From June 1 through Sept. I will run a dehumidifier 24/7 and that's with central AC. I totally agree with all the above suggestions but the best suggestions are to have the slope of the grade away from the house and proper eve spouts to the get the rain away. The slope of the grade away from the house is your key to a dry basement.
Jon
So many roads, so little time.
On the other hand a too dry basement might dry out the wood 99% of all layouts are built with.
Modeling the "Fargo Area Rapid Transit" in O scale 3 rail.
This summer in Wisconsin has been like living in the tropics. It has been hot and humid and raining all of the time. We've been in drought conditions here in Central Wisconsin for the last 7 years, but that spell has been broken. I have run a dehumidifier in the basement where the collection is kept all year round and I have never had any problem with rust. During the summer I can empty the reservoir daily and during the winter it can be as infrequently as once per 7-10 days. Last week I bought a combination thermometer and humidity gauge to keep track of both. Its pretty snazy, as it shows the high and low humidity and the high and low temperature during the last 24 hours.
I am wondering what a "safe" humidity is to allow the basement to rise to without worrying about rust. I would like to run the dehumidifier less and save on some energy expenses if possible.
Enjoying the World's Greatest Hobby
Northwoods Flyer
The Northwoods Flyer Collection
of
American Flyer Trains
"The Toy For the Boy"
Boyd, I live in Minneapolis, so I can relate my experiences in your/my area. I run a dehumidifier in the summer and can take about 2 gal of water out a week, in the winter I turn it off, if I get a 1/2 gallon a month I'd be suprprised. This prevents rusting. If stored in a closet make certain there is some type of circulation/venting adjacent to the dehumidifier room. Don't put cardboard on a concrete floor, it will pull in moisture from somewhere. Here most floor drains run to the sewer rather than a sump unless the house is really old or out in the country. Check for the 100 year flood plain, your city will have it. A friend of mine had a foot of water in his basement when Minnehaha creek backed up. Check the walls and floor for paint bubbles, from water delamination, if painted. Make certain the line to the street has been routed out recently, if not, pay the $150 bucks to have it done. My mother-in-law had a basement toilet not shut off properly and returned from a weekend to 6 inches of water in the entire basement because of a slow drain, this destroyed a lot including wicking up the plaster board wall. Have it routed every 2 - 4 years if you have trees or bushes, mine backs up ocassionaly in that time frame. So far I've caught it with only a puddle about 1" deep and 4 feet in diameter. Pour a bucket of water in the drain every so often to prevent sewer gas. Slope away from the foundation. Have gutter drain pipes at least 4' from the house.
Net: dehumidify; nothing on the floor you don't want wet; be proactive on your line to the street; keep water away from the foundation.
Hielsie
When I lived in Wisconsin, I had both a large G scale indoor layout ( where humidity wasn't an issue) and a 4X 8 O scale. Here are my lessons learned.
1. If you have a sump pump install a battery back-up. Storms and power outages when they coincide lead to bad news.
2. If you have duct work in the basement ceiling, either install or have someone install return and supply adjustable air vents to keep the air moving and conditioned.
3. Keep downspouts away from the foundation by extensions and keep the gutters cleared.
4 Buy a cheap humidity gauge and see if you need a de-humdifier..I drained mine into the sump with a compression fit rubber hose so I didn't have to watch the level of the receiving "bucket".
6. Make sure the ground or grade of the land surrounding the foundation slopes away from the house.
7. Hydraulic cement is your new best friend, It will cure cracks that leak that are not catastrophic but persistent.
The idea generally is to avoid whats called hydraulic pressure or water surrounding the foundation .especially in freeze\thaw climates where this is what causes cracks. If in doubt, have a house inspection by a certified inspector, not a basement leak contractor...
Nothing is more fairly distributed than common sense: no one thinks he needs more of it than he already has.
When I was a kid on the farm I had the option of setting up trains in the attic. The house was built around 1900 and had basement, main floor, 2nd floor and attic. Nothing was up there. No guards around the opening for the stairs. The "V" of the ceiling left little horizontal space above 3' and it was HOT in the summer. So trains were never setup in that attic.
