Leaky Basements: What You Should Know When You’re Buying a Home

                                                                                         

With the weather turning cooler and damper as the year progresses, it is important to consider what result this moisture can bring to a home that you’re looking to buy. Many homes on the market are far from new construction and may have been constructed before some of the modern guidelines for sealing basements were in place or some of the standards for constructing drains around the perimeter of a home were in place. Whatever the reason, many older homes have dampness problems that become apparent at this time of year.

When you’re looking at houses on the market, make sure that you take a good look at the basement; it is also a good idea to make sure that you let the home inspector know that you’re concerned about basement leakage when he or she does the inspection. Some signs that there might be moisture issues in the basement are the smell of dampness or mould and visible water damage to walls, furnishings, or other items in the basement.

Basement leaks can cause more than just water damage and mould problems however; excess moisture is also a good environment for termites and dry rot to progress in.

Water can make its way into your home as a symptom of many different kinds of problems: moisture can seep through improperly or unsealed concrete; a cracked foundation can allow water seepage; and/or faulty perimeter drains or gutters can allow an excess amount of moisture in the surrounding soil which then makes seeps into the basement.

Depending on what sort of problem is causing the moisture problem, you will probably want to proceed cautiously in purchasing a house with a damp basement. Some remedies can be expensive and/or time consuming and require professionals to fix while others are less of a problem. A problem with broken or insufficient gutters is fairly easy to solve; new gutters aren’t difficult to install and don’t cost a prohibitive amount of money. A problem with a cracked or crumbling foundation might be a more expensive and time consuming problem to fix.

If you are in doubt about buying a home that has a leaky basement talk to your home inspector or a professional experienced in repairing that type of problem so that you have a good idea of what will be involved. You may want to place an offer on the home with the contingency that the current owners repair the problem before you buy it or that they reduce the price by the amount that it will cost you to have it repaired.

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