Ignore Water in Basement?

Question

I have a split-level built in the early 70's that gets some water in the basement/downstairs living room, as well as the crawl space, during heavy rains. There is a water dam and a working sump pump in the crawl space, but it doesn't keep all of the water out. After a very heavy rain I can get up to a half an inch of water on the lowest part of the floor.

I am selling this house in a month or two and I'm wondering what I should do. I've been thinking of maybe improving the grading on the exterior of the house (which is currently flat and flush with the rest of the yard) and laying down an inorganic subfloor and tiling and/or carpeting over it. I was also thinking of Dry-Locking the entire basement and crawlspace.

Any thoughts from you seasoned flippers?

Luis A. · Answer

In this market where sellers have plenty of choices I cannot imagine you be able to get away with this. I agree with J Scott. Also, what I learned from my basement waterproofing experience is that you got to figure out why water is coming in. Sometimes it could just be the grading. You could build a french drain to direct the water somewhere else or think about moving some dirt around. What concerns me is that you already have a sump pump and you are still getting water standing. Why? Although the sump pump does not stop the water, all it does is move it outside once it gets in, I am not sure why it is not getting rid of all the water. Is it too small? Was it installed correctly? Without knowing the size of the area in question a good water treatment option could go from $1k to $5k. Dry Lok is for minor stuff, if you have that amount of water Dry Lok will not do squat. Believe me I tried it ;-)

J Scott · Answer

If you know about the water issue, and you plan to provide a disclosure to the buyer, you are most likely required to disclose this fact (most state disclosure docs ask specific if you know of any water or dampness issues below grade). If you disclose the issue, buyers are going to ask what you've done to remediate it, and if the answer is "nothing," that might scare off some buyers. The bigger issue that buyers will worry about isn't the water itself, but the mold that will likely start to grow if the condition persists. Personally, I'd try regrading to fix the problem, so you could at least be able to disclose that you tried to fix it. But, if the problem is severe and grading doesn't help, you should probably look into more complex solutions (foundation drain, dry-locking, water barrier on exterior, etc). I know a lot of flippers will say don't worry about it, but if you're trying to build a good reputation, fix it...

Larry Moore · Answer

Also check to make sure the gutters are clear of debris. Had a rehab leak in the basement, checked the gutters and they were full of leaves. Cleaned them out and a few days later had a near record rainfall with nary a drop in the basement.

Billy Cassie · Answer

if you have down spouts make sure they are piped away from the foundation this could help also.

Mark Beekman · Answer

Thanks for the ideas, guys. qkjones- We had very heavy rains here in PA last week and the sump pump was working. The problem was that it was draining out the side of the house right next to the foundation! I redirected its flow with a drain pipe AFTER the rain stopped, so I'm hoping that that's a major contibuting factor. But, like you said, the sump pump just pumps out the water that's already in the basement. Max- A french drain would be a cheaper solution?

Just Don · Answer

your asking for big trouble if you are selling that fast. Postpone selling till you can fix it and have ENOUGH time to make sure it works. A 6" drop in first 2' of space around the house would be a good start,,,AFTER you put a french drain in, which isnt hard,,,depending if you have someplace to drain it to. And whose idea was it to dump sump pump water next to foundation so it runs right back inside? Get at least 20' of pipe downhill and preferably more to where it is harmless. "GLUED" fast and barely underground so it stays put. Good slope and NO dips if your in freeze zone. sell it this way and watch the lawsuit servers flock your door.

Max Vulcanus · Answer

Cheaper solution might be finding out where the water is coming from on the outside and then create a French Drain around the perimeter of the house. I have personally done it (well, I have hired contractors to do it). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_drain

Christopher Davis · Answer

Hey Mark I would have 2 or 3 different waterproofing/ drainage control companies look at it and get their opinions on the source/solution. Make sure you are there and ask all the why,where,how questions. It may be a simple fix or it may not but IMO it must be fixed for sale. Chris