry out the basement, but only if there is an exhaust vent.

Preventing basement flooding


As in many other cases, eliminating the consequences takes more time and effort than preventive measures. Prevention of subsequent basement flooding is timely waterproofing. It is necessary to waterproof the basement during the construction of the house, however, it will not be difficult to do it later; you will not need to solve the house for this. Use one of modern means(ruberoid, liquid rubber or glass). The choice of method of waterproofing the basement is not important, the main thing is to achieve insulation of the room from ground moisture on all year round. After complete drying of the basement and further waterproofing, carried out according to the rules, you can return furniture and shelving to the room, restore order and use it for its intended purpose.

In the article, I talked about several accessible and simple ways to dry out a basement after a flood. I hope they help you in your current situation. Well, timely measures taken to protect the basement from moisture will save you from wasting time and money on restoring the premises.

With the onset of autumn, the life of all gardeners becomes one more problem: how to preserve the entire harvest. It's no secret that all grown vegetables and fruits, and subsequently jars of seaming, are stored in the cellar. But during the summer season the air there became heavy, unpleasant and damp. And here the question arises: how to prepare the cellar for wintering?

First of all

Where can you start all the work? First of all, you need to take everything that is stored inside into fresh air:

  • pallets;
  • racks;
  • bins;
  • boxes;
  • shelves.

All these storage tools need to be cleaned and washed thoroughly warm water with the addition of soap and soda. After which the structures must be completely dried and ventilated in fresh air.

For the purpose of disinfection, all wooden structures are treated with a solution of copper sulfate and then whitened. If you don’t trust the old “old-fashioned” method, then you can purchase a special antifungal composition that will also do an excellent job with this difficult task.

After completing the procedures, you can begin to treat the walls and floor of the cellar. First of all, they must be washed and treated with a solution of copper sulfate to prevent the formation of mold. Only after completing these steps can you begin to dry the cellar.

The easiest way to dry

Many may think that just ventilating the cellar is enough. Alas, this is not true. The air in such a room is very humid, stagnant, and most importantly, heavy. This is why simply opening the door will not help. Many people spent their whole lives only ventilating the room and only after a while began to ask themselves the question of how to dry the cellar correctly.

The most in a simple way in the fight against musty and stagnant air is the introduction of additional exhaust hood. All that needs to be done is to extend the ventilation inlet almost to the floor, and place a jar with a candle under it (it will create the required draft). This way the musty air will leave the cellar. To create initial draft, you can burn a sheet of paper and then place a candle in the ventilation pipe. With the help of such a device, within a few days there will not be a drop of moist air left in the cellar. But don’t forget to leave front door open - this will provide an influx of fresh air.

How to warm up the cellar

Of course, the option with a candle is far from the only one. There are a huge number of ways to deal with excessive humidity. For example, warming up. Today in stores you can find all kinds of special thermal appliances. They allow you to both dry out the cellar and use them in everyday life for other purposes.

The most popular device is a heat gun. With its help you can warm up the walls of the cellar very well. To do this, you just need to point it in the right direction and leave it that way for a while. Despite the fact that this method is quite easy, not everyone uses it. And then the question arises again, how to dry the cellar outside.

Previously, a fire was simply lit for this procedure. But, of course, this is not the safest option. It was replaced by an easy-to-use device - a roaster. It won't be difficult to do it. It is enough to take a metal bucket, make legs for it or simply place bricks along the edges and punch small holes at the bottom. Afterwards, you need to load wood chips into this structure and ignite it. When the flame burns well, you can add large logs to the fire.

The brazier is placed in the cellar. The flame from it will not only dry out all the walls, but will also drive out the old, stagnant air, and the smoke will kill all the fungi and bacteria that lived there before. This procedure is more effective than a regular fire, and also much safer.

How to make a cellar well ventilated

Often the air in the cellar is stale and musty, and it is quite difficult to get rid of it. Installing additional ventilation will help solve this problem.

For proper air circulation, it is necessary to make two shafts at different ends of the room. For ventilation, it is better to use pipes with a diameter of about 15 centimeters. They should miss air currents in and out. Don't forget about maintaining the temperature. In winter it should be from -2 to +5 degrees Celsius. If everything is done correctly, then the question of how to dry the cellar will not constantly bother you. All that needs to be done is to thoroughly disinfect the room.

How to dry a cellar after a flood

With the arrival of spring, every summer resident suffers. After all, there is nowhere to escape from the melted snow, and all this water will certainly collect in the cellar. So where do you start?

