Austin Homeowner's Guide -
Basements
basements:
Some people rule out their basement as a place for storing things because
they are concerned about moisture. Not all basement moisture is costly
or difficult to remedy, however. Condensation (caused when the interior
air, which may be warmed by hot water heaters, washers, dryer, etc.,
meets a cooler masonry wall) can be easily minimized by improving ventilation
and decreasing the humidity. To determine whether the moisture in your
basement is just condensation, dry an area of the wall and tape a hand
size piece of aluminum foil to it using duct tape. Moisture on the foil
the next day indicates condensation; if the tape has kept the moist
air out, the wall surface under the patch should be dry. If you are
satisfied your basement is dry enough, create functional storage centres
by adding shelves, racks, rods, clothes hook and pegs. And if you only
want to use some of the basement for storage, section it off, i.e.,
basically build a separate storage closet.