Foundation Issues Behind finished Walls

If you have a finished basement, any concealed foundation cracks, piping penetrations, crumbling field stone mortar and loose joints can allow small amounts of water into your finished area without you even knowing about it until the problem becomes excessive enough that it seeps right through your walls and into your basement living area, causing very expensive property damage. Your basement foundation walls are closer to any water table around your home, and if this water table is allowed to continuously build up excessive moisture alongside the exterior of your foundation, your concealed basement walls will deteriorate over time, causing expensive structural damage.

The possibility of your foundation cracking, crumbling and deteriorating over time and allowing water to seep, will always exist in homes with basements and crawlspaces. Many of our New England Basements have a reputation for being damp and musty if the exterior drainage is improperly installed or if the builder did not install modern waterproofing materials on the exterior portion of the foundation. If the exterior of your home has the proper water proofing materials installed along with proper exterior grading and all roof water is conveyed away from your foundation, your basement can become very desirable. So, the only way to achieve a permanent dry living condition in your basement is to become knowledgeable of any concealed cracks or openings that may exist now (and to what extent). Locating foundation issues early is important, so that appropriate action can be taken before serious seepage's cause major property damage.

My infrared camera will detect the slightest bit of water seepage at cracked or damaged foundation areas that are concealed behind your finished walls. Accumulating moisture along with the warmer conditioned air (from your boiler or furnace) will always have an absolute temperature difference and this difference is clearly visible with my infrared imaging camera. Once I locate any moist areas, I will be taking pictures (IR and digital) of the area of concern and an invasive inspection at that exact location will then be recommended. Take that extra step today in order to keep your basement maintenance to a minimum. Allow me to thermally scan every portion of your finished basement in order to give you peace of mind knowing that your concealed foundation is doing what it was intended to do. No finished foundation area should be left unattended; unless of course, you don’t mind having a pool of dirty water accumulating in your basement.