Humidifier v's fan for eradicating moisture in the cellar

[natalie stanley]

Hello

I'm hoping somebody can help advise me - i have a cellar which sits beneath my 3 bed terraced house and like most cellars is damp. The floor of the cellar is ultimately earth. There are air bricks under the bay window however it smells damp and i'd like to help control the situation.

Whats the difference between a humidifier and fan and which would be better?

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks
Nat

 

[vinn]

How many air bricks vent the cellar, are they clean & unblocked - is the cellar a single room?
What, if anything, do you propose to use the cellar for?
Is it an exposed earth floor or some kind of floor covering resting on earth?

Photos of the cellar, and the ground above around the bay would help?

 

[natalie stanley]

Hi Vinn

Thanks for your speedy response!

There are 4 air bricks - the cellar spans 2 living rooms and part of the hallway. Part of the cellar is exposed which is earth and the rest is brick..

The cellar is just used as storage but does smell rather musty and damp

 

[vinn]

Are the air bricks all on one elevation?
Best practice is for through ventilation from front to back of the cellars. - ie. air bricks on all outside walls if possible.
Given what you describe, esp the linked rooms and exposed floors, then I wouldn't bother with humidifiers or extractors - beyond improving any through ventilation just leave well alone.

 

[natalie stanley]

Hi Vinn

Yes all one elevation..

What's the solution then?

 

[vinn]

As I said above - there is no "solution" beyond improving through ventilation by installing more air bricks in the other elevations if possible.

 

[natalie stanley]

There are no other elevations

 

[Hugh Jaleak]

De humidifier draws the water from the air passing through the appliance, depositing it into a reservoir which requires periodic emptying. A fan merely moves air. Could try a portable dehumidifier in there and see if it improves the atmosphere, but without major works to waterproof and seal the walls and floor you will not eradicate the issue I'm afraid.

 

[John D v2.0]

It smells damp but what is the humidity around the timbers? And what is their moisture content? You can get cheap meters to get an idea.

I think you want to use mechanical means as a last resort, a fan will use 5w+ and a DEhumidifier would use 150w+ so no small expense.

If you can only get air bricks on one elevation do you have a chimney in the other wall you can vent it up? Or you can make one.

 

[natalie stanley]

Hi John

How do you suggest we vent the chimney up? Sorry if i'm being stupid here!

Thanks

 

[natalie stanley]

Just to add the air bricks are on the same elevation as the chimney wals

 

[John D v2.0]

Ah in that case you could put a vent from under the floor and sleeve it up to outside somehow, ignore the chimney idea

 

[natalie stanley]

Im not sure how that would happen as i mentioned, there are already 4 air bricks to accommodate ventilation

 

[Hugh Jaleak]

If all the air bricks are on the same elevation you are unlikely to get a 'through' draught, which is ideally what you get to keep the air fresh in there. You need to look at getting some form of vent (e.g. airbrick) on ideally, the opposite side to where the current airbricks are. Otherwise the fan may be an option to draw stale air from inside the cellar to outside, allowing fresh air to enter via the air bricks, but again, if they're all on one side of the room, the effects will be limited.

 

[natalie stanley]

Hi Hugh

3 air bricks are on 1 side of the house and there's 1 on the other/opposite side..