matt770 Posted September 17, 2009 Share Posted September 17, 2009 Any building contractors in the house? About a week ago we started getting a really musty smell in our finished basement which never happened before. We assumed it was all the rain and have been running the dehumidifier, didn't help. Today I found the source -- wet baseboard, seeping into the carpet. In the same area two floors above is our bathtub which has some caulk that constantly turns black no matter how many times we clean it. I've had a feeling that water could be seeping behind it and I'm an idiot for not addressing this sooner -- but could water be seeping all the way down two floors? I would expect the water to accumulate on the ceiling one level below, not the basement floor two levels below. If it's not the tub, I'm going to have to tear open the wall to check if any pipes are leaking. Once I find and repair the source of the water, will I need to replace any studs or baseboard that got wet, or will they eventually dry out and be okay? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dmarc117 Posted September 17, 2009 Share Posted September 17, 2009 Any building contractors in the house? About a week ago we started getting a really musty smell in our finished basement which never happened before. We assumed it was all the rain and have been running the dehumidifier, didn't help. Today I found the source -- wet baseboard, seeping into the carpet. In the same area two floors above is our bathtub which has some caulk that constantly turns black no matter how many times we clean it. I've had a feeling that water could be seeping behind it and I'm an idiot for not addressing this sooner -- but could water be seeping all the way down two floors? I would expect the water to accumulate on the ceiling one level below, not the basement floor two levels below. If it's not the tub, I'm going to have to tear open the wall to check if any pipes are leaking. Once I find and repair the source of the water, will I need to replace any studs or baseboard that got wet, or will they eventually dry out and be okay? not a contractor, but sounds like a lot of water for just seeping down 2 floors........ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matt770 Posted September 17, 2009 Author Share Posted September 17, 2009 not a contractor, but sounds like a lot of water for just seeping down 2 floors........ Yeah as I look closely at the tub, I don't think that much volume of water could be leaking behind the caulk. Now is the fun part -- trying to find a reputable company to send someone out here and not completely rip me off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Irish Doggy Posted September 17, 2009 Share Posted September 17, 2009 Man water issues always suck. I'm no expert, but I've dealt with similar situations. If it was me, I'd go ahead and cut open the wall to try and get an idea of what is going on. Clean up any moisture, look for cracks in the foundation, see what happens next time you run the tub/next time it rains, etc. Basically, try to determine when the water comes back so you at least know whether to call a plummer or a foundation/wet basement company. Its not like the basement is flooding, so its not an emergency and you can take a bit of time to see for yourself and help protect from getting ripped off. I've had both a wall foundation crack and hydrostatic pressure causing water to come up through the foundation floor in different houses. The first fix was urethane foam injection into the crack which worked very well. The second was a sump pump which also works very well. The crack was a couple hundred bucks but the sump pump was a couple grand. Oh and keep a clean section of the drywall to help match paint later. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matt770 Posted September 17, 2009 Author Share Posted September 17, 2009 Man water issues always suck. I'm no expert, but I've dealt with similar situations. If it was me, I'd go ahead and cut open the wall to try and get an idea of what is going on. Clean up any moisture, look for cracks in the foundation, see what happens next time you run the tub/next time it rains, etc. Basically, try to determine when the water comes back so you at least know whether to call a plummer or a foundation/wet basement company. Its not like the basement is flooding, so its not an emergency and you can take a bit of time to see for yourself and help protect from getting ripped off. I've had both a wall foundation crack and hydrostatic pressure causing water to come up through the foundation floor in different houses. The first fix was urethane foam injection into the crack which worked very well. The second was a sump pump which also works very well. The crack was a couple hundred bucks but the sump pump was a couple grand. Oh and keep a clean section of the drywall to help match paint later. Thanks for the advice. Called my local hardware store because they are always helpful and they recommended a handyman. He came right over and found the problem. Next door neighbor extended his deck last year but did not extend the flashing (it's a townhouse, his deck is up against the side of my house). And the existing flashing is crap anyway, poor workmanship. With all the heavy rain lately, water is running around the flashing and down onto the foundation, where it seeps down and collects on my basement floor. Solution is for him to make sure his gutters are not clogged and replace the flashing, about $200. We're pretty good friends and have helped each other with projects before, so it should not be an issue. Whew. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hugh 0ne Posted September 17, 2009 Share Posted September 17, 2009 Watch for mold, especially if you have kids. Very dangerous. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Savage Beatings Posted September 17, 2009 Share Posted September 17, 2009 Watch for mold, especially if you have kids. Very dangerous. Yep... wet walls don't just dry over time. You should pull the baseboard and get some air moving back behind the sheetrock with an industrial fan pointed at the gap at the bottom of the wall. You should also use a dehumidifier in that room at the same time. This might dry it out. But if mold has already started growing (which is quite likely) then you really might want to conisder pulling down all of the wet sheetrock. If it gets too expensive your Home Owner's insurance should cover it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hugh 0ne Posted September 17, 2009 Share Posted September 17, 2009 And spray it with an anti-microbial solution once dry. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Country Posted September 17, 2009 Share Posted September 17, 2009 I bet it's the kid from your church sabotaging your house. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matt770 Posted September 17, 2009 Author Share Posted September 17, 2009 I bet it's the kid from your church sabotaging your house. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HowboutthemCowboys Posted September 17, 2009 Share Posted September 17, 2009 I bet it's the kid from your church sabotaging your house. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nuke'em ttg Posted September 17, 2009 Share Posted September 17, 2009 Any building contractors in the house? About a week ago we started getting a really musty smell in our finished basement which never happened before. We assumed it was all the rain and have been running the dehumidifier, didn't help. Today I found the source -- wet baseboard, seeping into the carpet. In the same area two floors above is our bathtub which has some caulk that constantly turns black no matter how many times we clean it. I've had a feeling that water could be seeping behind it and I'm an idiot for not addressing this sooner -- but could water be seeping all the way down two floors? I would expect the water to accumulate on the ceiling one level below, not the basement floor two levels below. If it's not the tub, I'm going to have to tear open the wall to check if any pipes are leaking. Once I find and repair the source of the water, will I need to replace any studs or baseboard that got wet, or will they eventually dry out and be okay? did ya expect the f'n water ta run towards the roof pencil dik.....check your downspouts 1st i bet one is off and water is goin straight down your foundation around the footing and in the basement.....think you can handle that penis ears Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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