When we bought the house we knew we’d have to keep a constant eye on our cellar. Unlike newer houses, our cellar can’t really be transformed into a sweet playroom or man cave, but luckily we have the garage space for that. So without that constant foot traffic, it’s easier to forget it exists until something bad happens, and then it’s like an ugly pimple in the middle of your face. You know, the ones that hurt when you don’t even do anything, but instead of physical pain, the cellar hurts you financially.
So our plan was to do anything we possibly could to prevent any future problems, resolve any current problems, and hopefully be able to store some canned foods and wine down there.
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If you hear crickets chirping, it’s because our intentions were great and fantastic, but we definitely delayed on this. So now we’re in a mad dash to take care of any problems before fall and winter hit.
Problem #1: Moisture
Our cellar had a ridiculous amount moisture, but I couldn’t figure out how much was because of moisture in the air or bigger problems. So I purchased this guy:
I purchased the 50- pint version from Lowe’s at $200, and we have it down there on high which is supposed to resolve any moisture problems within 3-4 days. Then you can set it at a lower setting and adjust as necessary. I purchased this two weeks ago, and we still have it on high. One of the nice ammenities of this product is the ability to connect a water hose, and then you can have it drain directly into the sump pump. Which leads us to….
Problem #2: Sump Pump Drain
Our sump pump is working beautifully (thankfully!), but the drain that flows out of the cellar is leaking. So in order to drain our dehumidifier, we must do it manually and make the trek up and down the stairs every few hours to empty it. We have someone who is going to help us fix that this within the week, so once we have that fixed we’ll have a better idea of any other possible moisture problems. Lastly….
Problem #3: Garden hose
I wish I could say that I went off track and forgot which space I was talking about, but sadly, I’m not. Like some problems, it’s easy to put them aside and figure out another way to get to the end. We have been unable to use our garden hose all summer, because the spigot has a leak and drains into the cellar as well. We have been using a bucket or a watering can in order to water our garden, and for the most part, our landscaping has just been left on its own.
So those are the wonderful issues we’ve been dealing with, and I know that we shouldn’t have let them go on this long. Do you have any problems you’ve pushed aside even though you knew you shouldn’t? What state is your cellar/basement in?
