Leaky cement block basement.?
Question:we are looking to purchase a house. we noticed that the down spout from the gutter run off has been running right into the basement window, causing the cement blocks to seperate a little and flake on the outside. i dont know if the home owners have discised the prob from the inside because there is no evidence of damage inside the basement, just outside. what's the worst possible cenario? should we include this finding in our negotations?
Answers:
You should always use everything you can in negotiating a sale. As far as an inspector if you hire one make sure you find your own and do not use someone your real estate agent suggests. The best inspector from a real estate agent's point of view is one that doesn't find significant problems. Even finding an inspector by yourself might be difficult because they know that if they find a problem that keeps a sale from happening they will never work for any of the agents involved. Besides most of these inspectors don't have any real kind of feel for structural issues, it doesn't take much training to be an inspector in most states.
At the very least the water needs to be directed away from the house. If the blocks are still straight and level and you cannot see any damage inside you are probably all right. I am an engineer and deal with foundation issues on a regular basis. I have been involved in replacing block foundations under houses. With a block foundation there is no way to make it impenatrable to water, but you can keep your basement dry by keeping the water table near the home below the floor elevation. This might be done simply by directing the flow of surface water away from the house or it may require a sump system to drain off the water at an elevation below the floor.
Definitly bring it into your negotiations... when you have water run down the side of your house, it slowly builds a tunnel between your house and the ground outside. Your blocks could be separating for one of several reasons... shifting foundation, which is really bad, or it could be as simple as missing grout. You definitly need to have the seller or real estate agency bring in a qualified inspector. They have ways of testing the durability of your foundation and can find problems you might never see. It could save you thousands in the long run. Good luck
Probably not a structural problem if you are not seeing interior damage. The fix is to channel away the water and patch the block on the outside. Not difficult or expensive.
I would and if they don't want to fix it, get appraisals on the repair price and then negotiate.You definitely want to be sure the house is structurally sound before you make an offer.
negotiations are just that. Having an inspector look the house over is an excellent idea. The sellers and agents hate them, but, you have a right to the opinion of one. They will find everything there is to find wrong with the house! If they fail to find or report something that is discovered later, they are liable. Now they will overkill, so, your job is to figure out what you can live with and what has to be fixed, or kill the deal.
Mold and Mildew growth inside the home. And YES you should include this in your negotiations! Left untreated it can cause serious health issues!
First you need to completely dry the walls and then paint it with a Kilz like sealant. Then fix the gutters.
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