Market Farming

["jay gee" <jgj23 AT mindspring.com>]

On Mon, 24 Sep 2001 16:12:30 -0400, Mitch J. Belanger wrote:

>After several years of not having any sign of mildew in my basement,
>this past summer I have found it all over the place.  I don't know if
>there was a higher than normal amount of moisture in the air or what.
>My question is would the operation of a dehumidifier in my basement
>be a reasonable course of action?  Your comments are welcomed.

Mitch,

Damp walls or floors caused by higher than normal summer rainfall
may have been the culprit this summer.  If the walls of your basement
are sweating, and the outside humidity is lower than the dew point,
hook up a couple of box fans to basement windows exhausting
basement air to the outside.  Open windows in the highest part of
the house and open the door to the basement so a column of fresh
air flows into the basement.  The moisture will be extracted as the air
changes.

If the water table has risen greatly around your house, you may
have longer term problems which can only be cured by excavating
around the basement and french draining the water to a lower part
of your property, or a cistern used exclusively for trapping that water.

Good luck.

Jay Gee
not a farmer -- but interested in farming