From Damp Basement to a Man Cave
A damp, leaky basement might be something of a turn-off to potential home buyers and who could fault them for asking the realtor to drive on to the next property after getting one whiff of the humid, stagnant air from many cellars. For one thing, a damp basement can be a telltale sign of bigger problems throughout the rest of the house such as mold and mildew in areas that aren’t always so easily detected. The next problem to consider is that perhaps the water in the basement has been accumulating in and around the foundation for many years and therefore has undermined the structure of the home. However, depending on where your home search takes you, some dampness in the basement isn’t all that unusual and shouldn’t cause any structural problems to the home or health issues for you and your family provided that the water issue isn’t extensive.
And there’s another thing to consider about a leaky basement that you probably haven’t thought about when looking for a new home; this is your golden opportunity to stake your claim on the man cave you’ve always wanted. Picture you and your bride looking at a new home that just happens to have a basement that is something of an eyesore – at first glance that is. It’s damp, cold, probably has cinder block walls and a cement floor, with the heating and water systems jammed somewhere in the back. More than likely you’ll also find the washer, dryer and slop sink down here too. You wife sees nothing but a part of the house that she wants no part of. You on the other hand see a prime location for your new man cave.
This is the right moment to declare the basement yours since your bride isn’t likely to put up much resistance, provided that you make some concessions in other areas of the house. And unlike you, who looks at the basement and sees a comfortable refuge in this dark, dank, damp room, she on the other hand sees, well, she sees a dark, dank room with a washing machine. I doubt that this is the room that she will fight you for.
At this point you’re going to have to figure out what it’s going to take to resolve your water problem, if indeed there is a water problem. You can’t even think about the rest of the renovations that you’ll need to do to transform the basement into your sanctuary until you assess the water problem.
You’ll need to find out if the dampness and water in the basement is an interior or an exterior problem and if it is an exterior problem, what is the extent of the issue. Many basement water problems can be fixed simply and with minimal cost with the use of waterproofing paint, crack fillers specially formulated for cracked foundations and humid conditions, and waterproof sheet rock. If the water issues of your new home are external and are simply small cracks in the foundation, then fillers and cement can do the trick with a little paint to cover the repairs and seal the area. On the other hand, if you happen to live in an area that requires a drainage system to route ground water away from your home and that system is damaged, these repairs can be much more costly and will probably require the help of a professional contractor. And should this be the source of your water issues, putting off the repairs can result in greater damage at greater cost the longer you wait to fix the leak.
Once you have the damp basement on the mend, you can start the rest of the restoration project and turn this once shunned part of your home into a home office, work and hobby space, workout room, or just your own personal beverage distribution center complete with memorabilia from your favorite team and big screen to catch every play.
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