The Stack Effect: How Basement Air Rises in Your House

If you have a damp or wet basement and you are worried about the air from your basement affecting the rest of your home, you have the proper mindset. The air from your basement can absolutely determine the comfortability of your home overall. When the basement is damp, your house might not feel so great. If the basement is dry and healthy, your home will feel comfortable and cozy!

So how exactly does the basement air travel up through the rest of the house? We are here to break that down process for you.

The warm air that enters inside the lower levels of a house will eventually rise and leak out via the upstairs levels. Air must come in to replace the air that leaked out, creating a suction type of effect on the lower levels of your home. Therefore, this creates the “stack effect,” which causes an airflow to form in your house from the top to the bottom. In fact, about half of the air you breathe on the first floor comes from your basement. This means that whatever is in the air inside your basement is ultimately going to make its way throughout the rest of your house.

If the air in your basement has a damp smell, that smell is going to linger upstairs. If the humidity inside your basement is high, that means the upper levels of your home are going to be more humid than usual. These elevated levels of humidity can create the perfect conditions for mold to form in the upper levels of your home as well. If there are already mold spores in your basement air, you guessed it, those mold spores are going to be floating around in the air upstairs as well.

None of this is good and can negatively impact your quality of life and overall health. Breathing in mold can pose serious health risks to you and your family members living in the home. Asthma and allergies can become even worse, and the damp air can drive up your energy bills if you are constantly trying to cool it all the time.

However, if the air in your basement is dry, that means your entire house will be as well. The dry air from your basement rises and makes the whole home feel more comfortable at a higher temperature with less humidity. Less humidity means mold cannot survive or grow either.

The Basement Transformer can help you solve your wet or damp basement problems. Our dehumidifiers can dry your basement air and filter out particles even smaller than dust mite droppings or mold spores. We can even insulate your basement walls, so your basement feels better and more inviting. We are also equipped with waterproofing solutions to help combat the pesky water that is leaking into your basement in the first place.

Contact us today for more information! We are committed to helping you every step of the way.