Home inspector "if any water etc in basement it's probaby due to GRADING, wrong!

Specific Inspection Topics Structural Inspections
1

Really? If any water, mold etc in the basement it’s probably DUE to, grading, shtt… nonsense!!!


IF they have water in that basement, efflorescence or mold then it’s probably due to one or more of the following…

– 1 or more cracks in the basement walls

–if they have poured walls then they may have 1++ open, deteriorated rod holes

–1++ or more exterior openings around, under basement windows or around/under any door or other window

–1+ or more cracks in bricks or cracks/deteriorated mortar joints above grade

Yeah they are a few other possibilities but these are the most likely… 37 years says so.

Per the home inspectors claim that IF there is water, mold inside the basement its probably due to grading (and some other inspectors)… hmmm, so if THAT basement has anything like THIS basement (in video here), then its likely due to GRADING??? looooooooooooooooooooooooool


I yap a lot buttttttttt don’t really say much huh? Okie dokie dorkie.

Photo album of leaky basement… click any photo to ENLARGE the dumb photo so can ummm, SEE loool
https://picasaweb.google.com/101049034584960315932/BasementWaterproofing96
They umm, RE---------GRADED…still leaked.

They continued to leak because SOMEBODY didn’t know wtf they were yapping about, loser-incompetent recommendation to regrade.

Recommending grading and other rookie bullshtt has NOT ‘identied’ how and where the dumb azz water is allowed to GET IN nor does re–grading fix/repair/waterproof whatever the problems are!!! duuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuh

Photo album, leaky corner
https://picasaweb.google.com/101049034584960315932/BasementWaterproofing05
80 something year old woman owns this house, was FIRST told to EXTEND her downspout ext’s…and then told to MOVE them///redirect them, so she did… still leaked at–near back corner.

Then she was told to caulk/tar along the edge of the house–driveway… so she did, still leaked.

THENNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN looooooooooooooool she called around and got estimates from supposed expert, honest waterproofing contractors…the ones she called were inside basement system companies and my old azz.

The interior system LIARS told her she needed an interior basement system, all the fkg way around…LOTS of money as usual. Say again, she ONLY leaked at that corner and if your dumb azz takes a few moments and eyeballs the photos you should under–friggin–stand why/where water was able to get the hellllll in.

She spent around $900 on our azz to get that corner waterproofed outside, job was done around 10–12 years ago, maybe longer… NO leaky basement since.

Hmmmmmm, interior basement system that almost always costs $10,000–15,000 and that would NOT have stopped the friggin water from where it was entering OR, $900 ? GEE gee GEE gee Gee, which was the best way TA go?

Back to the home inspector, he’s likely a good dude, a good friggin home inspector but simply doesn’t understand THIS--------------------------------subject well enough in order to truly help his clients. Maybe some home inspectors would help their clients and themselves better if they kept their jibs shut on this-subject.

Why is it that some people have no food at all and OTHERS eat a nourishing meal and PUKE it UP intentionally?
Got milk?

2

Have you ever encountered any situations where water may have contributed to the cracking of a foundation? And take it easy on me, I’m just trying to learn…

I know where you stand on how to fix cracks and leaks, and I’m a big fan of fixing it right on the outside of the wall, but I am interested in knowing what your recommendations are on preventing cracks and leaks in the first place.

3

I have two things that can prevent or reduce foundation cracks:

  1. Allow poured foundation’s to completely cure before building houses on them, like they did in the “old” days

  2. Teach numb skull heavy equipment operators to avoid running heavy equipment against foundation walls because their to fricken lazy to pick up a shovel

4

I’ll ditto that Mike. People fail to realize that it takes 7 days to achieve 60-75% of the concrete design strength.
One more reason to pour the basement floor and frame the first floor before back fill commences. :slight_smile:

5

So true Marcel. Most homes around here don’t get the basement floor poured until 60-70% of the home is completed. What sense does that make? By that time, rough backfilling has occurred and mold can be seen forming on floor joists…

6

Great comments and much appreciated, as I always appreciate the input.

Aside from new construction, what expert advice can be given to a new homeowner that is purchasing an existing home, with no knowledge of the building practices used in its foundation construction, to help prevent future foundation cracking and water intrusion?

7

Hope your all doing well.

Builders and the moron codes should clearly state to waterproof (not damproofing) the exterior walls and backfilling with most–all GRAVEL. This practice would be best for homeowners as this type of backfill reduces lateral soil pressure against the foundation walls. Why? Because having gravel against the wall INSTEAD of the usual clay soil, there will be less expanding and contracting of that clay soil (because there would be all gravel, no clay against the walls loll sheesh)

Lateral soil pressure causes many cracks, leaks and walls to bow in.

Say again, am NOT against trying to divert some water further away from homes, it will help some.

Well written article, lateral soil pressure, backfill with gravel etc
http://www.renovateyourworld.com/HowTo_Library/Why_FoundationsFail-Foundation-A2095.html

Here’s one builder who understands how to backfill and what to use as backfill against foundation walls and…WHY
6th paragraph… "backfill with all gravel (NOT dirt) http://www.dwightyoderbuilders.com/concrete.cfm

Some erroneously claim/think that using/placing a black dimpled membrane against basement walls reduces lateral soil pressure against walls, NONSENSE. That’s just more bs.

Chris, sure… water is often a contributing factor because…again lool, too much water IN–the----SOIL causes the soil to expand, push against basement walls, cause cracks etc. On the other hand imo, one doesn’t want the soil to DRY OUT//contract either as this also causes problems. Trying to divert some of the ROOF water away is fine but on heavier, longer rains one is never going to keep ALL water, subsoil–water, away from (off of) basement walls.

8

Big 10-4, I’m down with all of that, and appreciate the feedback.

I inspect a lot of old houses. I get my share of new construction, but I spent a lot of time in the trenches with homes ranging everywhere from the 1870’s to now and everything in between. I love seeing the evolution of constructing methods along the way, and all the different types of foundation materials and methods. Sometimes I crawl through all the mud and slime to get really good close-ups of the slugs for the client, and then throw away the tyvek suit when I’m done. Some of those buggers are bigger than your thumb.

So obviously I see a lot of foundation damage too, and from what I can tell most of it is from water. Water that contributes to excessive settling and cracked footers. Water that freezes and heaves in walls. Water that dissolves 100+ year old *** inferior mortars to the point of brick and stone walls crumbling to the floor. Foundations that were done the good old fashioned way and allowed to properly cure before building on, but still succumb to moisture infiltration eventually due to 70 years of downspouts and clogged overflowing gutters creating a mote around the foundation and forever soaking and freezing and expanding and contracting over and over.

All I’m saying, and it looks like maybe we can agree here, is that water is the enemy so don’t invite it to your door, no matter how strong your dead bolt is, cause it’ll keep kicking and kicking, and eventually get in. Get the water away and keep it away, with whatever means are available according to the lay of that particular land. And yes even then, moisture into the basement is still possible, and should be held back by properly waterproofing the exterior of the walls. And even a rocky crag limestone rock wall from 1872 can be waterproofed, on the outside, with todays modern materials, by somebody that knows what they were doing like, dare I say, John Bubber.