When my wife and I moved from the village to the outskirts of the city, we bought a house there. Along with it, we got a cellar dug on the property. I was delighted that I would now have a place to store winter supplies. Having grown up in the village, I was accustomed to always having a cellar full of winter provisions.

However, I was disappointed already during my first winter. Almost immediately, moisture began to form on the cellar ceiling. And everyone knows that’s bad for the preservation of supplies. Condensation drips onto vegetables, causing them to rot. And moisture is also harmful to the metal lids used to cover the pickle jars, causing them to rust.

I tried many different methods to solve the problem of condensation on the ceiling and walls in my cellar. I tried opening the lid, but that didn’t work because it immediately made the cellar much cooler. I decided to look it up online and found a solution. I bought some foam and used it to insulate the cellar ceiling. However, that didn’t help either; moisture continued to appear.

I have a neighbor who’s about 60 years old. He’s worked in construction his whole life. One day, we got talking, and I told him about my problem with condensation in my basement. He gave me some advice on how to fix it. Now, condensation in my basement no longer bothers me.

The first recommendation is to insulate the cellar roof. The trick is to insulate it from the outside, not the inside. It’s not difficult at all. A layer of thermal insulation should be installed on top of the roof, with one side having a reflective layer—the shiny side facing inward. That was enough.

The second recommendation is the most important. It’s absolutely necessary to install an exhaust hood. And since I have a large basement, I needed to install two. The first is an inlet duct, with the bottom of the pipe positioned 40 cm from the floor. And the second is an exhaust duct, with the bottom of the pipe positioned 20 cm from the ceiling.

I had to extend the pipes as high as possible. I built a canopy on top to keep moisture out. My neighbor said I should also install a damper to close the pipes in severe frost. I didn’t do that, so I have to plug the pipes manually, using old rags.

Another friend of mine advised me to remove excess moisture once all the supplies are in the cellar. To do this, place boxes of sawdust in the cellar for a few days. This will give the sawdust enough time to absorb all the excess moisture. Then you can throw them away.

Here’s how easy it is to get rid of condensation in your basement. Sure, it’ll take a little time and effort, but you’ll be able to solve the problem once and for all.