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MAJOR flooding in basement

4K views 15 replies 10 participants last post by  Sammy 
#1 ·
IM in the market for a new house, im looking at ones that can use a little fixing. I came accross one and it sits on 6.5 acres with a nice house on it. a coule years ago it sold for twice what is listed now, the problem is the basement is REALLY flooded, Im talking close to 5 feet. and I dont know how long its been in there, maybe since the floods we had last summer. Should I walk away? If theres hope heres my questions, could this have been caused water from the outside or does it seem all this water could have been from pipes. Im aware to drain it slowly so the walls dont cave in, also does this make the house alot more seseptable (sp) to mold? Thanks
 
#3 ·
You need to figure out why is that water there. Sump pump failed? This might be a good pickup financially because of the water. The water being there. Get it out and take basement down to studs is my advice. Then get a expert out who specializes in interior and exterior perimeter draining systems and ask him how much to keep water out of basement. Hell i would negotiate that into the buying price. Like redline said if its low land i would move on.
 
#5 ·
The electricity is not on in the house, therefore the sump isnt working, its also not in a very low area, this is why I think maybe its due to a broken pipe, I dont think a leaky basement would let in that much water. I know the furnace an water tank would be gone, i dont think its reached as high as the fuse box though. Just wondering what that much water in there would do structuraly and how much risk of mold would it be.
 
#6 ·
Mold usually is more likely to grow on a surface that has food for the mold. Drywall that has a paper top layer will be a food source for mold feed on it and grow. You may see mold on lumber but it must be there for a longer period of time and the weather needs help it grow.

Is this home located in a hot/humid area of the country?

Is the water supply to the house turned off?
Or is it on a well?
Does the sewer drain to a public source or a septic tank?

Is the home vacant?

What type of foundation does it have? Block or field stone or pour cement?
 
#7 ·
Take a hard look at the fiberglass behind the sheet rock on the first floor. Fiberglass does not absorb moisture, but it can hold it. If you have had some warm weather since it was flooded, you could have more moisture there than you think and possibly mold.

I saw a ceiling come in from the moisture held in the insulation in a Katrina home (no roof problems) that was abandoned for a couple of warm humid months.
 
#8 ·
Well Im in ohio, and summer was fairly mild, so I dont think we saw too much heat. It has a block foundation and is vacat, I have to find out about water and sewer, so if there is no trace of mold anywhere upstairs(ground level), theres a good chance that it is pretty safe from mold?
 
#10 · (Edited)
Not necessarily. If the home can be picked up reasonably and there is no serious structural damage, it can be remediated very effectively.If you've had standing water in there for some time...there WILL be mold, count on it. We help people deal with this all the time. I have products than when properly applied will give you a 25 year warranty against mold growth.

I'd ask to have the basement drained and see what is causing the issue. Wet basements can be sealed with the correct products and procedures. You will need to have some structural drying done (which must be done right or it will not be effective). Assuming the basement flooding issue is addressable and you can deduct the costs of remediation and structural drying from the purchase price, you may be able to get yourself a good deal.
 
#11 ·
Just walk away! - Far too many unknowns, guesses and dreams.

There are too many potential problems and you really have to assume you that you will have face them all.

I can't beleive this is the only house available in the area. You could potentially be looking at $50,000 - $100,000 since you know you have to replace everything in the basement and never know it the same thing could happen again. Look for another 6.5 acre lot.

The "magic" mold killers only go so far. - I just saw a house that was added on to (2200 sf) and mold was found in the new and old construction. Everything was stripped and remediation was done professionally. Six months later, mold was found again. Fortunately, the construction was not completed, so it was stripped again and remediated. The last amount on the law suit was $750,000. - Just an example of what can happen on a complete renovation.

The example was for a minimal house on a great lot. The lot had the value, but the problems turned the deal into a disaster.
 
#12 · (Edited)
The "magic" mold killers only go so far. - I just saw a house that was added on to (2200 sf) and mold was found in the new and old construction. Everything was stripped and remediation was done professionally. Six months later, mold was found again. Fortunately, the construction was not completed, so it was stripped again and remediated. The last amount on the law suit was $750,000. - Just an example of what can happen on a complete renovation.
If the remediation isn't done properly (and that INCLUDES moisture control and remediation) then yes, mold can and will come back. Typically, this happens when a remediation company uses a fungicide only (typical fungicides will wash right off) and does not properly dry the materials and/or address the moisture causes. There is a fairly new class of construction grade mold coatings that are painted on. If these products are done properly on surfaces that have the proper moisture content so the product can penetrate and bond with the materials, then even if the substrate gets wet, there will be no growth.
 
#13 ·
See what the lot only value is. Thats what this may be already priced at, or just a little above or below. lets say the lot value alone, in-improved is 100K and has a house on it that needs to be removed and is condemed. Lets say that could cost $20K. That makes the value to you of that lot to be $80K. If the house is in otherwise good shape and only has water in the basement and the lot value is 100K and they are asking $100K then you have a deal. See what the comps are, average, then subtract the asking of this property and see what that difference is. If the property is discounted enough to cover all the possible repairs or a new house then go for it. I suspect the asking price is already dicounted to cover repairs.
 
#14 ·
I agree with Brik. I'm assuming the worst as I can't see it.
The house needs to be almost gutted down to studs (besides the obvious things that wouldn't be affected), treated for mold, and redone. Meaning new drywall, new insulation, possibly new or paritally new subfloors, new electric, new flooring, new plumbing and new heating.
Then if it flooded for a reason other than a plumbing failure that issue needs to be adressed which probably means adding a good sump pump with a battery backup.
It falls into one of three catogories.
1. If you can buy the house, do all that, and sell it for a profit it's a good deal.
2. If you would break even it's an ok deal since you're getting to choose all the material and make cheap design changes since it's already gutted. If you would simply go out and buy the neighbors house for the same price you wouldn't have new stuff and be able to do a little customization without spending more.
3. If you would loose money on it leave it unless this is your dream house and you've got the money.
 
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