The federal government does not have an inheritance tax, that is, a tax based on the money that each individual receives from an estate. Only some states collect that kind of tax. For the year 2010 only, neither does the federal government have an estate tax, that is, a tax on the estate as a whole. Unless Congress changes the law, as I understand it, the estate tax will reappear in 2011, with a top rate of 55 percent after a $1 million exemption ("applicable exclusion amount").
Bob Nelson
The life of luxury! When I was growing up in the norh, every one that I knew had a home with a basement. It was great during the cold winters, because we would have a place to play and in some cases run the trains. Now that I live in Sunny Florida, the basement option is not available in any home here. In my opinion; unless you opt for new construction (Where the latest building techniques are utilized), your choice will be problematic. As mentioned before, location is the most important factor.
I would also recommend that you go house hunting during the rainy season, were humidity would be easely noticed. Hope that your inheritance is substantial to achieve your goals - Uncle Sam will want to take a large share of it for "Inheritance Taxes".
Juan.
Basements are great for layouts. Mine is unfinished with a half-crawl. I put in a radon venting system, sealed the cracks, edges, and sump well, put down carpet, covered the crawlspace and put the layout on to of it. So the trains are four feet about the floor. No problems with humidity. I've a few window wells without drains that I've sealed too.
Doug Murphy 'We few, we happy few, we band of brothers...' Henry V.
If you're buying an existing house, then make the deal contingent on a home inspection. The home inspector should do a moisture check in the basement as well as inspect the walls and floor for problems. Second, make sure the ground slopes away from the house, add flower beds or something if needed. Add drain extensions to get the roof water well away from the house.
Enjoy
Paul
A couple of things, Buy a house with the grade going away from the foundation. Depending on the water table and amount of water you can expect in your area, you may want to have a "french drain" put in. Regardless, it is a good idea to have the walls sealed. The dehumidifier is a good idea too. Also, it would be a good idea to have a flood alarm installed in the basement. Regardless of the chance of flooding in your area, broken pipes do happen and a lot of damage can be averted by early notice.
Dennis
TCA#09-63805
I don't get rust on anything trains. I run a dehumidifier. This is one of those items that can chew up a lot of electricity, so don't use an older one. Get one with the highest EER you can. It may be more expensive but the savings will be substantial, will probably pay for itself.
Also, if you buy a house with a drain in the basement floor, with stationary laundry tubs, or with a sump pump (and pit) all the better. You can drain the dehumidifier into one of those so you don't have to keep emptying the stupid bucket. I also keep a humidistat down there to keep an eye on the humidity......about $12 at a hardware store.
Re basement temps, my basement is unfininished and unheated but nonetheless it doesn't get below 50 degrees in the winter even when it is single digits outside. In the winter the humidity here in the Northeast is usually too low!
Jack
IF IT WON'T COME LOOSE BY TAPPING ON IT, DON'T TRY TO FORCE IT. USE A BIGGER HAMMER.
Our house is on the top of a hill, so flooding is rarely a problem. When the remnants of Hurricane Katrina came through Pennsylvania, we got torrential rains that left about an inch of water in parts of the basement, but that was pretty much it.
I should add that basements don't only get damp in the summer. You might want to consider running it all year round. A good dehumidifier will shut down if it gets cold enough to form ice on the coils.
I'd love to give you the benefit of my knowledge, but I don't know anyone with a basement. If I had one it would be underwater. Had a layout in a garage once, didn't have any rust, just leaves and things blowing in.
We will be looking for a house in the future but not sure when. It will happen after an inheritance. Train layout probably would be in the basement. Is there anything you look for in a house when considering train track, rolling stock and possible rusting that a humid basement can produce. Mom usually runs a dehumidifier in the summer. What about cracks in walls, sealants for basement bricks, wall systems made to control water, drainage around a house, type of landscaping around a house? I won't buy a house in a flood zone.
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