Basement Improvement - Improving An Old Basement On The Cheap

There are many old homes with old basements throughout New England and the middle Atlantic states. By old, I mean approximately 100 years old or older.
Many of those basements are of inferior construction compared to new. The basements may be damp and musty which can contribute to wood rot, insect infestations and poor quality breathing air. Floors may be bouncy or sagging. Stone walls may be shifting and a source of air infiltration.
There are a few things that you can do to greatly improve the basement on the cheap.
Installing a 6 mil. poly vapor barrier on top of dirt floor can be very effective to help control “rising damp”, especially if combined with a dehumidifier in the summer months.
Installing intermediate posts under beams, or floor joists with long spans, can improve the function of the floor system. It does not have to be elaborate to make an improvement.
Repointing the stone or masonry walls can help minimize future wall movement, minimize water infiltration and minimize air infiltration. Sealing the perimeter band joist, also called the rim joist, with rigid insulation and/or spray foam helps a great deal to improve the energy efficiency of the building and it helps control moisture as well. It reduces the “stack effect” - air entering the building at the bottom level and exiting at the top level.
Darren Tracy P.E. is a New York State Licensed Professional Engineer with over 30 years of contracting and applied engineering experience in the field of building construction.
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