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Home > Archive > Home Repair forum > June 2006 > Basement flooding
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| We're in the East coast heavy rain belt and yesterday morning I vacuumed out
80 gallons - about the worst it has ever been for our home - mush worse for
others. My wife spent the day vac'ing the indoor/outdoor carpet down there
and we have kept fans on as well as the HVAC fan on constantly with the A/C
on. I was disappointed that it wasn't more dry this morning but it'still
raining here. Not a good scenario for drying. Do you think that it would
be any help to turn on the baseboard electric heat down there to try to
alter the relative humidity and get some of the moisture into the air and
circulating throught the A/C system for dehumidification? Just a thought
but probably not a good one. Opinions please.
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| professorpaul 2006-06-29, 9:27 am |
| I had a basement/rec room flood out some years ago... burst pipe. I
vacuumed up as much as I could, and did turn on the baseboard heaters,
as well as every fan I could lay my hands on. I was more concerned
about mildew than anything else, and wanted to get the moisture out as
quickly as possible. It worked just fine. I had maybe 1" of water on
the floor.
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| In article <DM6dnal8JrY0qDzZnZ2dnUVZ_rGdnZ2d@innernet.net>, C & E says...
>
>We're in the East coast heavy rain belt and yesterday morning I vacuumed out
>80 gallons - about the worst it has ever been for our home - mush worse for
>others. My wife spent the day vac'ing the indoor/outdoor carpet down there
>and we have kept fans on as well as the HVAC fan on constantly with the A/C
>on. I was disappointed that it wasn't more dry this morning but it'still
>raining here. Not a good scenario for drying. Do you think that it would
>be any help to turn on the baseboard electric heat down there to try to
>alter the relative humidity and get some of the moisture into the air and
>circulating throught the A/C system for dehumidification? Just a thought
>but probably not a good one. Opinions please.
>
>
BTDT two things:
1. Take the carpet up and get it out of the house. If you don't have a place to
dry it out pretty much immediately (or even if you do, it may be too late), it
will deteriorate and harbor molds even if it's "indoor/outdoor".
2. I know it's a lot of rain lately, but see if you can address why water is
getting into your basement. Don't just write it off as an unusual event; it'll
happen again and your use of the space will be compromised anyway. So, if the
gutters work and the grading of your lot is correct, you should look into adding
drainage either exterior or interior.
Banty
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>
> BTDT two things:
>
> 1. Take the carpet up and get it out of the house. If you don't have a
> place to
> dry it out pretty much immediately (or even if you do, it may be too
> late), it
> will deteriorate and harbor molds even if it's "indoor/outdoor".
>
> 2. I know it's a lot of rain lately, but see if you can address why water
> is
> getting into your basement. Don't just write it off as an unusual event;
> it'll
> happen again and your use of the space will be compromised anyway. So,
> if the
> gutters work and the grading of your lot is correct, you should look into
> adding
> drainage either exterior or interior.
>
> Banty
>
The reason for the water, Banty, is that I forgot to clean the gutters this
spring and they
had accumulated a lot of maple seeds. I got it done in the fall but this
one got by me.
I feel pretty stupid about it. I wa considering one of those gutter guard
solutions but the
nationally advertised one priced out that I could pay someone to clean my
gutters twice a
year for the next 30 years. Others just don't look like they would even
work and that's too
expensive to risk a bet. I'll just keep cleaning - if I remember - DOH!!
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| In article <q9SdnQRMtq3yETzZnZ2dnUVZ_s-dnZ2d@innernet.net>, C & E says...
>
>
>
>
>The reason for the water, Banty, is that I forgot to clean the gutters this
>spring and they
>had accumulated a lot of maple seeds.
Ah ha - them "helicopters" are worse than fall leaves by far - they ball up and
block everything! BTDT.
>I got it done in the fall but this
>one got by me.
>I feel pretty stupid about it. I wa considering one of those gutter guard
>solutions but the
>nationally advertised one priced out that I could pay someone to clean my
>gutters twice a
>year for the next 30 years. Others just don't look like they would even
>work and that's too
>expensive to risk a bet. I'll just keep cleaning - if I remember - DOH!!
>
>
I'd still think of what else could be done - clearly much the roof drainage
went straight down your foundation.
Banty
--
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| hallerb@aol.com 2006-06-29, 9:27 am |
| The cost of doing nothing about clogged gutters is high, carpet mold
and other damage.
Do the gutter guard to prevent a reoccurence, and look into foundation
drains too.
fix this so it cant happen again increases resale value
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| PSZach 2006-06-29, 9:27 am |
|
C & E Wrote:
> We're in the East coast heavy rain belt and yesterday morning I vacuumed
> out
> 80 gallons - about the worst it has ever been for our home - mush worse
> for
> others. My wife spent the day vac'ing the indoor/outdoor carpet down
> there
> and we have kept fans on as well as the HVAC fan on constantly with the
> A/C
> on. I was disappointed that it wasn't more dry this morning but
> it'still
> raining here. Not a good scenario for drying. Do you think that it
> would
> be any help to turn on the baseboard electric heat down there to try
> to
> alter the relative humidity and get some of the moisture into the air
> and
> circulating throught the A/C system for dehumidification? Just a
> thought
> but probably not a good one. Opinions please.
A bi-product of air conditioning is condensation, which is moisture
from the air converted to liquid.
You may want to evaluate the cost of operating your A/C system for the
purposes of capturing random humidity verses hiring specialist equipped
with appropriate Water Damage Restoration equipment.
--
PSZach
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| mrsgator88 2006-06-29, 9:27 am |
| > The reason for the water, Banty, is that I forgot to clean the gutters
> this spring and they
> had accumulated a lot of maple seeds. I got it done in the fall but this
> one got by me.
