Dew point and my continuing damp basement obsession...

shortcrust

I've bought a decent humidity meter and have finally realised that my existing meters dotted around the place (just with temp and relative humidity) haven't been telling me that there's more moisture in the air in my basement - just that my basement is colder than the rest of the house.*

The dew point is pretty much the same in every room, including the basement. Is it therefore likely that the damp on one of the basement walls in winter when I moved in last year was down to condensation rather that the wall being the source of the damp? It's bone dry now and the previous owner let the basement get very cold. There's heating down there.

I've always thought that ceiling and wall insulation in the basement would make things worse but I'm wondering now if keeping the temp up a few degrees could solve the problem. It's already as well ventilated as possible.

*I think people have tried to explain this to me lots of times!

Strider590

http://www.dpcalc.org/

Heating the basement may not be enough, if the walls are still cold, then it won't make much difference.
In my garage I use a dehumidifier all year round, it keeps my cars and several thousand £ worth of workshop tools/equipment in good condition. I also use a turbo fan workshop heater during the winter, wired to a self designed high power thermostat, which is set for 8 degrees C to ensure my stuff never gets down to dew point.