Home inspection question

[Erik88]

We're in the process of buying a home and we had the inspection today. The house has a finished basement.

Part of the inspection involved the inspector probing various parts of the basement with some sort of moisture detection device that goes from 0-100%. One corner of the basement read 96% so there is obviously an issue. It also hasn't rained here in a week or more so that is even more surprising. 

When checking that corner of the house outside we found the downspout wasn't connected to the drain. They buried one of those black plastic tubes that are so common. So it's clear rain water is just dumping there at the wall of the home.

The inspector said he wasn't overly concerned with it and felt that we could fix it by diverting water away from that area. My dad said he wouldn't let it stop him from buying the house. I've never owned a home with a basement so I'm not that experienced with this. 

The rest of the house was fine. It's been very well taken care of. It's a mix of brick and new hardie board so they clearly have spent money on upkeep. That hardie board isn't cheap.

How concerned should I be? The type of deal we offered is a information only inspection. We can't ask them to make repairs. We either buy the house or we walk. 

Our realtor said we could pay to have a mold test done if I'm real concerned. In his opinion, there are two types of basements. Those that leak and those that will leak. 

 

[KahrMan]

I wouldn’t be to worried. I agree with the inspector. Once you divert the water away the moisture will go away. 

[FUJIMO]

23 minutes ago, KahrMan said:

I wouldn’t be to worried. I agree with the inspector. Once you divert the water away the moisture will go away. 

THIS. I have a full basement and when we bought our home the last owners didn't have enough slope or drainage around the foundation. You could fill a dehumidifier once or twice daily. After increasing the slope,diverting the water with gravel and or plastic drain pipe, and using drylok on the block our moisture issues now are minimal. But we run a dehumidifier to this day just to keep that basement "feel" to a minimum. 

Edited March 12, 2021 by FUJIMO
Typo

[Erik88]

Thanks guys. Overall the basement doesn't feel humid like many do. 

[Darrell]

52 minutes ago, Erik88 said:

The inspector said he wasn't overly concerned with it and felt that we could fix it by diverting water away from that area.

The inspector should know of what he speaks, but if I were buying I'd want to make sure that there isn't any abnormally high moisture content in any of the framing lumber above that area of the basement. Was the inspector measuring the moisture content of a concrete wall, or was there lumber there? 

 

[peejman]

What they said. The mold test could be worthwhile, especially if you have allergies. Id be curious to know how long the downspout had been that way.  As you're well aware, it's been a very wet winter. 

[Raoul]

Get the free mold test. If it's clean buy the house and be sure to divert water from all downspouts away from the dwelling.

[Erik88]

55 minutes ago, Darrell said:

The inspector should know of what he speaks, but if I were buying I'd want to make sure that there isn't any abnormally high moisture content in any of the framing lumber above that area of the basement. Was the inspector measuring the moisture content of a concrete wall, or was there lumber there? 

 

He was measuring the sheetrock against the block wall foundation.

19 minutes ago, Raoul said:

Get the free mold test. If it's clean buy the house and be sure to divert water from all downspouts away from the dwelling.

It wouldn't be free. I'd have to pay for it and they send it off to a lab to be tested. Might still be worth it though.

[TripleGGG]

I agree once you divert the water it will be fine. Had the same situation when we bought our house couple years ago. 

[No_0ne]

2 hours ago, Erik88 said:

In his opinion, there are two types of basements. Those that leak and those that will leak. 

This.  I don't know what folks are doing lately, but long ago when I was in construction there were few in Tennessee that built basements designed to not leak.  Most were of concrete block construction (inherently porous), sealants were not very good, and drainage wasn't always to spec.  If you went up north, their basements were of far better construction and less likely to leak, but they spent a lot more money building them too ...

[seez52]

With today's market you should probably move forward. If the down spouts are the trouble and often they are, it can take a long time for the moisture level to get back to normal. 

If you did smell a musty odor you're probably OK. I had to paint some of my block on the inside with that ugh waterproof paint. Did the trick but was a pain to prep. 

[Raoul]

Yeah, I guess my advice is...don't be overly sensitive. If it's major and structural... Be afraid. If it's just #### to be made right negotiate for a cost to cure discount and move forward.

[felinesNfreedom]

If the wall is reading wet and there is drywall attached to it you will more than likely have mold growing on the backside of the drywall. You  will need to cut out the drywall to check. More than likely the water is coming from the downspout that was mentioned. You could divert that away and even add a curtain drain to help with drainage. You could also seal the block from the inside or dig the foundation out and seal the exterior to do it correctly . I don't think I would let it stop me from buying the house.

[Swamp ash]

Congratulations on getting to this point; home searches are nerve-wracking.

Poorly functioning gutters and downspouts can be a real detriment. Are there any signs of past water damage/stains or recent repairs/paint in the area?

 

 

[DWARREN123]

Get it in writing so you will have something to fall back on if things do not work out right!