> I feel pretty stupid about it. I wa considering one of those gutter guard
> solutions but the
> nationally advertised one priced out that I could pay someone to clean my
> gutters twice a
> year for the next 30 years. Others just don't look like they would even
> work and that's too
> expensive to risk a bet. I'll just keep cleaning - if I remember - DOH!!
I use plasitc mesh that just slides into place. I have LOTS of trees around
my house, so I have to yank 'em out once or twice a year to clean the little
that gets through. Worth considering...
S
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| mrsgator88 2006-06-29, 9:27 am |
| "C & E" <chizzard52@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:DM6dnal8JrY0qDzZnZ2dnUVZ_rGdnZ2d@innernet.net...
> We're in the East coast heavy rain belt and yesterday morning I vacuumed
> out 80 gallons - about the worst it has ever been for our home - mush
> worse for others. My wife spent the day vac'ing the indoor/outdoor carpet
> down there and we have kept fans on as well as the HVAC fan on constantly
> with the A/C on. I was disappointed that it wasn't more dry this morning
> but it'still raining here. Not a good scenario for drying. Do you think
> that it would be any help to turn on the baseboard electric heat down
> there to try to alter the relative humidity and get some of the moisture
> into the air and circulating throught the A/C system for dehumidification?
> Just a thought but probably not a good one. Opinions please.
Heat and AC? I dunno... what's worked for me is to shut the windows, run a
fan, and run a dehumidifier. Maybe 2 if necessary.
S
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| hallerb@aol.com 2006-06-29, 9:27 am |
| Close windows, turn heat to 90, leave a couple windows cracked open a
couple inches to vent the moisture.
This is the fastest way to dry the place.
The higher temp drives the moisture into the air, you could run a
dehudifier too.
Ever scrub carpets and run AC to dry things? Carpet stays moist for
days.
Heat and dehumidify is how water restoration people handle things
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| trader4@optonline.net 2006-06-29, 9:27 am |
|
hallerb@aol.com wrote:
> Close windows, turn heat to 90, leave a couple windows cracked open a
> couple inches to vent the moisture.
>
> This is the fastest way to dry the place.
>
> The higher temp drives the moisture into the air, you could run a
> dehudifier too.
>
> Ever scrub carpets and run AC to dry things? Carpet stays moist for
> days.
>
> Heat and dehumidify is how water restoration people handle things
I'd go with using the AC over heat. If you get in a car with wet
close on when it's been raining, the windows fog up. Turning on the AC
is the fastest way to get that moisture out. Turning on the heat takes
a lot longer and makes the whole thing a lot worse first.
I'd do the same with the basement, or rent/buy a dehumidifier
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| Stormin Mormon 2006-06-29, 9:27 am |
| One problem is that the AC systems I've serviced generally don't
circulate air through the cellar. You may have to temporarily take a
couple of the vent ducts apart, so that the air circulates through the
cellar.
Years ago, I knew a maintenance guy for a hotel. He'd get calls now
and again for an AC leak soaking the carpet of a guest room. He'd go
in with a shop vac, and set the vac in the room. Lean the wand against
the machine, so it was self supporting. You could tell by the sound
change of the motor that it had a good seal to the floor. Leave the
vac running, and come back half hour later. I thought he was just
lazy, but he said that really did remove a LOT of water.
Good luck. I'm sure plenty of other folks want the same answer. Please
let us know what works for you.
--
Christopher A. Young
You can't shout down a troll.
You have to starve them.
..
"C & E" <chizzard52@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:DM6dnal8JrY0qDzZnZ2dnUVZ_rGdnZ2d@innernet.net...
We're in the East coast heavy rain belt and yesterday morning I
vacuumed out
80 gallons - about the worst it has ever been for our home - mush
worse for
others. My wife spent the day vac'ing the indoor/outdoor carpet down
there
and we have kept fans on as well as the HVAC fan on constantly with
the A/C
on. I was disappointed that it wasn't more dry this morning but
it'still
raining here. Not a good scenario for drying. Do you think that it
would
be any help to turn on the baseboard electric heat down there to try
to
alter the relative humidity and get some of the moisture into the air
and
circulating throught the A/C system for dehumidification? Just a
thought
but probably not a good one. Opinions please.
| |
|
|
"C & E" <chizzard52@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:DM6dnal8JrY0qDzZnZ2dnUVZ_rGdnZ2d@innernet.net...
> We're in the East coast heavy rain belt and yesterday morning I vacuumed
> out 80 gallons - about the worst it has ever been for our home - mush
> worse for others. My wife spent the day vac'ing the indoor/outdoor carpet
> down there and we have kept fans on as well as the HVAC fan on constantly
> with the A/C on. I was disappointed that it wasn't more dry this morning
> but it'still raining here. Not a good scenario for drying. Do you think
> that it would be any help to turn on the baseboard electric heat down
> there to try to alter the relative humidity and get some of the moisture
> into the air and circulating throught the A/C system for dehumidification?
> Just a thought but probably not a good one. Opinions please.
Here's the latest if anyone is still watching the thread. The biggest
change occurred when the outside humidity dropped below 80% and we were done
with our 10" of rainfall. Turning on the heat had moisture condensing on
everything - not badly but slightly damp. We have a couple of dehumidifiers
working non-stop. Like I said, when the ouside humidiy broke we opened a
basement door and stationed a box fan there. I opened the door to the
upstairs and drew air down to the basement. Apparently, the return circuit
from the basement was insufficient to affect a change. Things are feeling
pretty good but I'm continuing the fans and dehumdifiers for the remainder
of the week. Thanks to all for the comments and suggestions on permanancy
of repairs. Corrections are in motion. I wish I could get a straight
answer on some of those fancy gutter guards that divert leaves but capture
the water.
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