In article , Thor Legvold wrote:
I've Google'd and read through most of what has been written on the
subject of controlling basement humidity. Before I run out and buy a
dehumidifier and/or plug in a heater or two, I had a question.

My house (brick & morter) was built in 1914 or thereabout. The walls of
the basement are not provided with a plastic barrier and modern
drainage system, nor do we plan on having it done. The current "fix" is
that all the basement windows are unfinshed - they are mounted and
shimmed, but with no moldings or isolation. Air circulates freely
around the frames and through the basement.

You need to fix that problem first, before you even think about a
dehumidifier. You're wasting a tremendous amount of energy, and if air can
circulate freely so can insects and mice.

I'm wondering if a dehumidifier is going to have any effect when it's
basically working against nature, as the air in the basement is the
same as the ambient air outside (more or less).

Of course not.

[...]

Can anyone shed some light of possible solutions to the described situation?

Stop the air infiltration problems around the windows.

--
Regards,
Doug Miller (alphageek at milmac dot com)

Nobody ever left footprints in the sands of time by sitting on his butt.
And who wants to leave buttprints in the sands of time?