The weather and your basement are more closely related than you might expect. The relationship is most easily seen, however, in the hot, humid, thunderstorm-driven days of summer. The dominant element linking basements and weather is water.
Everyone can recall the wonderful cool relief of walking downstairs to basement temperatures during the stifling heat of Julys and Augusts. The generally constant temperatures of the basement encourage the formation of condensation when moisture from war, humid air comes into contact with cold surfaces. It’s the same reaction as we see in putting a glass of iced tea on a picnic table outside. The glass sweats enough to cause a puddle of water on the tabletop. In this case, it is obvious the glass is not leaking; rather humidity from the air is condensing on the cold surface of the glass. In the basement, condensation encourages the growth of mould, mildew and can contribute to allergies and rot. You can discourage basement condensation by closing the windows or running a dehumidifier. But- make sure you are dealing with a condensation problem and not a foundation leakage problem.
Rain and thunderstorms in particular also link your basement and the weather. Persistent heavy rains or thunderstorms, any large volumes of water over relatively shorter times, can saturate the ground building up hydrostatic pressure and forcing water into your basement. This is particularly the case if your old or non-existent weeping tile system has failed or is plugged or clogged even partially. Rainwater can infiltrate the foundation through walls, wall cracks and at the floor-wall joint. Homeowners should deal with water leakage problems immediately as they will only get worse. Benchmark Waterproofing have the experience you need to assess, plan and complete your home’s basement waterproofing project.