Finished Basement Ideas - Your One Source for Basement Finishing Ideas!!!

Basement Water Infiltration Problems

It is impossible for home inspectors to determine if water or moisture penetration will pose a problem in the future on the basis of a one time inspection. As a home buyer you should obtain a sworn statement from the sellers detailing the frequency and severity of water infiltration that has occurred in the past.

Trust no one. In 13 years of home inspection experience, during 7,000 +/- I have never once heard an owner or Realtor indicate a home has a water "problem". I have been told the water only gets about this high (place hand on hip) and or it only gets a little water when it rains hard. Come on, get real!

The vast majority of basement leakage problems are the result of insufficient control of storm water at the surface. The ground around the house should be sloped to encourage water to flow away from the foundations. Gutters and downspouts should act to collect roof water and drain the water at least five (5) feet from the foundation, or into a functional storm sewer. Downspouts that are clogged or broken below grade level, or that discharge too close to the foundation, are the most common sources of basement leakage.

In the event that basement leakage problems are experienced, lot and roof drainage improvements should be undertaken as a first step. Please beware of contractors who recommend expensive solutions. Excavation, damp-proofing and/or the installation of drainage tiles may be necessary.

About the Author:

Michael Del Greco is President of Accurate Inspections, Inc. A New Jersey home inspection firm. He has performed thousands of home inspections in New Jersey since 1993. He has taught the New Jersey Home Inspector Licensing classes and New Jersey Home Inspector CEU classes as well as participated in developing questions for the National Home Inspector Exam. Michael's home inspector resume may be viewed at http://www.accurateinspections.com/michael2.htm.

Visit http://home-inspector.NewJerseyHomeInspection.com for a list of home inspectors in New Jersey.

This article may be freely reproduced if it is not altered and the above two lines are reproduced with active hot links.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Michael_Del_Greco

Articles of Interest ...

Please visit our entire list of basement idea and home improvement articles here.

Special Offers

This site is protected under both U.S. Federal copyright law and international
treaties. No part of this work, including text, look and feel, layout, images, may
be reproduced or copied in any form or by any means.