All Forum Posts by: John Salgado

Well the appraisal report came back and showed water in the basement, wet throughout 3/4, maybe 1/2 deep.  From the photos it does look like the water is coming from this corner.  

@Brian Pulaski - was your issue just seepage through the wall/cracks? did you compact the dirt where the water was coming through?  What was the purpose of the mulch/woodchips? sorry for all the questions, now that its a confirmed issue, i'm looking further into how to resolve it best since leaking basements isnt always a quick fix.

@Mike McCarthy - great idea.  I will go that route and have the camera done when replacing the inside.  

@Will Barnard does the trenchless system also work for the water main line coming into the house?  I am having that replaced due to low water pressure (rusted galvanized steel).

@Jamie Mathieu no, we didnt do the sewer scope as part of the inspection.  didnt know you could have that done.  I'll most likely deal with the inside sewer line now and see how bad the outside one is when it is removed.  

If the sewer line job is $2k, how much would you estimate for cushion to account for extra work/unforseen expenses?

thanks for the reply, definitely don't want that 3am call and have to pay more out of pocket to clean up the mess

@Mark Fries have you had any pipes that look like this? I'm all for saving money, but i'm beginning to realized money vs time and effort.

@Colleen F.  my house is definitely older so who knows how old my pipe is.  good point on the planned repair.

@Mike McCarthy the water main is about 10 feet a part from the sewer main.  I also wasn't planning on changing the one go out of the house, only inside the basement because of the possible sewage leak happening within the house.  any experience with this?  some posts talk about just getting an excavator to do the work, since the plumber will contract out the work?

I am in process of purchasing my first MF house and one of the notable items on the inspection report was the sewer main which is heavily rusted on the exterior.  The inspector was able to scrape off layers when taking a look shown by the photo with pieces on the floor.  He also noted some weeping below the pipe.  From my research, it could still be functional for a couple of years and the exterior condition may not be indicative of the inside.  I have no knowledge of how the current drains are performing, but what are some things I should look for?

• Would you replace before having tenants? (I am having a plumber to replace the main water line coming into the house).
• Or would you wait til its broken to address, which could be next year or in 10 years? 

@Brian Pulaski thanks for the info!  there is an existing sump pump system in the basement - definitely old and possibly not functional.  The hole/well isnt even lined and I just see dirt on the inside. 

I'm not sure if it is an active leak, so I will have to monitor it first when it rains.  Good pointers on your experience and what to look for!   

There is a small crawlspace under the porch about 10 feet away and 4 feet above the hole in the photo.  I will definitely clean out the silt so I can get a fresh look!

On another note - do you have any experience with sewer mains and rust?  I am trying to figure out if I should replace this sewer line.  Exterior layers of rust are easily falling off with some seepage noted under the pipe.

Chris - much appreciated for the responses.  I'll work on finding out the source.  One contractor from basement solutions suggested putting in a french drain, but doesnt really address where its coming from.  

@Don - that is the main sewer line of the house.  What you may see as new concrete is dirt and silt that has been flowing through with the water ( I think).  Good thought that maybe it was used for repair, didnt think of that one.  It is blocked on the other side, it is where the porch once was, but has been converted to an additional room for the house.   This will make it a bit more complicated since we can not just dig from the outside of the house.

I'll have a plumber also take a look at it as well.  I guess the #1 question is, where is the water coming from and how do we fix that?

Thanks for the reply Christopher!  There is a missing block in the wall as well as a very small faint crack forming from additional water leaking.  The weird part is that the area (facing the front of the house)  is below the interior portion of the house.  Upon looking at the side of the house, there seems to be a downspout directly to the side of the house.  So would it be safe to assume that the water from the side of the house is some how finding its way to the front?

I am currently under contract with my first property multi-unit and am trying to figure out the problem and expected costs for the attached image.  I do understand that the best approach is to get a contractor/basement specialist, but I am just trying to understand ahead of time so I have a better sense/conversation with the guy.  There is evident of mold/rot in other areas of the basement, but was all dry.  Unfortunately I didnt have the home inspection when it was raining...

Is this a french drain type of repair?  Or just an old wall that needs to be remediated by replacing the cinder block walls?

What is your experience with leaky basements?

Jason - I may have found a way but not sure how reliable it is or accurate.  What areas in NJ were you looking at?