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What's going on with my basement foundation walls?

1362 Views 10 Replies 6 Participants Last post by  Chipperone1, 
H
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Anyone know exactly what's going on with my basement walls (pictured below)?

There are parts where the surface is flaking and crumbling off. I was told t has to do with moisture in the walls but I haven't had any water issues down there.

The basement is unfinished but there are no mold/musty issues.

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Bondo
Ayuh,.... Does the grade outside the house, pitch Away from the house,....

You've got moisture tryin' to get in,.....
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H
Bondo said:
Ayuh,.... Does the grade outside the house, pitch Away from the house,....

You've got moisture tryin' to get in,.....
Click to expand...
The pictures I provided are near/underneath a basement window and window well. Here is a picture of that area from the outside. It's tough for me to properly grade the soil since the brick patio traps water in this area.

This flaking isn't all over the basement but it seems to be close to the windows for the most part.

I want to finish my basement but I am worried that once I put up drywall I won't have any idea of what's going on behind it and I don't want to create a musty/moldy environment. SHould I be concerned about this?

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Bondo
SHould I be concerned about this?
Click to expand...
Ayuh,.... Yer patio has created a dam, blockin' the water from flowin' Away from the house,....

Yes, that's a Problem, as it's the cause of the bubblin' paint on the foundation inside,...
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J
That landscaping is doing nothing but forming a pond for water to soak in.
That window well should have a cover over it to direct the water away from it.
https://www.google.com/search?q=win...X&ved=0ahUKEwjAvITa7OXKAhWCOj4KHbS1AiwQsAQIVA
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H
Bondo said:
Ayuh,.... Yer patio has created a dam, blockin' the water from flowin' Away from the house,....

Yes, that's a Problem, as it's the cause of the bubblin' paint on the foundation inside,...
Click to expand...
Other than the pant bubbling and the flaking/crumbling of the sand within the walls, is there anything to be truly concerned about or is this just a cosmetic issue?

Do I need to take any drastic measures to address this prior to finishing the basement and putting up drywall?
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Windows on Wash
Yes.

Long term, this will create issues for the wall and the durability of the wall.

You need to get the grade re-done there and I would combine those efforts with some gutter re-routing as well.
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H
The moisture is clearly having an effect on the walls but will it create and possible mold/mildew issues if I finish the basement? Or are the effects limited to within the foundation walls for the time being?

Are the window well covers easy to DIY or do they need to be customized?
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Bondo
but will it create and possible mold/mildew issues if I finish the basement?
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Yes,..... Where there's moisture, mold will follow,....
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S
some think its cosmetic - its early signs of structural issue,,, inclusive of all responses, rain, once it runs down thru the ground, picks up acid salts in soils then turns into a mild acid,,, this acid then attacks lime ingredient in your basement wall's cement [cement is lime, iron, silica, & aluminum]

be thankful you saw this now prior to building bsmnt walls
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C
I agree it is the start of a structural issue, I am experiencing the same type of thing only on a larger scale.
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