Wet basements have always been a concern, irrespective of whether you are the owner, seller, or buyer of a home. A wet basement does not only become unusable, but also a flooded foundation can become seriously weak. The newest threat to residential indoor air quality – toxic mold, can also fester at a faster speed when an ample supply of water lies below the foot.

In case you do not fix the leaking basement, you stand a high chance of losing a valuable space in home, losing resale value, inviting health problems, risking electric shock and much more. Following are some of the reasons as to why you should fix your basement:-

1.    Potential Electric Shock: – Electricity and standing water are an unhealthy combination (lights, dryers, washers and other appliances could become hazardous).

2.    Stored Goods: – Stored goods are easily ruined. Drywall, carpeting, furniture, clothing, and tile can be embedded forever with musty smell and mildew.

3.    Wasted living space: – A wet basement causes a lot of space wastage. On the other hand, a dry basement can easily be converted to a family, home office, a recreation room, workshop, and bedroom.

4.    Resale Value: – According to most realtors, a house with a leaky basement may depreciate by nearly 25 %.

5.    Paint Chipping: – Water in blocks may create excessive moisture to hold the paint.

6.    Infestation with Insects: – Water bugs, spiders, centipede, termites, and many other insects like damp environments – including the basement.

7.    Efflorescence: – As water passes through the soil, it becomes more acidic. This water reacts with the lime in cement resulting in huge structural damage.

8.    Selling House: – Seller is liable up to a year if the problem is not disclosed.

9.    Rising Costs: – More damage is caused every time it snows or rains. If not controlled, there may occur severe structural damage, including underpinning, need for new I-beans, replacing walls, or repairing.

10.    Dampness: – Your house may be cooler by ten degrees.

11.    Erosion: – Unchecked water flow to the basement may seriously undermine the footer of the house, causing the uneven settling of the house leading to cracks in ceilings and walls and roof leaks. Extreme erosion could result in a house collapse. Footer undermining could also result in cracks in basement walls, leaving cabinets, archways, windows, cupboards and doors ajar.

Nobody likes a wet basement, and in some cases, it is a clear-cut deal breaker. In fact, a leading construction related magazine found that 19 % of homebuyers refuse to consider the upper fixer while shopping. Wet basements can, depreciate home values by 10 – 25 %. For a prospective homeowner, this is an incredible margin. Why? In the present housing scenario, nearly 40 % of the previously owned homes will have at least a single serious defect, and a wet basement is one of the easiest defects to repair.

Though the expense is not that significant, basement waterproofing could increase the home value by nearly 40%.

According to the National Association of Realtors, a finished dry basement can increase the resale value by nearly 73 % (see details below):-

It is the duty of every homeowner to embark on a complete property disclosure. The general rule in property selling and buying is caveat emptor – let the purchaser beware. Some states such as Pennsylvania have rules, which require the buyer to make full disclosure of the property.

The law states thus “Any seller who intends to transfer any interest in real property shall disclose to the buyer any material defects with the property known to seller by completing the applicable items in a property disclosure statement which satisfies Section 7304 requirements (related to disclosure form). A dated and signed copy of property disclosure statement shall be delivered to the buyer in accordance with section 7305 (relating to delivery of disclosure form) prior to the signing of an agreement of transfer by seller and buyer with respect to the property.

Though wet basement is included in the list of things to disclose in a property, Pennsylvania does not have any law when it comes to selling a house with wet basements.

Talking of wet basements, the American Society of Home Inspectors takes serious exception when it comes to the presence of molds. Mike Casey ASHI president says, “Mold has thrived for years and is commonly found in American homes.” Though it is harmless, too much of some types of mold in a home could be dangerous. Mold is indicative of excess moisture and hence, the source has to be immediately corrected. Casey believes that molds grow naturally in the indoor environment. Besides, mold spores also enter through heating, windows, open doorways, air conditioning systems, and ventilation. However, when the mold spores alight in places of excess moisture and a source of food such as building materials, they often grow and spread.

