Hey Y’all
Bought a new home in New England with a stone basement or a rubble basement, whatever you want to call it. The floor is concrete. The home is on a hill, and well above the water table, but it’s got a stump pump because stone basements can still weep if it’s wet enough, I believe. I know I’ll need to throw a dehumidifier in there and aim for 40%.
The home inspection didn’t turn up asbestos or anything like that, but I want to know if there are health hazards I should consider. Thinking about doing a radon test, are there any other tests I should do? Or items I should consider?
Absolutely do a radon test and at minimum get a CO detector.
CO?
Sorry, yes. :) Fixed.
Can I get away with just keeping a CO2 detector in the kitchen and bedrooms, or should there be one in the basement as well?
Basement too.
Ps, I know someone mentioned a monitor, get it professionally done as well. It can be fixed but you don’t want to mess around with it.
https://www.epa.gov/radon/epa-map-radon-zones-and-supplemental-information
I was honestly planning on getting a test until I learned about the monitors. Might just do both
Check out wave things. They make all in one CO2, radon, humidity, temp monitors. Good for long term monitoring of radon and other undesirable things.
The ones I have been in were not 100% water tight. They seeped a bit after big rains. I would not put anything too valuable there until you know.
If you plan to deadlift then get something to protect the concrete. You don’t have to lift THAT heavy to crack the concrete.
Dehumidifier so your weights don’t get nasty.
I don’t have a stone basement, but it’s block, on a hill, with bare floor(rocks etc). We just fixed it all up with pump, membrane, dehumidifier etc. Get a good dehumidifier with an actual pump. Some say they have pumps, but they are super weak. Get a good one.
Before we fixed it up there was a decent bit of mold in the air. And things would collect dust then mold very quickly. So watch your stuff. Keep your nose open for mold.
Beyond that, every house is different. I wouldn’t have an issue doing what your trying to do. I’d probably just keep a door open when I was down there or something. I don’t have mold anymore, and humidity levels are good with the membrane, seal, and dehumidifier.
I would suggest an air monitoring tool like Airthings: https://www.airthings.com/wave-plus
This will monitor not just Radon but other contaminants.
Installed, dehumidifier, not one with a bucket you have to dump is probably a must. That or one that you can drain into the sump-pump.
Lastly a 20" boxfan filter. https://www.thenourishinggourmet.com/diy-air-filter-using-box-fan/ Its easy, cheap, and very effective.
Honestly that box fan filter seems like a bigger and cheaper HEPA filter, which I like. Definitely will look into the air monitor as I wanted a humidity monitor already.
I’ve got a similar basement, could you tell me why a dehumidifier?
My understanding is somewhat limited, but I believe the stone and concrete pull moisture in, especially when humidity is high during and after rain. That moisture then allows mold or mildew to grow on surfaces, and the moisture is absorbed into wood, which weakens it, and shortens its lifespan.
Well shit, guess I’ll be buying a dehumidifier then. It’s nearly always high humidity where I live.
Thanks so much for taking the time to explain!
Concrete is porous as are mortar and bricks themselves I believe. Plus most basements are surrounded by a lot of earth so there is a lot of moisture to deal with. The dehumidifier will help bring the moisture down so that whatever gym equipment and whatever else is down there doesn’t start to rust/mold. I’ve never lived in a house with a basement like that so I can only assume.
To add to this: around 50% humidity is generally a good target to set for indoors.
Btw if your basement is moist, you can get a contractor to dig open the outside walls and seal them
