How to Get Rid of a Musty Basement Odor in Your Home
A musty odor might only be noticed during certain times of the year. Musty odors might go unnoticed during the winter when the furnace is running, and musty odors might not be apparent during the summer months when the air conditioning is pulling humidity out of the home. A musty odor coming from the basement is most often noticed in spring and fall when utilities aren’t running and the windows are closed.
It doesn’t matter if your home is old or new, a basement can become damp and musty due to cracks in walls, humidity, and condensation. Visible cracks aren’t as easy to repair as problems with condensation and basement humidity, but you may be able to find and repair the source of basement dampness yourself – if the cause of the dampness and musty odor isn’t too serious. Even minor cracks are easy to repair.
The first step is to find the source of dampness creating the musty odor. Keep in mind there may be more than one source of dampness that could be causing a musty odor in your basement. The following information will help you track down the source of dampness in your basement so you can repair the problem and get rid of the musty basement odor once and for all. It only makes sense to start with the easiest methods of getting rid of dampness to eliminate a musty odor.
Condensation
Especially during summer months, basement pipes can become covered in condensation. The condensation builds on cold water pipes until it runs down the pipes or drips onto the basement floor. Cold water pipes covered in condensation can definitely create a musty odor in the basement.
The best way to prevent and control musty basement odors caused by cold water pipes is to cover the pipes with an insulated pipe wrap. Insulated pipe wraps are inexpensive, and wrapping your pipes with insulation an easy way to prevent dampness and get rid of the musty odor in your basement.
Humidity
A humid basement, even without the appearance of obvious dampness, can cause a musty odor. If there doesn’t appear to be leaks in your musty smelling basement, try operating a dehumidifier in your basement. Most basements hold a lot of humidity, so consider attaching a hose to the dehumidifier and allow the excess moisture to drain into a working sump pump pit or a basement drain. This should help eliminate a musty odor caused by trapped basement humidity.
Leaking Pipes
What may appear to be condensation could in fact be a leaky basement water pipe. This can be another source of a musty odor in a basement. Wipe condensation from basement water pipes, and check pipe seams for slow leaks. All that may be necessary to repair a slowly leaking pipe is epoxy compound, but a leak from a tiny hole requires a different method of repair. Simply place a pipe leak clamp over the area of the leak. If your basement doesn’t suffer further problems, this quick fix might take care of your musty basement odor.
Weeping Walls
Weeping basement walls will definitely cause a musty odor in a basement and throughout a home. The issue of dampness isn’t in question, and all of the odor eliminators and moisture control methods and techniques will not eliminate a musty odor caused by weeping basement walls. The only way to get rid of the musty odor is to repair and eliminate the source of the problem.
Run a dehumidifier and fans to dry weeping basement walls as much as possible, and make sure rain isn’t in the forecast. Use a stiff bristle brush to scrub the weeping concrete or cinder block walls with trisodium phosphate. Trisodium phosphate is a hard surface cleaner that can be found at most hardware and home improvement stores. Follow product label instructions for mixing, and allow the scrubbed walls to dry completely.
After the concrete or cinder block basement walls are completely dry, seal them with latex concrete sealer according to label instructions. Unless there is a more serious problem, this should stop your basement walls from weeping and creating a foul musty odor in your basement and throughout your home.
Cracks
Cracks in concrete or cinder block basement walls aren’t uncommon. Even newer homes can develop cracks in basement walls, and these cracks sometimes begin to leak. The leaks cause dampness which naturally creates a musty odor, but don’t panic if your basement wall has developed a crack. If the crack in your basement wall isn’t major, you should be able to patch it successfully and easily from the inside. Patching a crack in a basement wall isn’t as difficult as you would think. The success of the patch will depend on whether or not the crack is active. An active crack will continue to widen and spread, so hopefully the crack is inactive and minor.
The concrete wall in my basement developed a crack not long after my home was built. Water seeped in through the crack, so I purchased a tub of ready-mixed concrete from my local hardware store. On a dry day I patched the crack with a flexible putty knife. The concrete patch did the trick, and water leaking into the basement was no longer a problem.
Avoid a musty odor in your basement by patching any cracks as soon as they appear. Follow the other tips and suggestions listed here for keeping your basement dry, and you won’t have a problem with a musty odor in your basement and throughout your home.