This happens frequently where leakage occurs in areas, pipes, plant pots, walls, or roofs affected by flood. Casey also observes that in case the mold growth becomes pathogenic or toxic by nature, people might also experience problems in health. Health conditions have often included symptoms such as flu-like conditions, bloody noses, chronic fatigue, congestion and other symptoms, which do not go away.

Casey adds, “As mold grows in undetected moist areas, it is important that homeowners have their homes evaluated for those troublesome areas.”

Before you sell the house, the home inspector conducts a thorough inspection. A home inspector is fully aware of important local ordinances, such as electrical and plumbing systems, frame construction and the condition of other structures found on the property. It is essential to note here that the home inspector is completely different from a code inspector or building inspector, who is given the charge to check whether the property is in full compliance with the governing housing codes. While the home inspector probably is, and should be familiar with the governing codes, they are not responsible for checking the compliance with the applicable codes – this comes under the building inspector’s purview.

Home inspection, whether for real estate inspections for a realty agency or whether for private clients, includes an in-depth analysis of all elements of a home, which are considered as permanent feature.

Based on the home size, a home inspector can spend anywhere between a couple of hours to better part of a day for a single home. The chief focus is not just to get the home inspections on a quick basis, but also to ensure that no property aspects are overlooked.

One amongst the first aspects addressed by the home inspector is the core structure condition. This would mean checking the home foundation for any weak support areas. In addition, crawl spaces and basements are checked for any cracking signs in flooring or walls, in addition to any sign of mold or seepage. In case the basic structure appears sound, the home inspector can thereafter move to other major systems, which offer utilities to a home.

The next phase of inspection would often include the cooling and heating systems for a home and the plumbing and electrical wiring system. Gas lines are checked for proper installation and leaks. Often, the wiring is of special interest to the home inspector, as electricity drives numerous major appliances and household systems.

According to local codes, plumbing should be done without any signs of immediate breakdown. In case wood stoves or fireplaces are present, both are inspected for ensuring that the devices are vented properly and are in proper working order.

Thereafter, the home inspector turns his or her attention to interior home structures. This would mean checking the doorframes and interior wall condition to ensure that there are no signs of the weakened infrastructure.

Besides, even ceilings are inspected for ensuring that they are in nice condition. Home inspectors would also watch out for presence of safety devices, such as fire alarms and smoke detectors. The condition of the closets, attic spaces, and windows, all these rounds out the interior inspection.On the exterior side, the home inspector would pay attention to the roof condition, search for proper drainage and flashing via downspouts and gutters, and ensure that attached elements such as decks or porches are safe and stable.

Other buildings on property such as storage houses or garages also need to face inspection and approval before the home inspector deems the job complete.

TIPS TO SELL HOME:

If you do not have the money to hire an interior designer, what are the essential things that you need to consider before you try to sell it.

This will  be based entirely on the current property condition. Irrespective of what the home condition is, it is worth considering key selection variables, which drive the property selection of one over the other. Selection variables mean those home aspects that one has instant control over.

Though the number of bedrooms, style of a home, location, total square footage and other parameters play a vital role in shaping a home price, they cannot be easily changed sans significant remodeling costs.

Below mentioned are certain crucial areas that a person has to work out :-

Kitchen:

    Change worn-out old cupboards and replace them with a contemporary style new unit without going for the expensive little trims and add-ons.

    As the basic units are priced reasonably, they would appear great. In the process, you can sometimes get away by replacing the old unit doors and transforming the look of a kitchen completely in the process.

    Try to upgrade the counter tops to Corian or Granite. For those on a tight budget, granite tile is a less expensive alternative to sold granite.

    Change leaky, tired taps with new faucet.

    Replace old, stainless sink with new ceramic design.

    Change worn-out old flooring, filling them with new floor tiles; add a sense of spaciousness by selecting a lighter color for brightening the room.

Bathroom:

    First appearance is the last appearance. Nobody wants to purchase a dirty bathroom. Ensure that your bathroom gleams.