First of all, you need to completely pump out the water. The best way to do this is with a pump. Once the water level reaches the minimum value, it is necessary to remove everything wooden structures from the cellar. If possible, throw them away altogether. You can dry the cellar using a brazier. In such a situation, this method will be the most effective (it was described above).

Drying the cellar in the garage

Not all owners store their food and supplies in a room separate from the house. Many people do not have this opportunity, so they set up their cellars, for example, in garages. But here another problem arises: how to dry the cellar in the garage?

Most of the methods described above in the article are suitable for this procedure. But there are more effective means. For example, in any agricultural store you can get advice on how to dry the cellar, and, most likely, the seller will advise using a sulfur bomb for this. It is comparable in efficiency to a Dutch oven, but does not emit as much heat and smoke.

Those who know how to remove moisture from the cellar using a brazier, and deny all other methods, need to take care of building a hood so that everything there does not become smoky from smoke.

Cellar in the house

Small living area forces you to make maximum use of all space. Therefore, people often have to build a cellar directly in the house. Yes, it's not the best convenient option, but nothing can be done.

In such a situation, finding the answer to the question of how to dry the cellar in the house becomes problematic, because you cannot use a brazier there - all the walls will become smoked. The option using a candle is not so simple, but heat gun Not everyone can find it.

So, how to dry the cellar in the house, if there is such a need? According to tradition, before starting the whole action, everything should be taken out of the cellar. Then dry all the walls, best using electric heating devices(a regular heater will do just fine). After this, all surfaces must be treated with an antibacterial and fungal agent and the basement waterproofing must be improved to prevent such cases.

Expensive drying method

Many people believe that it is easier to pay money than to do the work themselves. invented for them special way drying the basement - using injections. This is the most complex and expensive method of all those presented above, which consists of introducing special waterproofing agents into the soil with a pump. These injections are made around the entire perimeter of the cellar and prevent moisture from penetrating into it.

The cellar is undoubtedly one of the most important rooms in the household. Its construction must be carefully thought out. But if, nevertheless, the cellar urgently needs to be dried, then in this case only improving the waterproofing and installing more new system ventilation.

A damp cellar is the most common problem country houses. The reasons for the appearance of excess dampness in such a room are very prosaic and lie in the poor quality of its waterproofing. Also, in the absence of air exchange (ventilation) due to storing a large volume of fruits and vegetables on limited area Excess moisture may form, which will subsequently condense on all enclosing structures.

Of course, storing vegetables and fruits in such a cellar is extremely unjustified, because being in constant moisture, the products will quickly become unusable and spoil in less than a month. Based on this, our review today will examine the question of how to dry the cellar and perform this procedure most effectively.

Step one. Getting rid of the causes of dampness

You don’t need to be an expert to understand the obvious - if the causes of dampness are not eliminated, then drying the cellar will become an absolutely pointless exercise. Therefore, let's look at the main actions that can be used to prevent moisture from penetrating into the warehouse.

Waterproofing walls. Allows you to minimize the penetration of moisture into the room from the outside. For these purposes, you can use external waterproofing based on bitumen (applied in liquid form) or fix sheet (roll) material.

Ceiling vapor barrier. Will reduce the likelihood of moisture entering the basement from the room above.

Installation of a drainage system. Relevant if the burial structure is located on inclined surface. As drainage, you can use a pipe that is buried in the ground from the side of the hill. Through it, flowing streams of water can be diverted to the side (for example, after rain or snow).

Floor revision. Allows you to minimize the penetration of moisture from the soil into the room (especially in cellars with an earthen floor). For these purposes, the floor plane should be leveled, compacted well and simply covered with a layer of polyethylene or roofing felt. However, a more justified option would be to make a high-quality concrete floor with appropriate waterproofing.

Cellar ventilation. Allows for continuous air exchange in the room and removes excess moisture outside along with the air. For these purposes, you can use pipes (about 100 mm in diameter), which are mounted in opposite corners of the structure and installed in such a way that the end of the supply pipe is located at a height of 10 - 15 cm from the floor. And the end of the exhaust pipe is located at a distance of 10 - 15 cm from the ceiling. 15 cm. Whereas the mating parts of the pipelines must be led out into the street. In addition, it is desirable to comply with the following conditions:

  • To avoid precipitation, it is advisable to install protective umbrellas made of tin on the pipes from the street side, and to provide additional draft, it is advisable to install a deflector on the exhaust pipe.
  • The height of the exhaust pipe should be higher than the supply pipe.
  • To enhance draft, the exhaust pipe can be painted in dark color(the temperature difference will cause additional air movement).
  • If it is necessary to construct branches, the angle of inclination of such a channel should be at least 60 degrees, and its length should not be more than a meter.

