mpompey
09-10-2006, 10:39 AM
My wife and I are looking to buy a home within the next two months. What should we look for to tell if a "finished" basement has a moisture problem. HEre is why I ask:
We currently are renting a home in NE Philly that has a finished basement. The basement has wood paneling that was painted white, and new carpet. I feel that the original owner threw down a new carpet and sprayed the paneling white to disguise the moisture problem.
When we moved in we thought the basement was fine. I quickly converted it into a multimedia room. The first big rain and the carpet was damp near the wall and one of the corners. Not sloshing damp, but damp to the touch from about a foot from the wall and corner. This house has no sump pump. I ended up cleaning the carpet to prevent mold/ mildew growing. Every summer when the rains come I end up cleaning this carpet several times with an anti-microbial solution to make sure I don't end up with a moldy carpet. ALthough I don't know what the padding under the carpet looks like. I've talked to the rental agency a couple of times about it, and they have told me that is a common occurrence in our area and there is nothing you can do about it.
Since we are now shopping for a home of our own, I'd like to get one with a dry basement. What should I look for during open houses? Can I depend on the home inspection to tell me if I have a leaky basement?
We currently are renting a home in NE Philly that has a finished basement. The basement has wood paneling that was painted white, and new carpet. I feel that the original owner threw down a new carpet and sprayed the paneling white to disguise the moisture problem.
When we moved in we thought the basement was fine. I quickly converted it into a multimedia room. The first big rain and the carpet was damp near the wall and one of the corners. Not sloshing damp, but damp to the touch from about a foot from the wall and corner. This house has no sump pump. I ended up cleaning the carpet to prevent mold/ mildew growing. Every summer when the rains come I end up cleaning this carpet several times with an anti-microbial solution to make sure I don't end up with a moldy carpet. ALthough I don't know what the padding under the carpet looks like. I've talked to the rental agency a couple of times about it, and they have told me that is a common occurrence in our area and there is nothing you can do about it.
Since we are now shopping for a home of our own, I'd like to get one with a dry basement. What should I look for during open houses? Can I depend on the home inspection to tell me if I have a leaky basement?