Sometimes managing moisture is only solution

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BY ALAN J. HEAVENS
The Philadelphia Inquirer | Tuesday, November 07, 2006 | (No comments posted.)

Q: We live in a 45-year-old two-story Colonial-style home, and we are interested in finishing a portion of our basement. In the summer, there is a good deal of humidity in the air. We have a dehumidifier, but it cannot handle the task. This causes mold on upholstered items, some rust on nailheads, faint water stains on concrete-block walls, and a few annoying bugs. Needless to say, my husband and I do not want to spend thousands without correcting the problem first. (We rarely ever get standing water during storms.)

Some contractors say that if there were a heating/air system in the finished portion, it would help with the humidity. The "basement water people" suggest french drains along two exterior walls to "pull" the moisture from the concrete-block walls, therefore alleviating the humidity. This is the most costly ($6,000). Is this necessary, or do we have an alternative option?

A: Since basements are at the lowest point in a house, you have to expect moisture intrusion. Often, managing the moisture is the best that can be done.

I, too, have block walls. Along all four sides of my basement, perimeter drains have been cut so that any moisture from the outdoors behind the walls, and any droplets appearing on the interior of the walls, is carried to a central french drain that leads to a sump. That system is designed to manage rain, as well a rising water table. It does not reduce levels of humidity in the summer. That is handled by a properly sized dehumidifier that drains automatically into the sump and keeps the basement at a recommended 40 percent relative humidity during the summer. As the humidity is removed from the air, more moisture is drawn in to replace it, so on very humid days, the dehumidifier works nonstop, even on its energy-saving function.

If I were you, I'd ask how french drains are supposed to remove moisture from a wall, unless it drips down the walls into the drains -- not to mention how drains would help with the moisture in the air that is actually causing your problems. See my point? I'd look a little further into the first suggestion, the heating/air system.

Some basements just shouldn't be finished because their moisture issues are unmanageable. Since your house dates from the era of the basement "rumpus room" and the basement remained unfinished, consider that the previous owners might have known something you don't.

Q: We live in a very wooded area, and twice a year my husband climbed ladders to clean the gutters. We had a gutter-protection system installed. It does keep the leaves out, but now I notice that in big snows, we have icicles forming on these gutters that we never had before.

Is this a sign that the system isn't working and could do damage to our roof or house? Should we have this system removed and go for the one-piece systems on the market?

A: The concern I would have is ice-dam formation -- that the constant melting and refreezing of snow will clog the gutter and downspouts so much that any further meltwater has nowhere to go but back into the first couple of feet of roof behind the gutter.

Before you abandon your system and buy a replacement at additional cost, get the folks who installed it to come back to see whether it needs adjustment. Most gutter systems come with warranties, and that should always be discussed before you sign a contract and hand over any money.

Q: Exactly how much does putting down $30,000 on a $222,000 house affect the monthly mortgage payment?

A: There are mortgage calculators on the Internet that you can use, but they will tell you only the monthly principal and interest rate, not how much the private mortgage insurance will cost on the difference between what you put down and 20 percent.

If you put $30,000 down, you have a $192,000 mortgage. A 30-year fixed mortgage at, say, 6.25 percent would put your principal and interest payment at about $1,200 a month. But 20 percent of $220,000 is $44,400 while $30,000 is just under 14 percent, so you have to pay mortgage insurance on the difference.

You've financed 86 percent of your home purchase. To calculate your monthly PMI payment, multiply $192,000 by 0.0052 (the rate on a 30-year in the 85 percent to 90 percent loan-to-value range) and divide by 12 months. Add $83.20 to the principal and interest payment, and you're at $1,283.20. Don't forget to add hazard insurance and property taxes (unless they are being abated), and, if you're buying a condo or a new home, the association fees.

Opinions expressed solely are those of the writer. Have questions for Alan J. Heavens? E-mail him at aheavens@phillynews.com or write him at The Inquirer, Box 8263, Philadelphia 19101.

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