September 8th - 2009

Don’t let a wet basement douse your deal

With the heavy rainfall in Southern Ontario throughout the spring and summer of 2009, moisture has to be a concern for homeowners and buyers alike.

With the heavy rainfall in Southern Ontario throughout the spring and summer of 2009, moisture has to be a concern for homeowners and buyers alike. Unexpected leaks and excess moisture can take their toll, leaving behind mould and mildew that not only have an offensive odour, but can cause future health problems. Excess moisture can even cause structural damage.

REALTORS® should try to find out about any moisture problems, discuss them with their clients, disclose them to potential buyers, and if needed, advise their clients to obtain services from an inspector or other professional if they can’t provide that service. So, you need to know what to look for.

Find the source of the problem
Whether listing a home for a seller or acting on a buyer’s behalf, REALTORS® may have to be able to identify signs of water damage. Bob Dunlop, President, Carson, Dunlop and Associates Ltd says that while it may not be as obvious as a pair of hip waders at the bottom of the stairs, there are other telltale signs you can look for.

Once you’re in the basement check if items are stored off the floor. That could be a sign of dampness or flooding. Is there a musty smell? Are there signs of moisture on the walls and floors? To check it out, find an exposed foundation wall. In a finished basement that exposed wall may be in the furnace room, by an electrical panel, or perhaps under the basement stairs. Look for water stains, peeling paint, mould and mildew and efflorescence – a white, fluffy salt stain left behind as water evaporates from cement stone. If the basement has been recently repainted, look behind storage units for these signs of basement leakage. Lifting the corner of carpeting if it is not adhered can uncover signs of mould and mildew.

Rusty nails in baseboards or paneling, rusted electrical outlet boxes or rusted metal feet on appliances can also be an indicator of water leakage.

“Some basement windows are below ground level and have a window well. Those types of windows can have a lot of problems with water leaching in,” says Dunlop. On the inside, check for water stains and signs of rot around the window. Outside, check for any rot or deterioration around the window, says Dunlop.

Be careful not to confuse basement leakage with water coming from a leaking plumbing system, water heater, washing machine or hot water heating system. Dampness from condensation on cold water piping or cool foundation walls can also be mistaken for leakage.

Most basement leaks tend to be sporadic – depending on the season and levels of precipitation. Homeowners should monitor the situation and take action based on how frequently the problem happens and how severe it is.

Keep the water away
Remedies for basement leakage depend on the source problem. Cracks in poured concrete basement walls can sometimes be successfully repaired from the inside. Patching doesn’t remove the problem and usually only works if the problem is very minor. The water may simply find another way in.

Eliminating or reducing the source of the water is a good start to keeping a basement dry. Eaves troughs and downspouts shouldn’t leak or overflow, and the downspouts should be angled to discharge water at least six feet from the house.

Regrading the exterior to drain water away from the building is one of the most effective ways to reduce water seepage. “Make sure land around the house slopes away from the house. That will solve nine out of 10 wet basement problems,” says Dunlop. Ideally, the ground should slope down and away from the house at a rate of one inch per foot for the first six feet.

In older homes that don’t have weeping tiles (a drainage system at the footing level of the home) or damp proofing, and in cases when basement leakage can’t be eliminated or reduced by controlling the source water, more serious measures may be necessary. It may be necessary to damp proof the outside walls, and to provide or replace the perimeter drainage tile system.

“It’s like waterproofing your boat” says Dunlop. “It’s the most expensive way to waterproof a house. It works, but it is so expensive.” Dunlop says it should be done only if it is determined other measures won’t work.

“Instead of turning your house into a boat, get the boat out of the water.”

REALTOR® obligation
REALTORS® have a general obligation to exercise care and skill on behalf of their clients. Under the REBBA Code of Ethics, REALTORS® must discover facts that would affect a reasonable person’s decision to buy or sell a home (Section 21 Material Facts). REALTORS® must also ensure the completeness and accuracy of the information that they provide (Section 38 Error, Misrepresentation, Fraud, etc.)

So, if for example your buyer sees water stains in the basement of a property they are considering buying and asks whether or not this is a problem he or she should be concerned about, you have a duty to find out about it. It may be as simple as putting the question in writing to the listing agent. You may need to go further and request that the seller complete a Seller Property Information Statement (SPIS). REALTORS® working with a buyer must understand that further investigation may be required in addition to obtaining an SPIS. You may need to advise your client to get a home inspection.

For listing salespeople, OREA includes a statement on the SPIS under the Improvements and Structural section, asking about moisture and/or water problems. The listing salesperson should also ensure the seller answers the question in the environmental section about flooding. Listing salespeople should make every effort to ensure that full and complete information is provided on the SPIS.

OREA also offer a course entitled Surface Water Control & Landscaping. It will give participants a better understanding of grading around a house and the effects of poor grading. The member will also learn about gutters, downspouts, window wells, walks, driveways and retaining walls. Contact Carson Dunlop MCE, at 416-964-9415 or 1-800-268-7070 or by Fax at 416-964-0683.

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For more information contact

Ontario Real Estate Association

Jean-Adrien Delicano

Senior Manager, Media Relations

JeanAdrienD@orea.com

416-445-9910 ext. 246

Ontario Real Estate Association
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