    Nothing is worse than a stained old bath. If you feel its days are numbered, replace it and upgrade it to whirlpool style tub, in case you have the  master suite.

    Replace the toilet bowl if it is cracked and/or discolored.

    Now that you are replacing the toilet and the bathtub, it is important that you replace the sink too and ensure that everything matches – especially the taps on sink and tub.

    In case you have shower over bath, ensure your shower curtain is new and includes a dress curtain with tie back.

Steps to Repair a Wet Basement:

During heavy rain, when water rushes into the basement, it is everything except fun. With right materials and expertise, fixing leaky basement is possible. The picture depicts two special valves called overflow valves permitting water to spill and energized fully with automatic charger.

Now the waterproofing system has been installed.

The basement has two huge areas of vulnerability where water could enter. The first is the joint between floor and wall, which gets especially porous at the corners. Another area is where the water is squeezed in through a precast hatchway doorstep.

During heavy rains or rapid snowmelt, water starts saturating the soil and presses against the floor underside and the basement walls. If there is a strong hydrostatic pressure, water can even flow in the basement through joints and cracks, even penetrating the concrete itself.

The area where water migrates through basement walls, a white chalky powder, called efflorescence shows. Actually, this powder is a mineral residue that is left behind by the water after it drains or evaporates down the wall.

Now, after identifying the problem source, it is important to do something. The team starts by digging a huge trench around basement walls with the help of a jackhammer.

Now, cut a hole in floor for the new sump pump. This hole would collect the water channeled to it by a new perimeter drain.

These bright polyethylene panels hide any water stains and efflorescence discoloration and help in creating a barrier, channeling water to drainage trench. Screws are driven into plastic anchors through panels, fitting into the basement’s ¼ inch holes, drilled with the help of carbide masonry bit.

As soon as bright wall panels are put in place, it is time to for installing the plastic drain series, collecting the incoming water, and then channelizing it to the sump. Thereafter, the sections are connected to molded corner pieces and laid end to end.

The drain at the front of the outdoor step – especially a huge problem area, incorporates the open gate such that water flows in from the top.

Thereafter, the sump liner is dropped into position and then is connected to the trenches drainage system.

The space between the edge of the trench and the drain as well as the bottom of the sump pit and sump liner, is filled with crushed rock.

Now, the sump system starts pumping water, right from the drainage system to outside. In case the circuit breaks or the primary pump gets unplugged, the water rises to second pump. A third, battery-powered sump pump takes over if the house loses power. This system can suck up to 7000 gallons of water each hour.

This collected water must have some outlet, which is outside the basement. Now, the two-inch holes get bored into the rim joist and the siding, a bit above basement wall.

Next, a pair of drain lines directs the water outside the basement – one for the backup unit and a second for the primary pump. You can observe two special valves in the picture – these being overflow valves, which permit the water to spill out, especially for the frozen pipes in winter, rather than being forced back to the basement.

Now, a PVC drainpipe runs right from the basement until the drainage gate. Water pumped out of basement, are discharged through the grate after they are carried well away from the foundation, from where they run away from house.

In the interior, the plastic pump runs down the sump, from where it is connected to the discharge portion of the pumps. Thereafter, the pumps are plugged in and the emergency DC pump is connected. The battery then is fully energized and monitored by the automatic charger.

Now that the plumbing work has finished and with the pumps getting tested and ready for action, the grate placed at the stairwell’s bottom is tightly sealed with the duct tape and the concrete being troweled around drain, covering up everything except at the top. Remove tape over the gate when the concrete is dry.

Any water that enters the floor first enters the drainage system, is then directed to the sump pump. Water that leaks through the walls first flows in a downward direction, into the drain behind the plastic panels. Most of the water gets soaked in the sump, pumping it away from house.

Now the basement is dry and devoid of leaks.

Whether you water proof your basement yourself or bring in a crew, this method would ensure that you could sleep at night during snowy and rainy months without having to think about flooding.

“Keystone Basement Systems, Inc. is a foundation repair company. KBS is not, however, a engineering firm and should not be considered as such.”