Water In Basement
Looking into buying a foreclosure prop. Decent condition, except may be some water in basement. None there when I looked at property, but I was told there is "some water". Prop sold as-is. My questions is: Is water a HUGE problem ?
Dont they sell special sealant / paint for block wals in basement to help contain this ? Or can it be a deal-breaking, money pit making nightmare ?
I'm sure no expert but I do know from experience that it's VERY difficult to seal a basement that does leak.
Suggest you have an experienced plumber meet you and look at that basement with you, with an eye toward placing a sump-pump down there. These devices come with a built-in starter that turns on the pump whenever water gets to a certain level.
I have a porous basement, and solved my problem this way. I actually dug a hole in my basement floor and put such a pump in that hole, in its own bucket...so now the water doesn't even get to the basement floor before the pump goes on and starts pumping out the water.
Thanks ! I agree I need a plumber to look at it. It does have a cylindrical hole in basement floor, with what I guess is a sump pump. I've never seen one, but that was my guess when I saw it. Big bucket sized thing, looked pretty new, the hole looked like a pro job, it all looked clean and tidy. The basement did not smell musty or appear damp or anything, and it rained all summer here in Pittsburgh, so I didnt think it could be too bad. Thanks again.
I agree with john about the sump pump being the best solution. the products you are talking about for the walls are called "damtite" , and "dry-lok". They normally are a thick white block filler type of latex. keep in mind that the block walls are hollow and once water peeks over the hollow block, then water gets in at the bottom of the wall at the slab. therefore making the sump pump a better option unless you see a leaking crack in the wall.
Ask seller for disclosure on "some water" problem. Have him explain exactly what he 's talking about. Has he gotten any estimates to repair/remedy?
Hi RZI
I'm an inspector and a contractor.
The first red flag on any property is an AS IS SALE! this clause will reduce the sellers liability.
The first thing you need to determine is the water intrusion from a high ground water table or surface tention run off. French drains and a sump pump will usually address the surface tention/ run off issue. A high water table can be a nightmare.
Second issue is has the bacement walls been compromised due to mineral deposits . poke areas of the block wall with a ice pick ...if it crumble .... well the wall is weaken in that area. (look for uneven texture walls or mineral deposits)
Third what is the condition of the wooden framing components. sill plate : clean and clear or dry rot with mold ?
I have many more questions... like where is your property located and the age. Please, get an indepentant property inspector... DO NOT USE THE AGENT"S REFERRED INSPECTOR ! You need an inspector on your side not your agents.
Please contact me by phone if you have any questions I'll be more than glad to help. You dont want to buy a money or a mold pit.
Linda
909 336- 3058