If you have recently upgraded your basement into a living space, then you must know the persistent issues faced by most homeowners with a renovated basement: all that cold. Even in the peak of summer in Ellsworth, you may find the basement colder than the rest of the house. Well, before you get on with heating projects, it is best to understand the reason behind the difference in temperature. This way, you can avoid moisture and the resulting problems cropping up on a report from a home inspector in Ellsworth. So, here are five reasons your basement is cold.
Moisture
Moisture is one of the most common reasons for colder temperatures in the basement. This area of the house is naturally very damp and can build up moisture over time. The buildup can lead to major repairs in the house when ignored, especially when in contact with foundation walls.
Imbalanced heating registers
If your house has a separate heating system for the basement and upstairs, then imbalanced heating registers can be the cause of the cold basement. When you shut off and open the registers equally or at the same time, it can lead to one part of your room being comfortable and the other not so much.
One season behind
Your basements are always a season behind the world and the rest of the house. Studies show that it takes 3 days for exterior foundation wall surfaces to react to the outside temperature change, while the base takes around 69 days. The wall then passes the temperature to the basement, long after the temperatures have changed outside.
Ground-level cold
Sure, the below-grade walls can cause a temperature decrease in the basement. However, the real culprit, often, is the ground level cold. The areas that are above the grade, like the vents, windows, ducts, etc., may let cold flow inside the basement. For instance, a poorly insulated vent can turn your basement colder than ever, even more so than the below-grade walls.
Reduced heating
As mentioned before, for single-zone heating systems, a certain degree of temperature differences is to be expected. The reason is simple; the basement will simply take more time to heat up. Lack of windows can slow down the heating while the upstairs gets enough heat that the registers shut off. This leads to a constant cycle of reduced heating.
Conclusion
Moisture and cold, as we know, can damage all the work you put into the basement and may affect the house’s foundation, as well. Furthermore, when you are planning to watch a movie or chill in that basement room, the jarring temperature difference can make you uncomfortable. From reduced heating to faulty heating registers, the reasons could be plenty.