Step two. Preparing the cellar for drying

After the causes have been identified and eliminated excess moisture, you can begin preparatory procedures for drying the cellar. For these purposes, it is first necessary to remove all food from the premises, and also remove structural elements for storing them (boxes, shelves, etc.). Next, you should make sure that the equipment is suitable for further use. And if wooden products for storing vegetables and fruits do not have visible damage in the form of rot, they are simply laid out on the street to dry. If the listed defects occur, then it is advisable to treat the problem areas with a 5% solution of copper sulfate or an alternative antiseptic.

The next stage of the preparation process is whitewashing the cellar with lime mortar, which protects the structure from bacteria and makes it possible to additionally collect moisture from the air. This event is carried out in the following order:

  1. A thick lime solution is prepared in a container (usually a bucket), which contains lime, water and 5 percent copper sulfate.
  2. Using personal protective equipment and a paint cap, spray all interior walls and careful painting of corners. Moreover, this must be done with vigorous movements, ensuring high-quality adhesion of the whitewash to the base. As a result of this spraying, all walls, corners and ceilings should be covered with a thick layer of lime mortar.
  3. After the whitewash has dried, the above procedure is repeated, and the result of these actions is the presence of a porous limestone layer over the entire area of ​​the fence structures.

Direct drying of the cellar should be started only after the lime mortar has dried.

Step three. How to dry out a damp basement

Direct removal of moisture from the cellar can be achieved in several ways.

A candle will help dry the cellar

If the cellar is located at some distance from the main buildings (there is no electricity), then it can be dried using an ordinary candle. To do this, first, a segment of a similar pipe is temporarily added to the exhaust pipe (located under the ceiling) with the condition that its end does not reach the floor by 5 - 10 cm. Next, a lit candle is installed under this pipe on a non-flammable stand, which, by warming up the air, ensures good its circulation (warm currents tend upward). After the candle burns out, you should install a new one and thus achieve high-quality removal of moisture from the vegetable storage. Sometimes, in order to get the movement of air masses, the energy of a candle is not enough, and then at the initial moment you can bring lit paper or dry alcohol under the pipe. And after that, use a candle.

The disadvantage of this drying method is its inertia. Indeed, in order to dry a small cellar with the help of candles, it is sometimes necessary to spend 3–4 days. In addition, performing this work in hot weather can have the opposite effect and moisture will rush into the room along with the heated air (through the supply pipe). In this case, work should be stopped and started again only after the ambient temperature has dropped.

After drying, the grown structure should be dismantled.

High-speed drying of the cellar

Can be done using a fryer. Moreover, if necessary, this attribute can be made independently from an old bucket and used whenever there is a need to dry the basement. To do this, you need to make a perforation in an old bucket using a chisel or an ax.

In this case, the work algorithm does not imply execution additional work, and is implemented in the following sequence:

  1. All openings and openings connecting the cellar with the external environment are opened;
  2. The fryer is pre-ignited using small wood chips;
  3. Large pieces of wood or barbecue coals are added to the brazier and a good heat is maintained;
  4. Using a metal hook and rope, the brazier is lowered to the level of the bottom of the cellar;
  5. The lid (door) of the cellar is closed and opened every 15 - 20 minutes to allow oxygen in;
  6. After the coals burn out, the brazier is removed from the cellar using a rope, and the hatch is closed;

During the heating process, hot air will rush upward and displace the entire volume of raw air out. In addition, the smoke spreading inside the cellar can also perform an antiseptic function.

When drying the cellar using this method, you should be very careful, because in addition to high temperature, excess carbon monoxide may accumulate indoors. Therefore, experts recommend drying from above (without going down into the basement), lowering the heated roaster to the bottom of the cellar using a hook and rope. You should enter such a cellar no earlier than three days later; this time will be enough for the carbon monoxide, and the acrid smoke permeated all the nooks and crannies of the vegetable storehouse and ensured its high-quality disinfection.

Drying the cellar using a dehumidifier

Although it requires more financial investments(price household dehumidifier about 30 - 50 dollars) is the most effective way to deal with excess moisture. This is due to the fact that during operation, these devices move large volumes of air through themselves and extract water from it. This liquid is collected in a special tank and all the property owner needs to do is empty the pan as it fills.

Alternative drying methods

Sometimes you can dry the cellar using improvised materials that differ high degree hygroscopicity. Old newspapers, cardboard boxes, sawdust- not far full list such positions. The drying process itself in this case boils down to the fact that dry hygroscopic materials are evenly distributed over the area of ​​the building, and after they are saturated with moisture, they are removed and replaced with dry ones. After 3–4 such cycles you can achieve partial removal moisture from the air.

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