Reasons For Basement Stench

12/20/2022 (Permalink)

Odor from a basement can be from a few different reasons

The reasons a basement may have a stench are extensive. Figuring out the problem can stop the odor, and allow for a fix before the issue becomes greater. Here are some of the most common reasons that basements smell bad, and how you can take action against the stench.

1. The Ground is Wet

One reason for an odor from a basement is that the ground is wet. Make sure that your sump pump is working properly to combat this issue from the water getting in the basement an growing mold. To check if your sump pump is working, open up your sump pump access door and look inside, and check if there is standing water or if the pump has been disconnected. In this case, secure it back into place. 

If this does not help resolve the ground moisture problem, look at other possible causes, such as cracks in foundation walls and floors; leaks from pipes; water damage from flooding caused by heavy rain or ice dams; or mold growth from to large moisture levels in clothes, closets, or bathrooms.

2. Poor Air Flow

Another reason for a basement stench is poor air flow. A basement is a closed space, which means that if you don’t have enough ventilation in your home, the air will become stagnant and begin to smell like mold or mildew. By ensuring that there are no blocked vents from insulation or water damage, this can be prevented.

Other factors that may contribute to this problem as well include dirt, dust and debris build up on walls and on the floor. This can create odor issues because this material needs to be cleaned out regularly in order for everything else inside your home, such as furniture, to not get ruined.

3. Sewer Gases

Sewer gases are caused by decomposing organic material in your home, and they can be a health risk to you and your family. Sewer gas smells like rotten eggs because it contains sulfur-based compounds. The same foul odor that hits you when you open a can of stinky cheese or an old pizza box is also present in your sewer system.

Sewer gas corrodes metal pipes and causes basement walls to mold or rot due to moisture buildup caused by condensation on them from moist air entering your home through cracks or gaps around windows or doors (or perhaps even through the foundation).

When sewer gases enter at the main stack—the pipe that brings fresh air into your home—they escape into other parts of the house rather than being vented back outside as they should be if there were no leaks anywhere else along its path (like under floors). This means that any openings between rooms could be letting these harmful gases into other areas where they'll linger until someone opens up doors/windows/ventilators again so they can vent outside instead!

Your basement could smell for a number of reasons. One of the main reasons for a smelly basement is water entering where it shouldn’t. If you experience water damage or need odor removal in your home or commercial business, call us today!