Basement Dehumidifiers

We have a (new to us (built 1996))house in N. Ga. built partially into the hillside. We definitely have humidity problems. The basement is divided and the unfinished part is lined with particle board. It smells terrible in there, and the finished area on the other side of the wall smells slightly.

My question is which side of the wall should we put the dehumidifier? I think it should be in the finished area to protect the carpet and furniture and my husband insists it should be in the back room to try to keep the humidity level down as much as possible.

I understand where he is coming from, I just think the battle is too big there as it will always have moisture coming from the ground. So which location is the best for us? Thanks.

A little more information would be helpful for me to answer your questions.

- How many square feet is the total basement (both sides)?
- Have you already purchased a dehumidifier?
- If so, which model?
- What is the relative humidity and temperature of the basement on average?
- Is there any visible mold growth or just odors?

As mold munches on cellulose it emits aldehydes detected as musty odors. So trust your nose, if there are odors there is mold somewhere.

In general it is best to have the machine in the area where the moisture is being generated or where the moisture is the worst. The slight smell you are getting in the finished side is most likely to be generating from the other area. Solve that problem and it should solve the problem in the finished area.

Feel free to give me a call if you would like to discuss this in more detail.

Rod
1-800-643-7818