Water Damage Inspection

Finding signs of water damage is sometimes very difficult when going into a basement or crawlspace.  We will provide several different signs to look for:

Always look closely along the base of the floor and the walls with a high powered flashlight (it must be a high powered flashlight or this will not work).  Sometimes having the lights off in the basement helps as it allows you to look directly at what you are looking for.  Homes that have wood paneling in the basemenmt make it very easy to determine if the basement has or had leaked because the stains never go away.

Basement water damage	Basement water damage	Basement water damage
Water entering the home where theconrete ends and the house frameingbegins.	Basement water stains.	Basement water stains.

 

Always look on the walls and floors directly under windows. We always recommend the replacement of regular basement windows with glass block for safety and to help stop water leaks.

Leaking Water from a Basement Window	Glass Block Windows

If you find a crack in foundation look very close around it to determine if there was any leaks current or past. If you find that the basement floor concrete has been replaced approximately 1 ½ foot away from the wall, this is a indicator that a some type of de-watering system has been installed because the home has had past water leaks.  These systems are very expensive and generally work very well if installed properly.  Always ask the current homeowner who installed the system and if they have the documentation and warranty.

Grey area around the wall representsa de-watering system that was installed	Baseboard drain de-watering system	Concrete Was Cut and Refilled, De-watering System Was Installed

 

Always look at the base of the supporting post, base of the staircase, base of the furnace if it is old, or any work benches or storage units that have been installed.  These items have normally been in the home for a long time and tell you a lot of what is happening with water in a home.