I just moved into a 20 yr old home about 2 months ago. The house is built on top of a hill and it has a walkout basement below grade. The basement is finished except for one room that is the size of a one car garage, and this specific area of interest is below that garage. The walls are cinder block and now have a lot of moisture and calcium or lime deposits on the front wall. Moisture wasn't present the day I had moved in, however it had some calcium/lime deposits going up the corners. There is a french drain. Is a sump pump necessary to control the moisture or do I just need dehumidifiers and to paint the walls with a water sealer?

Before I went to the expense and hassle of installing a sump pump I would seal the basement walls and see if that doesn't control the moisture. Clearly, since a french drain has been installed, there has been a problem in the past but I would seal the walls and wait and see if that did the trick. Then if you have water in the basement you can look at installing a pit and sump pump. Regards, Tom