Easy fix for a damp basement?

[Michael Lauther]

My newest property has a "damp basement" no obvious leaks or puddles but after the last heavy rain in Dayton the basement was quite damp. my thoughts are fill in cracks DE humidify clean and seal and paint. some black mold forming. upstairs completely dry no sign of mold etc.

What should my next step be?

[Ryan Tam]

I second Jeff S's advice on the rain gutters. Given an average of a few inches of rain hitting the ground even in a pretty big rainstorm, it is unlikely that the moisture in the basement is from the rain water that hit within the couple of feet next to your foundation.

Typically what happens is the roof collects over a 1000 sq ft of rain and collects it into a very large pool of water. If you do not have a good gutter system that directs the water away from the house, that very large amount of water will likely sit on the ground next to your foundation and eventually finds its way in.

Make sure you:
1. Have rain gutters
2. They are not blocked with debris
3. They have down sprouts that direct the water at least 3-4 feet away from the house
4. The ground within 4-6 ft of the foundation slopes away from the house.

Unless you like in Washington state with the obscene amount of rain, those items will likely fix your problem. Painting the concrete will likely be a poor temporary fix, much like a bandage on a broken arm, imo.