inspecting basements

[aelliott]

What are some items of concern when inspecting basements?

[Chad Fabry]

If you'd be a little more specific, I'd be happy to share in detail my understanding of basements. But in answer to your question: Basements hold the house up and hopefully do not contain water to the point where a boat will float. If either of these areas is jeopardized then the basement is not performing as intended.

[Terence McCann]

Too many to list here. I would suggest looking into http://www.home-inspect.com/ for training.

[aelliott]

I am specificly looking for pointers on signs and symptoms to look for that you would not find in a normal dwelling that is without a basement. I.E. what and where to look for leakage problems.

Thanks!

[Jim Morrison]

Hi Elliott,

That question is just too broad to answer.

Please get as specific as you can.

Jimmy

[Steven Hockstein]

If you are asking what are the most common issues that are found in a basement it is my experience that water related problems, termite damage, and foundation cracks are high on the list.

[Scottpat]

Water, water, water, water and did I mention water. Outside of that you should try and sight a line down the walls to see if they are bowing or have any other signs of unusual movement.

[Bain]

Something I do, especially in older houses, when there's so much that's screwed up, is take three complete passes of every square inch while rambling into my digital recorder. I'm always amazed how on, say the third pass, I see new mud tubes or a cracked joist, or yet another open-air wire splice. Checking out a basement this way is one of my little safeguards to help overcome the limitations of being human and imperfect.

[kurt]

That's pretty good advice for just about everything. I like taking 2-4 passes through areas of the house; it's surprising what one can miss on just one look.

[Bain]

If I had feelings, Kurt, they'd be touched. You actually agree with me on something. : )

[charlieb]

Think of it as a deep crawlspace. As said before the "walls" are the primary support. A couple of big differences: The support of the rim joist is continuous. These walls need close examination for signs of distress. Basements are utilized by the owner so there are fewer supports (piers in our world). Windows and their wells are another issue. Others can give more detailed info on this.