Damp smell

JohnnyZ

New Member
Every time I walk into my house I smell something damp. It's getting so yuk! I think it's coming from the basement. I've been down there numerous times but I can't find anything wet. Any tips?
 

Ashlar2006

Masonic Mafia
Dehumidifier ! My house was the same way , it was never wet in my basement , but it always had a "damp" smell . After a while , I broke down and bought a dehumidifier the smell went away . You more than likely have a drain or two in the floor , mine does , and that dampness comes up from there and through the concrete . You will be surprised at how much water the dehumidifier will remove from the air . I had to dump the water out every day because it would fill up once a day , but I have since hooked it up to a drain hose .
 

JohnnyZ

New Member
I am going to buy one tomorrow then! I hope it works. It's making me sick I swear! I hate smelly things. We have to keep the cellar door open because the cat litter box is down there. That is cleaned every day.
 

Ashlar2006

Masonic Mafia
Like I said , it may not be wet in your basement , but you will be surprised at how much dampness the dehumidifier will pull from the air .

Like you , I hate for my house to smell , and that damp , musty smell from the basement seemed to permeate throughout the house . Drove me nuts .
 

JohnnyZ

New Member
I can't believe how many sizes and brands of dehumidifiers they are. I looked online first. I'm heading to Sears tomorrow after work to pick one up. So with this thing sucking air out of the air will the smell go to?
 

Ashlar2006

Masonic Mafia
If you can get rid of the dampness out of the air , that damp/musty smell will go away or should . It's that dampness in the air of your basement that makes your house smell musty . Is your basement finished such as a family room ? Mine is finished but used for storage (but I am in the process of making an aquarium room out of it) , before the dehumidifier and even though you could never see it wet , if I kept books down there , they would get moldy over time and smell . Now I can keep books down there with no problems .
 

tHanks

6 nicknames, guess which.
We had a similar issue with one closet in our home when we first moved in, no idea what happened to it but we had always thought it was only because the door was closed for so long. Is there bad ventaliation in the basement?
 

Eoin

New Member
It just depends upon the layout of the basement and your house. You really have to be a detective when you start investigating smells. But a dehumidifier is the first step. You may need to have your basement waterproofed too. Good luck.
 

Ashlar2006

Masonic Mafia
We had a similar issue with one closet in our home when we first moved in, no idea what happened to it but we had always thought it was only because the door was closed for so long. Is there bad ventaliation in the basement?
Yes ventilation has a lot to do with it .
 

JohnnyZ

New Member
Nope its not finished (no rug) it's a concrete floor and our washer and dryer is down there. Our wood stove is also down there and a bunch of wood. In the winter when the wood stove is going full blast I don't notice the smell at all. Wondering if the heat is sucking the dampness out of the air too.
 
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