The Pros & Cons of Having a Basement: What You Can Do to Address Common Problems

By Chris Petry

If I buy another house, I can guarantee there’s one thing it will absolutely not have and that one thing is a basement! At least, that’s what I tell myself. Of course, according to this article from Ground Works, Cleveland and Pittsburgh are among the top 10 housing markets with the most basements. So, finding a basement-less single-family home might be a little harder said than done. The same article points out that only 1% of homes in Greater Los Angeles have a basement. Which makes me even sadder that I didn’t become a working actor. Hey, I guess someone needs to write these wildly entertaining real estate articles for you!
 
Now, if you’re a homeowner (particularly of an older home), you know there are great pluses and minuses to having a basement. First, let’s talk about some of the positives:


 
More square footage. If you have a finished basement, you have more living space all around. You might convert that extra space into another bedroom and bathroom, a game room or a home gym, for starters.


 
Storage. Finished or not, you have extra space to house your home’s unsightly mechanicals. Think the HVAC system, the breaker box, the hot water heater, etc. Makes a great place for the cat litter box as well! Beyond that, you have more space to store… well, stuff. Christmas decorations? Check! Hunting and fishing gear? Check! Tools and construction materials? Check and Check.
 


Safe spaces. Living where we do, we don’t really think about this one too much but basements can double as refuge during cataclysmic weather events like tornados.


 
Home value. If you live in an area of the country where basements are the exception and not the rule, then having one will be a plus come sell time. The inclusion of a basement means more living space and more storage.
 
Now, let’s go over the negatives.


 
Flooding. Might as well get the big one out of the way first. If you have a basement, water’s getting in sometime. It’s not a matter of if but when. Obviously, older homes are more likely to suffer because the foundations have been in place much longer. Which means the Earth has had more time to exert pressure on the walls, creating cracks and holes that can enable water to make its way inside.


 
Pests. Water’s not the only thing that will begin to find its way inside when cracks and holes begin appearing in your foundation. You’re likely to find more flies, spiders, house centipedes and the like as well.



Dampness, moisture and mold. Even if your basement’s not experiencing periodic flooding and you’ve yet to encounter a single puddle after a heavy rainstorm, some degree of moisture can still find its way in. Add that to the fact that basements tend to be more dimly lit and you’ve got the perfect conditions for mold and mildew. It’s important to spot check your basement from time to time to tackle any signs of mold fast. Before they become hazardous to anyone’s health.


 
Higher cost. Homes with basements, as mentioned above, command more on the market. That’s both the result of the construction costs and the preferences of consumers which drive the prices and trends of the housing market. So, homes with basements (particularly finished ones) will be costlier for buyers. For sellers, however, that’s not so much of a problem. Unless the condition of the basement necessitates that they commission work to it as a contingency of the sale.


Recently, I had the opportunity to speak to basement waterproofing and foundation repair expert, Jason Archer about some of the things homeowners can expect and what their options are for addressing the issues. Jason is a Sales Manager for Keystone Basement Systems, who also happens to know a thing or two about real estate. Below, you can read my questions as well as his, VERY, informative answers.
 
Me- Thanks for getting back to me Jason. I just wanted to ask you a few questions about the basement waterproofing business, how it impacts consumers and what kinds of things they should look out for in their own basements.
 
Jason- Of course.
 
Me- Great. So, the first question I have is, what homeowners might require the services of a company like Keystone?
 
Jason- Anyone with a basement. A lot of people will notice signs of an issue, cracks, bubbling paint, obvious signs of water and kind of push it under the rug, so to speak. They might say something like, “Well, that’s the settling of the house.” The problem with that line of thinking is that even if the issues are currently small or somewhat contained, those issues aren’t going away. Over time they can become much bigger and much more expensive to remedy.
 
Me- Say I build a new house. How long does it take for issues to begin to develop?
 
Jason- Each case is different and in Western, Pennsylvania and Eastern, Ohio we have a lot of old houses so we’re used to seeing and providing solutions for them. Though over time, any house with a basement will need some upkeep or repair. Problems can start to arise at any time but generally after 20 years or so.
 
Me- Is there anything I can personally do as a homeowner to address problems with my basement walls or floor?

Jason- Mainly, be pro-active. Don’t wait. If there’s an issue, pick up the phone and call. Early on, there’s a lot that can be done before the problem grows and the fix is more time consuming and more expensive but most things CAN be fixed. A lot of people will buy products like DryLok, paint it on the walls where they see signs of moisture or bubbling and call it good. A couple things about that. One, DryLok, if you read the label on the can is intended for exterior use. It’s to keep water from outside getting in. If you put it on the insides of your basement walls, it can act against you by trapping more water within the wall and speeding up the damage. Just call. It’s best to call.
 
Me- What kind of solutions are there for fixing some of these basement or home foundation issues?
 
Jason- A lot. Obviously, it depends on the house, the type of issue or damage and all that. For fixing the walls themselves, which are probably the biggest reason water’s getting in because they’re bowing and cracking, you can do anchors, carbon fiber strapping, tiebacks… we use a system called EverBrace which uses a combination of steel beams and panels to keep the wall in place. To mitigate problems caused from existing shifting and aberrations in the wall, French drains and a sump pump system, or multiple pumps depending on square footage, will do wonders to remove water from underneath the foundation.
 
Note: a French drain is a trench system filled with rock or gravel and usually contains perforated pipe which redirects ground level and subsurface water away from a particular area. A sump pump removes water from a designated basin. When basins fill with water, the pump kicks on and works to relocate the water.
 
Me- This may be a silly question but where does the water removed by the sump pump go?
 
Jason- The water is directed to a buried discharge line, at least 12 feet from the perimeter of the house.
 
Me- What do you do if the foundation itself is sinking?
 
Jason- In that case, it usually needs to be lifted, piered and secured.
 
Note: Click here to see how this process works.
 
Me- How can one tell if the foundation has shifted?
 
Jason- Contractors, when laying a foundation are permitted to be about 1/8 of an inch off per 12 feet. If there’s a bigger distance that that between the foundation and the main support joists of the home, there’s been a shift. Of course, each municipality and state have their own standards.
 
Me- Okay, walk me through it. What’s bad and what’s really, really bad?

Jason- Okay, if you’re looking at your basement walls and the first thing you notice is cracks or bubbling, that’s Stage one. Stage two is when horizontal cracks run to a corner and downward, making a kind of triangle-shaped crack. In Stage three, the top block is sliding off the bottom block. Stage four, you have an internal garden.
 
Me- That doesn’t sound good.
 
Jason- No, that’s when what was outside is now inside.
 
Me- Okay, so I need to address the problem! Do companies like yours work with homeowners? Provide financing options?
 
Jason- Most do. Ours does.
 
Me- So, to wrap things up, what would you tell a homeowner with obvious basement issues who’s been putting things off?
 
Jason- A home is one of the biggest investments in most people’s lives. See signs something is off? Call! Get it looked it. Save your investment. It only hurts your equity or worse. It’s cheaper to address upfront than lose out on a sale down the line. Or have to come up with a lot more money to fix it for the sale.
 
Me- Jason, thanks again!
 
Jason- No problem. Have a great day!
 

 
So, to wrap things up, most basement pitfalls are fully correctable. You just have to stay ahead of the problem and know when to reach out to a professional to address it. I have to say, after talking to one, I was much more relieved by the prospect of addressing issues I have. Also, a lot less insistent on my “no basement” position. Basements are great. You just have to make sure there’s a clear line between your basement and your yard. That’s where stuff gets messy. Literally.