My parents’ house is about 12 years old (I think built in 1992) and has a finished basement that was finished maybe 7 years ago. Studded walls with plaster finish, carpeted floor, your standard finished basement. The other day my father noticed for the first time that the carpet was wet along one of the outer walls. There was no sign of leaking from the ceiling or along the wall. We pulled an outlet along the wall and no sign of water.
The wet carpet extended about 3′ into the room. Only this wall along the back of the house nothing along any other side.
This has been the coldest winter in years, probably the coldest this house has ever seen. I was thinking that maybe ground water seeped up through the joint between the foundation walls and the slab but I have no idea. Another theory is that the foundation got so cold water condensed on it, however I think I would have seen more sign along the walls.
Any thoughts?
Thanks in advance.
SJ
Replies
Do they "look" enough in the area to decide if this is from the recent thaw (if you had one)? Is this wet area something that could have been there a while? Were the gutters/downspout frozen during this time? Ice dammng above? Any outdoor faucets in the area? Found one in trapped location in a basement that had split just enough to drip water, no gusher.
Can you pull the box and insert a dig camera in there and snap a pic? Drop ceiling?
Remodeling Contractor just outside the Glass City.
Quittin' Time
Thanks Calvin - Drop ceiling, no signs of water from above. Hard to tell if water made its way in along the wall without opening the wall up. No obvious signs of water intrusion along the plaster wall that I noticed.
If the water came from above or along the wall I would think perhaps the gutter issue would be a potential source, but none. Plus the baseboard trim is fine in most places except by one closet along the same wall.
It really seems as if it came up from below as opposed to down a wall. The only other thing I can think of is that the stud walls (2x4) might not have any insulation running behind them and allowed water that ran down the walls to reach the floor without spoiling the plaster.
Strange.
SJKnow a little about alot and alot about little.
can you get up there above the ceiling and take a pic? Man, that's helped me out b/4 when I can't see something. Amazing technology.
Remodeling Contractor just outside the Glass City.
Quittin' Time
"It really seems as if it came up from below as opposed to down a wall."
Is there drain tile and a sump pump?
Or drain tile that runs to daylight?
Is there a window on this section of basement wall? I had a gutter overflow and pour into a window well once. Water flowed down between block wall and drywall and made it looked as if the water had come up from below.
If from condensation, it'llgo away.
If from ground water welling up, it'll sure as the world, get worse when spring comes along and everything loosens up.
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Thanks guys.
Piffin, I agree on the ground water repeating itself if that is the cause.
The window theory might be something; yes there is a window there but I checked it pretty carefully this weekend and it shows no sign of water.
I have to get back over there sometime to check it out again and see if it was a one time event or a rela issue. Most of these things do not correct themselves.
SJ
Know a little about alot and alot about little.