[Erik88]

9 hours ago, felinesNfreedom said:

If the wall is reading wet and there is drywall attached to it you will more than likely have mold growing on the backside of the drywall.

That was my concern too. I asked the inspector and he pointed out that if you stop the water, the mold has nothing left to feed off. Again, I was surprised at how he didn't think this is a major issue so I guess I'll take his word for it. 

9 hours ago, Swamp ash said:

Are there any signs of past water damage/stains or recent repairs/paint in the area?

 

There was some discoloration on the carpet right against the baseboard but it was very minor. Also, it looked like some of the sheetrock had been replaced at some point. 

[A.J. Holst]

Nothing really to add other than congratulations finding your new home, especially in this market!

Make sure your gutters stay clear and with a new diverter, you should be good to go.

We run a dehumidifier 24/7, empty it every 2-3 days depending on rain.

Side note: spray surface mold with a vinegar mixture, not bleach. Don't know why, but it seems to work better.

[Swamp ash]

55 minutes ago, Erik88 said:

That was my concern too. I asked the inspector and he pointed out that if you stop the water, the mold has nothing left to feed off. Again, I was surprised at how he didn't think this is a major issue so I guess I'll take his word for it. 

There was some discoloration on the carpet right against the baseboard but it was very minor. Also, it looked like some of the sheetrock had been replaced at some point. 

That should give you an idea of the scope of the issue at it's worst in the past.

Like everyone else says: add a dehumidifier! Mold can be active in high humidity areas, not just from water seepage.

We have a walk-out basement and added HVAC returns and a dehumidifier and never had a problem, though there we some signs of past intrusion. And of course, I am super vigilant with gutter maintenance.

 

 

[Hozzie]

Worst case, budget in adding a french drain around the house as well as fixing the gutter situation.  Water destroys more houses than just about anything. 

[Erik88]

2 minutes ago, Hozzie said:

Worst case, budget in adding a french drain around the house as well as fixing the gutter situation.  Water destroys more houses than just about anything. 

Yes he recommended a French drain on the other side.  There is a big retaining wall there that the owners are tearing down and having rebuilt. The old one had a huge crack in it. I may add a french drain to both sides.

[felinesNfreedom]

3 hours ago, Erik88 said:

That was my concern too. I asked the inspector and he pointed out that if you stop the water, the mold has nothing left to feed off. Again, I was surprised at how he didn't think this is a major issue so I guess I'll take his word for it. 

There was some discoloration on the carpet right against the baseboard but it was very minor. Also, it looked like some of the sheetrock had been replaced at some point. 

 

You will want to remove the mold and drywall. Once dry, Mold will not grow but you don't just leave the material with mold just sitting there. You could also left the corner of the carpet and check to make sure the backing has not started to de laminate or make sure there is no mold growing under the carpet or pad.

[peejman]

15 hours ago, No_0ne said:

This.  I don't know what folks are doing lately, but long ago when I was in construction there were few in Tennessee that built basements designed to not leak.  Most were of concrete block construction (inherently porous), sealants were not very good, and drainage wasn't always to spec.  If you went up north, their basements were of far better construction and less likely to leak, but they spent a lot more money building them too ...

They don't use block sealant on the outside (or don't use enough), they dont install French drains, they don't backfill with gravel, they don't get downspouts away from the house, and they don't grade properly... because all that takes time and money. 

[mondojackal]

On 3/11/2021 at 8:27 PM, Erik88 said:

It wouldn't be free. I'd have to pay for it and they send it off to a lab to be tested. Might still be worth it though.

It's not free, but you'll pay a cost down the road (effects on health, reduced resale value, frustration, etc.) if you find an organic growth issue in the future. In my opinion, it's better to be aware of any potential organic growth issues before buying the home, rather than finding out about it later. The cost of testing for it now is significantly less than the cost of remediating it later. Plus, the peace of mind alone might make it worth it. Buying a bad house is a REALLY bad headache.  it's a huge investment and you want to get it right.

[gregintenn]

How does the ground lay, Erik? The downspout is am easy fix, but right after a flood is the best time to look at houses in my opinion. If you see a way for storm water to leave your property in a fairly aggressive manor, you should be good to go. If you look around and discover it’s uphill in every direction leaving the property, walk away and let someone else deal with the headache.

Unless you move to Nevada, you’ll have moisture in your basement. I love my basement, but it is unfinished.

Edited March 13, 2021 by gregintenn

[Erik88]

1 hour ago, gregintenn said:

How does the ground lay, Erik?

It looks like they graded it fairly well. The front yard is sloped downhill with the house built into the side of the hill but before water runs into the house they graded a ledge that stops and then diverts it to the sides(in theory). 

I was feeling comfortable but now I'm starting to get cold feet. I really don't want to have to rip out the sheetrock in the basement to deal with mold.  I'm still waiting on the report so I'll wait to see what it says and might order the mold test.