When it gets hotter and hotter outside, for many people this is an opportunity to air out their damp basement properly in order to get rid of that typical basement smell of damp and mould. Properly means keeping the windows and doors of their basements open throughout the day and drying them out with as much warm summer air as possible. But instead, this results in the opposite to what is intended: especially when the weather is hot, the walls really start to sweat. What’s happening here?
In principle, the same happens when you take a water bottle out of the fridge in summer. It also starts to ‘sweat’ straight away. In other words, water droplets form on the bottle. This is because warm air stores more moisture than cold air. If the warm air in the room cools down on the bottle, moisture is released that then condenses in the form of water droplets. Now, instead of the cold water bottle, imagine your basement where the walls are still relatively cold due to the surrounding ground, even at the height of summer: the warm summer air flows into the cool basement – and what happens? The warm air cools down and the excess moisture also condenses immediately on the cold walls. This is the principle behind so-called summer condensation – the reason why an uncomfortably damp indoor climate is created and a cause for the best breeding ground for the formation of mould.
How to keep your basement dry – our tips
If the basement is well insulated and has dry outer walls, summer condensation can be avoided by means of proper ventilation. In order to prevent condensation in basements, you should only air them out when the outside temperature and humidity level is lower than inside the basement.
- On especially hot summer days you should not air them out at all during the daytime. Instead, it is better to air them out in the mornings when it’s still not so warm, or you can use the cool of the evening.
- On cooler summer days you can even air out the basement several times a day for around 10 to 15 minutes.
- If you wash your clothes in the basement, then always air out the basement again quickly and vigorously. However, if you also want to dry your clothes in the basement, this will make the moisture problem worse again. In this case, you should start considering using dehumidifiers, such as the TTK 70 S from Trotec. This device has a special dehumidification function for drying clothes.
- Furniture, in particular large cabinets, should not be placed directly against the outer wall of the basement. This will allow the air in the room to circulate more effectively.
- Basement spaces that are rarely used should not be allowed to completely cool in winter, but instead should be kept at a temperate environment without forgetting to air them out briefly every day.
- If you want to gently heat your basement, we also recommend you use a dehumidifier like the TTK 100 S from Trotec – which with its automatic hot gas defrosting system performs up to 30 % better in the temperature range of 5-15 °C. If the basement spaces remain completely unheated in winter, then we recommend the TTR 55 E dehumidifier.
Pleasantly dry basements – with innovative solutions from Trotec
Find out about all of the advantages offered to you by our dehumidifier from Trotec and also take advantage of our current offer prices. Now in the Trotec shop, you can get
The TTK 70 S has a lot to offer with its numerous additional functions such as the special mode for drying clothes. The timer function, hygrostat control and overflow protection make operation possible without any problems. What’s more, it boasts a maximum dehumidification capacity of 24l/day in rooms up to approx. 50m².
The dehumidifier combines reliable technology in a modern housing and provides you with comfortable protection against moisture and corrosion in rooms with a floor area of up to approx. 90m². It achieves this by processing up to 30 litres a day.
Since this desiccant dehumidifier does not require a compressor or a coolant, it can handle anything between 1°C to 35°C – perfect for basements or holiday homes, for example. A filter and an additional ioniser improve the quality of the air in the room to a noticeable degree. Its maximum dehumidification capacity is 8.7 l/day.
All offers incl. VAT.
