Hello everyone,
After a long time, I have finally found a house that matches my expectations very closely and is also affordable. There are many minor issues to take care of, but nothing major, and I feel comfortable handling those. However, there is one matter where I lack experience:
In the basement, there is a room with a metal door that leads to the garden. Behind the door, there is a side staircase running along the house wall upwards. At the small landing at the bottom of the stairs, there is a drain. Over the course of the year, a lot of leaves and other greenery have fallen into this area due to somewhat overgrown vegetation, which clogged the drain. As a result, water stood behind the basement door for a while and then entered the basement through the door opening. On the inside, you can clearly see how the water spread diagonally to the left and right towards the floor within an area of about 1m (3 feet) next to the door.
The rest of the room’s walls and the remainder of the basement are dry. At the point where the water came in, there is no mold; only water stains are visible on the concrete. The basement itself is made of concrete up to about head height.
From everything I have read so far, the most important thing is to find out where the water came from – in this case, this seems quite clear to me. I have the impression that this area can probably be dried out effectively in a reasonable amount of time with good ventilation and, if necessary, a construction dryer once the drain is cleared and the door is replaced.
However, since I lack experience and do not want to make a mistake with such a big investment, I would like to get a second opinion from someone more knowledgeable. I have already contacted several building experts and surveyors, but after explaining the problem, I either received no response or was immediately offered a complete property analysis or purchasing consultation, which I do not need at all. It seems that a single assessment alone is not really of interest to the professionals.
Therefore, my question: Is there perhaps someone in the Sonsbeck/Wesel area or nearby who feels confident making an assessment and could spare an hour shortly to take a look at this with me? Of course, I offer a compensation for the effort.
Best regards,
Robert
After a long time, I have finally found a house that matches my expectations very closely and is also affordable. There are many minor issues to take care of, but nothing major, and I feel comfortable handling those. However, there is one matter where I lack experience:
In the basement, there is a room with a metal door that leads to the garden. Behind the door, there is a side staircase running along the house wall upwards. At the small landing at the bottom of the stairs, there is a drain. Over the course of the year, a lot of leaves and other greenery have fallen into this area due to somewhat overgrown vegetation, which clogged the drain. As a result, water stood behind the basement door for a while and then entered the basement through the door opening. On the inside, you can clearly see how the water spread diagonally to the left and right towards the floor within an area of about 1m (3 feet) next to the door.
The rest of the room’s walls and the remainder of the basement are dry. At the point where the water came in, there is no mold; only water stains are visible on the concrete. The basement itself is made of concrete up to about head height.
From everything I have read so far, the most important thing is to find out where the water came from – in this case, this seems quite clear to me. I have the impression that this area can probably be dried out effectively in a reasonable amount of time with good ventilation and, if necessary, a construction dryer once the drain is cleared and the door is replaced.
However, since I lack experience and do not want to make a mistake with such a big investment, I would like to get a second opinion from someone more knowledgeable. I have already contacted several building experts and surveyors, but after explaining the problem, I either received no response or was immediately offered a complete property analysis or purchasing consultation, which I do not need at all. It seems that a single assessment alone is not really of interest to the professionals.
Therefore, my question: Is there perhaps someone in the Sonsbeck/Wesel area or nearby who feels confident making an assessment and could spare an hour shortly to take a look at this with me? Of course, I offer a compensation for the effort.
Best regards,
Robert
Rob78 schrieb:
I have the impression that this area can probably be dried out within a reasonable time by good ventilation and, if necessary, a construction dryer after the drain has been cleared and the door replaced.Based on your description, I would agree with that. A few pictures would help here more.
It is important to clean and flush the drain. Depending on its age, it may also make sense to carry out a camera inspection of the entire drainage system. The local waste disposal company sometimes offers this as a service—usually cheaper than sewer cleaning companies.
Otherwise, external stairs along the basement wall are always a weak point that should be monitored. Is the waterproofing between the stairs and basement wall intact? Is the step at the basement exit free from spalling and cracks? Is the drop between the basement door and floor drain high enough (according to standards, it should be 15 cm (6 inches))? Is the floor drain located below the backwater level or protected by a non-return valve?
Especially for basement entrances on the west side, I would consider adding a canopy or enclosure in the medium term.
dertill schrieb:
Especially for cellar entrances on the west side, I would consider adding a roof or enclosure in the medium term.You’re right, I definitely plan to do that. There is enough space on that side of the house. Apparently, someone tried to cover the stairs with a tarp since the last residents moved out, but it seems it eventually collapsed.
The exterior wall actually looks fine, and the stairs appear to be in good condition as far as I can tell. It just needs a thorough clearing of the “jungle” of vegetation, which I think would significantly improve the situation.
Here are two pictures: one of the house wall with the stairs, and another of the door from the inside:
O
Obstlerbaum19 Sep 2018 15:32The fact that the same picture appears on both the right and left sides makes the owners’ explanation seem plausible at first glance. Can the height of the former water level also be identified on the exterior wall?
Obstlerbaum schrieb:
The fact that the same picture appears on both the right and left sides makes the owners’ explanation seem plausible at first glance. Can the height of the previous water level also be seen on the exterior wall?The owner was not on site, but the real estate agent was indeed very familiar with the house and did not try to hide anything. And yes, the exterior shows similar signs.
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