- Humidity problems in the basement

Dear Shell,

In January 2000 I put Knotty pine tongue and groove on the walls of my rec. room in the basement. In June the pine swelled/expanded, causing the pine to buckle. The pine was glued and nailed to drywall. I obviously did not allow for expansion. How can I fix this?

Thanks, Warren

Dear Warren,

Basements have high humidity content sometimes reaching levels of 65 – 80% relative humidity hence the expansion of the wood fibres warping your pine. My suggestion is to vent your basement cavity by installing a Humidex System available in Winnipeg Manitoba by calling 1-800-416-9111 for the local dealer. Moisture levels should not exceed 50 – 55% in the basement area hopefully your pine will come back into profile.

It's just that easy.

Article courtesy of: Shell Busey