Basements are generally damp or even wet. Dehumidification is a must, but things can be even better if you combine it with supplemental dry heat. I run an oil filled electric heater year round and a dehumidifier from late March to mid October. I set the heater at a 750 watt setting (It has 950 and 1500 watt settings). I also set it to maintain a 72 degree temperature in the train room. The dehumidifier is not in the train room but at the opposite side of the basement about 45 feet away. It is always set for 45% RH. It has an internal pump that empties the tank automatically.
So, why do I run a heater and a dehumidifier? Raising the temperature in the basement causes it to feel much more comfortable and helps the dehumidifier not to work as hard. The walls and floors are drier and there is never a clamy feel in the basement.
Also, under each side of the layout, I have a utility fan that runs twice a day for fifteen minutes just to circulate the air under the benchwork. This helps to wick any moisture off the concrete basement floor and eliminate any possibility of a musty smell developing. In the train room, I have a raised floor made up of RaceDeck floor tiles. They are made of a very heavy plastic material and sit upon rubber cushions installed on the underside of each tile.
The basement is ALWAYS comfortable, and the humidity has NEVER been a problem. I also have a wood shop in the basement and never experience warped or twisted wood stored down there.
