Avoid Musty Odors in Your Basement and Home

Water damage can lead to many unwanted issues in your home. It can damage your personal belongings, leave stains on your floors and walls, or cause mold to grow. A common problem that homeowners face with water damage is the musty odor that it creates. 

Musty odors can not only impact your basement where the water damage occurred, but can also impact the rest of your home. Our odor removal experts in Erie offer basement waterproofing solutions to protect your home from musty odors.  

How Musty Odors Impact Your Home

Musty odors are most commonly found in the basement since most basements tend to be damper and more susceptible to water damage compared to the rest of the home. 

Unfortunately, if musty odors are created in your basement, they don’t just stay in your basement. Musty odors caused by water damage in your basement can make their way up into the main living areas of your home. 

Once the musty odors have entered your home, they can permeate the area and affect your carpet, furniture, or other personal belongings in the area. 

Stack Effect

A phenomenon known as the stack effect allows any air inside your basement to push through the floorboards and enter the main living areas of your home. 

As the water damage impacts your basement and creates musty odors, the stack effect then pushes that contaminated, musty air into the main living areas of your home. As a result, the musty odors then impact your entire home and it can be difficult to pinpoint where the problem originated. 

Basement

What Causes Musty Odors?

Musty odors are caused by moisture in your home. If any water damage is left untreated, the water becomes stagnant and can give off a musty odor. Once the odor is in your home, it can be difficult to get rid of without the proper techniques. 

Water damage can cause mold to grow, which is a major reason for the musty odors. Many different mold types can give off foul smells as they grow, which can then result in respiratory problems for you and your family. 

How to Prevent Musty Odors

Air fresheners and candles are not the way to get rid of musty odors. While they may provide temporary relief from the smell, they do not tackle what started the problem in the first place. 

The best way to permanently get rid of the musty odor is to identify the source of water that caused the musty odor in the first place. Musty odors originate from water damage, so you must identify the source of the water that caused the initial damage in order to completely get rid of the smell. 

A dry and clean basement has no chance of creating musty odors, whereas a moist environment can give off musty smells in a matter of a few days. 

Our basement waterproofing and odor removal experts in Erie offer the following systems to help keep your basement dry and clean:

  • Basement drainage system
  • Waterproof wall panels
  • Vapor barrier

Installing the proper waterproofing products can help keep your basement dry, giving no chance for mold to grow or musty odors to form. 

Avoid Musty Odors with Total Foundation Solutions 

Musty odors can interrupt your daily life and make it difficult to enjoy your home. Pinpointing the source of the musty odor can be a challenge and become frustrating if you’re not sure where to start. 

Total Foundation Solutions is your trusted company throughout Northwestern Pennsylvania and Western New York for protection from water damage. Avoid musty odors from infiltrating your home with our waterproofing solutions.

Looking for a professional and affordable basement waterproofing and odor removal company in Erie? Contact us today for a free estimate!