Foul Basement Odors in Warwick, MD

Monday, January 29th, 2024 by Mike Sites

Challenge

As you can see in the accompanying pictures, this homeowner in Warwick, MD, contacted Lawson Home Services and asked us what could be done about the "Heavy musty smell in the finished basement".

It didn't take long for Dr. Energy Saver Home Comfort Specialist, Troy Rowland, to discover the problem: a damp, outdated ventilated-style crawl space made even worse by a poor landscaping choice. For more information follow the link to the photo gallery for this project. There you will find pictures, clearly showing the problem, each accompanied by a detailed explanation.

Solution

Provide a proper drainage system to carry ground water AWAY from the foundation. This includes moving the mulch far away from the foundation wall.
Treat the crawl space like a room inside the house by sealing off the vents from the outside air.
Install proper dehumidification equipment, which is essential, particularly in the extremely humid mid-atlantic coastal climate we experience here in Delaware.

The customer complains of foul smells migrating into the living space of the finished basement, evidently coming from the crawlspace.The homeowner was already aware of the groundwater coming into the crawl space and has made arrangements with a landscaper to modify the landscaping and install proper drainage.

The solution, at the very least, is to attempt to seal shut the crawl space vents in order to stop the intrusion of groundwater, and then use a dehumidifier to the keep the basement and crawlspace.

Foul Basement Odors in Warwick, MD

Challenge

Solution

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