Walk-out Basement Problems

Water Leaks

• You want to find all cracks and gaps in walls or flooring. A well-constructed basement may acquire cracks as the home settles over the years. Even a tiny gap in blocks or mortar will allow ground water to flow into the basement, or rainwater may channel into the gap and cause standing water.

Mold Hazards

• Mold mitigation is necessary for family health. Even the healthiest of individuals can have serious health problems from breathing black mold. It has been a known health hazard for decades. Over time, a walk-out basement will harbor several types of mold growth, but a leaky basement is likely to have black mold. Professional correction measures, such as spraying the mold with a compound to kill it or cover it, will help.

Dim Lighting

• Insufficient light is typical of most walk-out basements. Moving through storage areas or laundry areas in dim light can result in tripping or falling. However, the lack of light contributes to mold growth, too. Walk-out basements may or may not have original windows. Installing several large windows on an exterior wall next to a level yard space is a good idea. Windows to use for escape in case of fire is crucial, especially if you have bedrooms or a den in the basement.

Sloping Floors

• Concrete flooring that isn't level can affect building rooms. Adding drains to basement space requires smoothing concrete toward that drain, resulting in sloping floors. To correct this problem for constructing a family room or bedroom, you may need to build a new drain system and take up part of the basement flooring. You'll probably want to hire a building expert to supervise the changes.

Warped Walls

• During construction, the walls of a basement are built exactly vertical. Over time, the pressure of soil and shifting of house foundation walls may affect this. Walls may bulge or curve outward in certain areas. Reinforcement is necessary even if you don't plan to build rooms in the basement. By adding block posts or metal support columns, you can shift the house weight properly. Not correcting this problem can cause part of the house to collapse as time goes on.