Home Improvement Stack Exchange
Home Improvement Stack Exchange

Questions tagged [basement]

For questions generally relating to habitable spaces in a home below ground level, and to foundation types that include a space of this type.

1711 questions
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What's the 1 inch square knob sticking out of the wall?

I noticed there is a square knob sticking out of my basement wall. Does anyone know what this is?
H Woo
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16
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3 answers

How much damage can a grow-op do to a house in 3 months?

There is a home for sale about 10% lower than market value in the area in which we're shopping for a home. When we visited, the real estate agent disclosed that renters had used the basement as a marijuana grow-op for 3 months before it was…
Nat_Rea
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7
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Do I need more than just Drylok to insulate concrete basement walls before framing out some walls?

I have a large unfinished basement. Concrete blocks walls. French drain. All but the top 18 inches or so are underground. It's got great potential to be finished (9 foot ceilings). The basement has a sump pump, which kicks on any time it rains. The…
thedudeabides
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7
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1 answer

How do I get a cement patch in my basement to dry quickly in humid conditions?

After patching the stone foundation in the basement with with regular drying mortar/cement, how do I get the cement to dry quickly if the basement is damp from humidity?
pinski
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5
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3 answers

How should I go about leveling my basement floor?

My house is from the 1920s, with a poured concrete foundation and floor in the basement. The floor dips pretty noticeably downward from the foundation walls towards a drain near one end of the basement. I don't think there's been any significant…
pioto
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5
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3 answers

Do we need steel beams when installing an Egress Window

Our contractor suggests that we use steel beams restraints when we implement our egress window his explanation is: "Because your foundation is so tall, I don't want to cut the egress without putting a vertical steel beam restraint on each side of…
Paul
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4
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2 answers

What are these 3 thin lines draining into my sump well?

There are 3 thin lines draining constantly into my sump well. The lines are coming through the concrete to the best of my knowledge because i can't trace them on the walls or ceiling. I am having a constant pumping through the line in the upper…
Jon
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4
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6 answers

Would insulating a basement prevent it from passively cooling the house in the summer?

I have an unfinished basement in Upstate NY in a large old house that helps in keeping the house cool in the summer. Would insulating it limit the cooling effect in summer?
olo
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4
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How should I attach basement walls to the foundation when there are no joists?

I am looking at finishing my basement under a modular home. The basement doesn't have traditional wooden floor joists that are easily accessible. The house sits on steel beams which are exposed in the basement. What is the best way to attach the…
kel072931
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3
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3 answers

Saddle valve problem

My humidifier is supplied from a saddle valve. I don't think that there is much flow to the humidifier. What is the best way to rectify this problem
Joe Donoghue
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3
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1 answer

Do I need to get an engineer for badly poured conctrete basement floor?

I am having a new home built on Cape Cod. The day they poured the concrete floor a storm was predicted and it rained and snowed that night. The floors are a mess, pitted, uneven etc. The builder finally looked at them after the house is framed and…
Linda Cape Cod
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2
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2 answers

Portable A/C unit used as dehumidifier

I have an LG 7000btu portable a/c [LP0711WNR] unit that I would like to use in a basement area solely as a dehumidifier. Do I need to vent the exhaust to the outside or can it just exhaust back into the basement? Specifically, does the water…
Michael
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2
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Cracks in basement and garage floors

I'm I home owner and hope someone can help me because I've read so much conflicting information and don't know who else to turn to. I've called General Contractors who can't seem to fit me into a schedule, a local ASHI certified home inspector who…
Kim Bolton
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2
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4 answers

Wet smell, finished basement, aggravates when it rains -how do I find the source?

I have a light wet smell in my basement and I am trying to find the source of it ...not much luck so far. The basement is finished (by the previous owner) and as far as I could see behind the finished walls where the water meter is or under the…
MiniMe
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Is there a way I can fill cinderblocks in my basement to stop water from coming in?

Could I drill holes in each block and fill with sprayfoam that would fill the blocks with a water tight seal and then paint the inside with drylock? How about hydroclay?
joe
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