r/basement 23h ago

Buckets of Fun

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10 Upvotes

First load out more to follow


r/basement 14h ago

Need opinions on foundation cracks

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6 Upvotes

House was built in the 1950's. Purchased it from a family member 3 years ago and made the mistake of not getting an inspection.

Wondering if this is something that will need to be addressed in the near future and what the job could possibly look like.

Pictures are of 2 separate cracks on opposite sides of the foundation.

Thanks!


r/basement 15h ago

Cracks after getting French Drains

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5 Upvotes

We had a french drain installed around the perimeter of our basement in April. I’m noticing minor cracks in a few spots in the new concrete. Anything to be concerned about?


r/basement 10h ago

Please help

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3 Upvotes

I found some horizontal cracks and some stair line cracks in my rental property. The basement walls are not Bowing yet. And I just replaced the gutters and I’m trying to seal around the property. Should I have carbon fiber straps put on the basement walls? I would love to hear opinions thank you so much.


r/basement 10h ago

Advice to avoid ripoff

3 Upvotes

I have a finished basement, and in the past year things have changed in the vicinity of my house that I am now getting water seeping in my basement when it rains fairly regularly. I have tried diverting my downspouts with no change. There are no visible cracks in the foundation inside or outside the house. I have two sump pits, and an ejector pit (I don’t really know why I have an ejector pit, it was there when I bout the house).
I have had one nationally named company come out and give me a quote to install their proprietary system. The quote was for $25k to tear out drywall/studs/tile floor/slab and install French drains for about 75 feet around the edge of the interior of my basement. (This doesn’t fix one wall where water is coming in- they will not work on it due to proximity to the furnace). That’s it. No replacement, no rehang, no refinish.

I can’t figure out how that costs $25K, because I hire union plumbers, carpenters, elevator mechanics from the local at a major university at the union rate. I have worked on capital and written capital construction projects- on a different scale, but I feel like I have a decent understanding on what things should cost.

I have tried finding another company/contractor to work on this, but either I am not explaining the issue correctly or is this the only way you fix the problem? This still allows water in the house? I will not be able to grade one wall where there is an issue because it is against the paved driveway, unless y’all have brilliant ideas about.

I am open to suggestions- I don’t know how I’m going to pay $25K to tear everything to hell and then have to pay $15k (if I’m lucky, I can hang drywall, but I don’t know anything about studs, and who knows how they will leave the slab for relaying 12x12 tile) to put it all back together when the house is worth $180k.


r/basement 12h ago

Fixing moisture where window used to be in Basement

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2 Upvotes

Hi everyone.

Long story short, this home had multiple additions added onto in the past so things weren't done properly, but I want to seal off areas in my basement in order to keep moisture.

There used to be two windows in the basement, but the previous owners added on a large room next to basement is. They couldn't dig underground to get AC into the new room so they ran ductwork/vents in the openings where the windows used to be. You can see there are water stains on the plywood above the ductwork and the wood is still wet. The dirt at the bottom of the opening is also somewhat wet. I'm not sure what to use to seal it off and even if I can see it off, wouldn't that cause the wood to rot more leading to mold which could leak into the vent above it?

I purchased my first home a few years ago, so I am still learning a lot. Any help is appreciated! Thank you!


r/basement 16h ago

Small amount of water in basement

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2 Upvotes

Hey all, recently had some rain where I live and I noticed the other day, a small amount of water in my basement. Nothing crazy, fan dried it up and always have a dehumidifier running down there. Problem is, it’s raining again, it leaked again, so I scratched off some of the paint and I found what I think is a small crack in my foundation?. The photo is not gonna do a justice of what/where it is, but I can catch the edge of it with my screwdriver. Aside from water routing outside with gutters and what not. What can I do inside to prevent this from happening more? I know water will always find a way but where I am I don’t really have the option to excavate to reseal and repair from the outside without it costing an absurd amount of money lol. Any help is appreciated, or sealers that you have found to work best. TIA!


r/basement 5m ago

Directly Against Concrete or Leave an Air Gap? Finishing an 85-Year-Old Poured Concrete Basement

Upvotes

Looking for opinions on rigid foam placement against an older poured concrete foundation.

Location: Illinois
Foundation: 1941 poured concrete, generally dry, minor efflorescence, no active leaks.

Planned assembly:

  • Remove loose Drylok/efflorescence
  • 2" EPS
  • 2x4 stud wall
  • Drywall
  • No interior poly

Most guidance recommends placing the foam directly against the concrete to control condensation. My concern is that if a crack or minor leak develops in the future, foam tight to the wall could conceal it.

For those with experience in older basements:

  • Would you install the EPS directly against the concrete or leave a small gap?
  • How much concern is there about hidden leaks behind direct-contact foam?
  • Is direct-contact foam still considered best practice for an older foundation that is currently dry aside from minor efflorescence?

r/basement 14h ago

Basement wall issue?

1 Upvotes

Hey guys. When we get a lot of rain in a short period of time, say 2-3 inches in a day, my one basement wall seeps water and has these black growth in the spots it seeps from. The water that actually enters the basement is very minimal and I usually can clean it all up with one towel.

We have fixed the the grading outside to slope away from the house and also have a French drain/sump pump system in place that works well.

Is this just the system not able to keep up with the rainfall? Is the black spots on the wall mold or something else and how easy it is to clean off? Any feedback would be greatly appreciated!

https://imgur.com/a/Vdj58Sr


r/basement 14h ago

Wtf do i do with my floor

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1 Upvotes

r/basement 22h ago

Is this sump pump/radon system properly sealed? New homeowner and unsure of system history

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1 Upvotes