Cellar ventilation. 5 simple rules for a dry basement

Hello, friends.

When the garage was being reconstructed, they decided to organize the ventilation of the cellar in a new way. Have seen enough of all sorts of Internet there. Left one chimney. Moreover, the second one interfered at that time. We decided to take a chance and try a one-pipe scheme.

Several years of operation have shown that the basement is damp enough. Even slugs managed to get there. All these tricks with an attempt to outwit the laws of physics are from the evil one. Redesigned everything in a reliable, proven way. I tell you what to look for to keep the cellar dry.

Required supply and exhaust

For normal operation of natural ventilation, it is imperative to organize the inflow and exhaust of air.

For a complete air exchange throughout the entire volume, I make the supply pipe in one corner of the cellar and lower it almost to the floor. I make the exhaust pipe in the opposite (diagonal) corner under the ceiling.

With other schemes, there is a high risk of "dead zones". The air is stagnant. Musty odor and dampness appear.

Providing good traction

Traction (air movement) with natural ventilation appears due to three factors:

• the difference in temperature outside and in the cellar;
• wind speed on the street;
• the difference in heights of the supply and exhaust pipes.

The first two parameters are difficult to influence. With the third, everything is much simpler. I make the outlet of the supply pipe to the street at the bottom of the garage wall. It is advisable to raise the chimney above the roof ridge.

Getting rid of condensation

Nobody canceled the dew point. If the temperature difference outside and inside the duct is large, condensation appears on the surface of the pipe. Drops of water flow down the chimney into the cellar.

To eliminate this phenomenon, I wrap the chimney with two layers of foam insulation.

Some put a tee on the bottom edge of the chimney. The side outlet serves for air outlet. The lower one is plugged with a stopper. Condensate collects there, which is drained periodically. But I believe that this approach is "from the evil one."

We do not allow locking from the outside

I do not consider cases with a high level of groundwater or leakage of rainwater into the basement. This is a separate topic. I will give just a couple of tips on how to prevent water from entering from the outside.

We seal the location of the grill in the wall. You can zilliconize, but I prefer to approach the issue more globally.

I avoid additional holes in the roof whenever possible. The chimney was brought out through the pediment. Yes, the thrust is slightly lower, but the roof remains intact. This ventilation is more than enough for my cellar volume.

We regulate the microclimate

If we simply install the supply and exhaust pipes, we will face two problems:

• In severe frost, the temperature in the cellar can go to minus.
• In hot, damp weather, a lot of moisture will condense in the basement.

To prevent this, we install a gate (valve) on the supply pipe. With it, you can adjust the intensity of air exchange depending on the season.

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