Basement dampness - advice

[MoneyGuy]

I see people posting here for advice on all sorts of problems, so here goes.

I finished my basement roughly a decade ago and installed the carpet right on the concrete floor. No problems up to now. Now there is a noticeable musty smell. The carpet isn't damp to the foot, but if I leave a newspaper or magazine on the floor for an hour or two I can feel it slightly damp. The odour was so strong last night that it caused me some...um, nausea isn't the right word as it wasn't that bad, but it was bothersome to me. It smells a little moldy, which concerns me because of possible health issues.

I'm worried about this. I haven't had a flooding or anything in my basement to cause this. The utility room concrete is dry. The basement carpet is in two rooms, the rumpus room and a bedroom in the basement. I haven't pulled up any of the carpet to see if it's damp underneath.

Does anyone have any experience or advice in this regard?

[ken0042]

Watch two episodes of Holmes on Homes. Odds are he'll tear apart a place that has mold/moisture issues. Do at least half of what he shows to do to get rid of it, and you'll be fine.

[blankall]

I had similar issues. Best way to get rid of it is to ensure the home is adequately heated and ventilated. The heat will keep the moisture in the air and then when you ventilate it is gone. You can also buy dehumidifiers. I bought one for about 100 bucks off craigslist and it works like a charm.

[Rhettzky]

I'd rip up that carpet and make sure you install some kind of all-in-one subfloor to protect against moisture too.

[FlamesPuck12]

Originally Posted by ken0042

Watch two episodes of Holmes on Homes. Odds are he'll tear apart a place that has mold/moisture issues. Do at least half of what he shows to do to get rid of it, and you'll be fine.

More like tearing down the whole house.

[Flames in 07]

nausea suggests that it is mold. Does the area circulate well?

If you have water under your carpet AND it doesn't curculate you'll have mold in a few months. It can get bad enough that it can be quite unhealthy, it's probably worth digging up to investigate.