Sometimes when I am looking at houses that are for sale and I see a picture of the basement I can almost smell it. Damp basements are very common in old houses. With the recent rains, I can usually smell the damp basement as soon as I enter the house.
Some of the basements will have puddles of water, and others will appear dry but smell wet. Some will have dehumidifiers running. I have an old house with a new basement. I have one of those dehumidifiers that only runs when it is needed. It has been running most of the time for the last week.
Damp or wet basements are not necessarily a deal killer when buying an old house. It is important to understand where the water is coming from. In some parts of St. Paul are built in a boggy area that was drained. In those old houses, the water tends to seep up through the basement floor.
In other cases, water is leaking in through. basement walls. Maybe the grading around the house needs improvement or the house needs gutters with extensions that will keep water away from the foundation. Sometimes there is water damage in a basement because of a plumbing leak at some point.
Drain tiled basements with sump pumps are common in some neighborhoods and very rare in others.
Homebuyers should get a complete home inspection and find out as much as they can about that wet basement.
I’ll never tell a home buyer that mold is harmless but most of it is. I send them to the Minnesota Health Department website where they can learn all about mold. Once the moisture source is removed mold can usually be cleaned up with a solution of bleach and water. I have used soap and water but I am kind of a rebel.
The seller’s disclosure and the truth in housing report may have additional information on them about water in the basement.
