Flooded Basement

Business is Business

As it stands, the issue is a dire one for homeowners selling with a flooding basement.  Builder Magazine has found that 19% of home buyers won’t even look at a “fixer upper”, and even when they will look at it, you can be sure that it’s not their first choice over a home with a dry basement.

When a home buyer does finally decide to make an offer, you can be sure that the cost will be 10-25% less than it would be if the basement was a dry one.

Investing with Basement Repair

However, there is hope.  Of the 12 home buying red flags cited by RealtyTimes, such as the presence of lead paint or asbestos, foundation issues, or defective roofing, solving basement moisture is likely the easiest and most inexpensive to repair.

A good basement waterproofing contractor can provide a warranty that can be transferred to a new owner, and with a $200,000 home, it can pay back for itself by upwards of 400% of the cost of the job.  A good contractor can install a perimeter drain and sump pump in one, or perhaps two, days.

Conclusions:  If you have a wet basement, fix it before you list it.  Ideally, you should fix it right away, so you can enjoy a dry basement before you sell it.  If you’re buying a home, take a second look at that wet basement fixer-upper.  It’s quite a bargain!

When extreme damage has been done, replacing the wall may be the best and only option!  Most walls can beinstalled from the inside of the basement with minimal disturbance to the outside area.  Not only can a new basement wall be more appealing, but a professionally installed block wall provides a stable foundation for the home and maintains the value of the home.

Block wall with extreme damage has been removed.

It’s been replace with a new wall.  The home owner can rest easy!

Previous articles have been written about sinking houses/ foundations and what tell tale signs a home owner should be made aware of.  By educating yourself a person is better able to be prepared for most any of life’s experiences, including sinking foundations!  “It’s not what happens to you in life, it’s how you let it effect you.” Dan Straw, owner Better Basements

After much time searching, engineer’s reports, & conversations with various dealers country wide, Better Basements determined the best, most permanent way to “fix” a sinking foundation is with a product called DynaPier, of which we are a dealer.  The system uses interlocking segments that are comprised of high-strength concrete that is pre-cast in a galvanized steel sleeve.  The outer casing is filled with a concrete core & cured for maximum hardness.  These segments are hydraulically driven into the ground one at a time, not “screwed” in as with other piering products.  We have found the result is a foundation that far exceeds the home’s original structural integrity, making your foundation Better than new.

Wall Problems;  A sinking house/foundation often have wall problems including curved or bowed walls, water leaking through walls, leaning walls even water stains on walls in the house.

Alignment Problems;  This is a noticable sign at windows and door.  They ofter will not shutproperly in a sinking house/foundation because the frame has shifted.

Sloping;  Sinking houses/foundations will typically have sloping floors.  The slope can be either in one direction or in all directions towards a point where the house has sunk the lowest.

Soil & Water;  Water that pools around the foundation of your house or soil that seems to seperate away from your house can be signs of a sinking foundation.

If you feel your house is sinking, you may have serious foundation problems.  A sinking foundation is in need of immediate attention.  You may notice cracks in various places.  Look for cracks in the corners of windows, fireplace bricks, ceiling cracks, wall cracks, floor cracks, or even cracks in the foundation itself.  Cracks in just 1 or 2 of these mentioned areas don’t necessarily mean your foundation is sinking, but cracks that appear in all or most of these areas likely point to a sinking foundation problem.

*Check back for more interesting facts related to this topic!