hey folks!
I hope everyone is doing well and enjoying these last weeks of summer.
we an in the middle of the move to our new residence.
in walking through the house before renting there was a mildew scent in basement but i thought a dehumidifier would be a good fix.
between then and now we have had some rain, pretty heavy at times but nothing out of the usual.
on arriving with first load of moving stuff found a puddle in the basement ::argh::
hoping that a dehumidifier will still keep the basement dry enough not to cause damage to track or locos and cars.
real bummer at this point ... finally had a 30 x 20 foot space with little in the way other than heating unit and pillars toward center of the area.
::argh::
enjoy the weekend! and thanks for the posting of passenger terminals/stations...Jeff that plan is awesome...i might have even found a way to model most of it in the basement but now will have to wait and see about the moisture.
sincerely,
Gary L Lake Dillensnyder
(tired and weary moving bones and muscles
but every box and truck/car load is one step
closer to the end!!!)
Gary,
Sorry to hear about the water problem. There are three ways around it, but then there's the issue of cost. First, of course, is your dehumidifier idea, but I'm afraid that it's just something you do AFTER you solve the water problem. The first real solution you could do may be a waterproof coating on the basement walls and floor. No doubt you can see where the water is coming in by looking for whitish deposit on the blocks once the basement has dried out some. That would be the main area to paint. The owner really should have someone come in and put in a real drainage system, but that can cost several thousand dollars, so he's not likely to do it even if it would keep the house in good shape longer.
Once the water is gone, THEN you get a dehumidifier to keep the air dry. In the meantime, renters' insurance sounds like a real good idea.
Quote from: Jeff on August 25, 2012, 07:00:36 PM
Once the water is gone, THEN you get a dehumidifier to keep the air dry. In the meantime, renters' insurance sounds like a real good idea.
Jeff...I hear you. Not likely, but I know exactly what you mean!
We'll see how things unfold financially.
Thanks!
Peace,
Gary
Is there a floor drain? Or did they forget it?
In my previous life in the country back East I had two dehumidifiers running in the basement. And in the height of the sauna (aka summer) they needed to be emptied as often as twice a day.
There is a waterproofing cement that can be applied when the wall is wet (or even under water) commonly used by the municipal guys to fix cracks in fountains and similar stuff.
While I am no expert in this area, I do believe that you should not waterprrof the inside walls of the foundation as this will cause more serious damage to the walls. The outside walls should be heavily waterproofed and a french drain installed for best results.
Neither of these are inexpensive solutions.
Quote from: RhB_HJ on August 26, 2012, 12:20:10 AM
Is there a floor drain? Or did they forget it?
In my previous life in the country back East I had two dehumidifiers running in the basement. And in the height of the sauna (aka summer) they needed to be emptied as often as twice a day.
There is a waterproofing cement that can be applied when the wall is wet (or even under water) commonly used by the municipal guys to fix cracks in fountains and similar stuff.
no drain...it seems it is coming up through the floor as no water marks on walls...it is definitely in a low spot of the floor so i will need to see if it is flowing to there or coming up through the floor in this location...either way as a renter i am not going to place bucks into fixing the owner's problem...even if it means a small bedroom railroad...we've got 4 of them and i can claim 2 as mine! ;-)
we'll see what develops! Thanks!!!
Gary
Quote from: PaulB on August 26, 2012, 12:32:24 AM
While I am no expert in this area, I do believe that you should not waterprrof the inside walls of the foundation as this will cause more serious damage to the walls. The outside walls should be heavily waterproofed and a french drain installed for best results.
Neither of these are inexpensive solutions.
yes, have seen walls deteriorate in that very way.
not my problem as a renter just a bummer for space as per the model rr.
thanks Paul
Gary
Gary, Gary, Gary.....
It's not a bummer. It's a chance to hang a "railroad in the skies" layout in the basement at the same time you convince your wife you need to construct a 4 track main up the stairs, through the halls and into the two spare bedrooms.
Think of the 4 track mainline that entails.... The opportunity..... The income for Atlas.... :)
Serious answer: Actually, I understand your disappointment. I might even be sympathetic with it if you were modelling a really great railroad - like Conrail.
Okay, that wasn't quite as serious as I'd intended..... ::)
PS: You have a floor plan of the house? Jeff is just dying to figure out if you have to negotiate trackage rights through the oven in the kitchen, or not....
Quote from: Mike from CT on August 26, 2012, 02:47:33 AM
Gary, Gary, Gary.....
It's not a bummer. It's a chance to hang a "railroad in the skies" layout in the basement at the same time you convince your wife you need to construct a 4 track main up the stairs, through the halls and into the two spare bedrooms.
Think of the 4 track mainline that entails.... The opportunity..... The income for Atlas.... :)
Greetings Mike!
THX for the laugh...it was a great way to start the day!
If my body was not in so much pain I would measure the bedrooms and start organizing things here in the new place.
However, today is going to be a day of rest and giving the body a chance to just relax.
The rooms are a bit smaller than the usual 9x12' but how much so I am not sure. And they look, at glance, to be more square than rectangular.
Thinking about a narrow footprint from living room into dinning room with a reverse loop and staging at each end in each room, with bookcases and cabinets underneath which would make my dear wife happy.
Who knows what shall be at this point!
Thanks again...
Peace,
Gary 4TrakMain Dillensnyder
Well, I am not to be considered the last word on waterproofing, but I am a homeowner and we've had to deal with my father-in-law's basement filling up to about 12 inches or so after a hard rain. Anyway, I understand HJ's comment about the cement. Yes, there are hydraulic cements that can be used to coat what's there, IF you add a coat of cement adhesive first, but that's not a good idea. Eventually the water would etch its way into daylight (or basement-light). No, I was referring to one of two epoxy-filled paints out there that are made for painting on the inside of basement walls to hold back water penetration. They aren't cheap, but when they dry, the water won't pass. As Mike has noted, a french drain system is the really permanent solution, but expensive.
Coming up through the floor? That's a 'worst-case scenario'. Some county official got a free weekend in Vegas on that one :D So, I agree- hang the layout from the ceiling :) :). But seriously, I don't think I'd feel safe in having the layout down there. There's no way that a dehumidifier (or ten) would put a dent in that kind of water situation. Every time the water table comes up a few inches, you can go swimming down there. And a floor drain becomes more of a 'floor water supply'. I'm kinda at a loss for what to do about it. The best starting place might be discussing the matter with the landlord. If he doesn't seem interested in working out any kind of solution (or lowering the rent due to part of the house being unusable), then looking for a different place may be the best idea. If he's ignored the water, who knows what else he's let slide.