The Golden State: Where & How to Live, Secure, Visit, Enjoy and Thrive in California

First Aid For The Ailing Houses

Ample ventilation is the surest way to keep basement air dry. As a general thing, however, the basement windows are above the level of the ground and several feet above the floor. Under this condition, there will be little or no air circulation along the floor. This can be remedied by using an electric fan directed along the floor and toward an open window at the opposite end of the basement.

Where humidity is a problem, it may be solved with a small dehumidifier. This is sold by appliance stores and consists of a small cabinet which contains a refrigeration unit similar to that in window air conditioners. The unit in a dehumidifier, however, is much smaller and costs less to purchase and less to run. The principle is simply that cold air may hold less moisture than hot air. The air is circulated by a fan through the cooling coils, which cool the air without building up a frost deposit. Moisture collects on the cold coils and drips down into a drain or a small container. Some of these units will remove as much as a gallon of moisture from a basement in a day.

In a new house, poured-concrete foundation walls, especially with outside waterproofing, are slow in drying. Water used in mixing the concrete can escape only through the basement, and pools may form on the floor. This is often mistaken for leakage. Drying may not be complete until some months after the heater has been started.

ESSENTIALS FOR GOOD CONCRETE

THERE IS A DIFFERENCE between "cement" and "concrete," even though the two names are often used for the same thing. In addition, the home owner will hear the terms "portland cement," "mortar," and "grout" referred to, without really knowing which is which. Portland cement is the basic material for making cement and concrete, mortar and grout. It is a whitish-gray powder and comes in paper sacks that usually hold a cubic foot rather than a specified weight The measurement of a cubic foot makes estimating easier, for both cement and concrete are figured in cubic feet.

Grout is a mixture of portland cement and fine sand, sometimes with the addition of 5 to 10 percent of lime added. For tile work, the grout is often just portland cement, lime, and water. This mixture is combined with enough water to make a thin paste about the consistency of toothpaste.