Rain, Rain, Come and Stay for Settlement Day

Has it rained enough for you lately? What a great time to buy a house. It may not seem ideal to look at property when the heavens have opened up and the sky is falling down. But just think, you can check the basement for dampness. In some cases there may be creeks running across the lower level. Water will follow the path of least resistance. When there is a crack in the foundation water will find the way. In the area along the Potomac River, there are low water tables. When we have had as much rain as we have in the last couple of weeks there is no place for the water to go and so the water just stands and puddles in huge amounts. In the case of older homes there may be a crack in the foundation. In normal weather this can go undetected. Many home inspectors can detect if the basement has had water. Look for signs around the baseboard and use your nose to smell. I once purchased a house that had a basement smelling like clorox on settlement day. I should have known the owner was masking the damp odor.

Many times a complete waterproofing is not necessary but in fact just some outside landscaping to force the water away from the structure. Beware of removing large trees close to the building. Their roots will leave spaces for water when once the roots absorbed the wet. Sometimes a structural engineer must be consulted. In any case a wet basement can be a constant problem. It will NOT go away by itself and it only takes one time to ruin personal belongings to dampen your spirit about the new house that you once loved.