Basement moisture: It happens to the best of us. But before you despair, seal off the door, and surrender the cellar to an evolving species of mushrooms, pull up your rubber gloves and read on.

A Web site devoted entirely to concrete education (a marvel in and of itself), www.concretenetwork.com, provides scads of practical tips on evaluating the level of moisture damage to your basement to determine whether you can Tool-Man-Tim it or need to call in the professionals.

THE FIRST LINE OF DEFENSE

• Venture down and try to determine the source of the moisture, most commonly a leaky pipe or well tank.
  
  
• Next, remove the excessive moisture sources (humidifiers) and ventilate other perpetrators (washers, dryers, and bathrooms).
  
  
• Ventilate the area with an air-conditioning system or a large-capacity dehumidifier (caveat: see # 4).
  
  
• Caveat: Dehumidifiers are not a permanent solution, but reduce symptoms of humidity and odor. In cases of basement moisture problems during warm weather, dehumidifiers may cause more harm than good by drawing too much moisture from the air and sending it directly into the basement itself.
  
  
• Repair and insulate the offending item/area with tape or insulation made for this purpose. Note: To waterproof, you must apply a membrane to the basement wall that will bridge cracks that may occur there. Dampproofing is a vapor barrier that retards water penetration, but does not bridge foundation shrinkage cracks or stop water under hydrostatic pressure.
  
  
• Then, head outside and evaluate your gutters, downspouts, and surface grading around your house. Correct these elements first and you may have solved your problem.
  
  
• Finally, if the moisture persists, provide basic interior and exterior drainage systems.
  

At this point, depending on the amount of work required, it may be time to call in the big guns. Anything beyond this, and you would definitely be wise to call a professional.

THE RELIEF CREW

If your basement damage requires the services of a professional, it's good to know what the steps they may take to remedy the problem. Most likely, they will begin inside and do their best to find a permanent stop to the moisture. But when moisture is deep in the walls, they may need to expose the exterior of the foundation walls and dig in. The following are various techniques used to direct moisture away from a home, one of which may be used on yours.

• Install proper gutters and downspouts and correct grading. Downspouts should be placed a minimum of one per 50 linear feet of roof eave, with extensions spewing out water at least 4 feet beyond the wall. Grading should place earth around the house, sloping away from the foundation wall a minimum of 1 inch per foot for at least 6 feet.
  
  
• Create an exterior drainage system. The most costly solution, but also the most effective, it requires tearing up the area around the foundation, installing waterproofing and installation, and making repairs to the structure. A drain tile is placed beside or on top of the footing, with a minimum of 12 inches of coarse aggregate around the tile. There must also be a free-draining membrane or board installed, with proper draining to a sump.
  
  
• Place an interior drainage channel above the concrete slab. Conversely, this is the least expensive and most simple solution, best suited for concrete walls with cracks. A drainage channel is attached to the base of the wall and the floor slab, where water is collected and drained into a sump. This method does not completely remove water from the area, which can result in humidity, mold, and mildew.
  
  
• Install an interior drainage channel within the slab edge. The concrete along the slab edge is removed, a drainage channel is placed at the base of the wall on top of the footing, and the concrete is then replaced. Holes must be drilled at the base of every block core to permit drainage, which may require a bit more than the minimum amount of concrete to be removed in order to fit in the drill.
  
  
• Install an interior drainage system beneath the slab. A perforated drain pipe is installed inside the perimeter of the footing. Here, also, the slab edge is removed and replaced, but because the drain pipe is underneath the slab, it drains to a lower level and connects to a sump, making it the most effective drainage system (but it's not too expensive). What makes this approach so effective is the use of dimpled plastic sheeting that is set at the base of the wall and beneath the slab edge to permit free drainage down the wall and into the drain pipe.

INTELLIGENCE PREVAILS

At this point, depending on the amount of work required, it may be time to call in the big guns. Anything beyond this, and you would definitely be wise to call a professional.

Now that you are armed with more knowledge about concrete and drainage than you ever cared to have, you are better prepared to make the best decision and solve your basement moisture woes. Now repeat after me: "I am a good homeowner. I am a good homeowner."