Basement problems are the most common cause of residential real estate litigation. This is because, they are the most serious and the most expensive to repair. Basements experience essentially three separate issues. The first issue is bowing and cracked walls that are the result of outside soil pressure. The second is settling with cracks due to unstable soil beneath the footings or foundation of the basement. The third problem is moisture or water leakage into the basement. A basement may have one or more of these symptoms. Each one can exist separately or in combination with the others. These different issues are repaired individually and cannot all be repaired with one fix.
Basements in southeastern Wisconsin suffer from these problems due to the bad clay soils in our, area which puts extensive pressure on basement walls. The soil causes the walls to bow and crack. Loose silty soils under the foundation may cause sections of the basement wall to sink which can also result in cracks in the basement wall.
Water in the basement can be the result of several conditions. Home owners should check the grade and the downspouts to determine whether that is the source of the problem. If the downspout extensions and grade are reasonable, then the drain tile may be the issue. Drain tile is a perforated piping system that runs underneath the floor on the inside of the basement and along the footings on the outside of the basement. Drain tile is perforated black plastic tubing that is intended to transport any water around the basement footing through the tubing system to the sump crock in order to prevent it from leaking on the basement floor. Basement repairs can cost as little as $5,000 or as high as $40,000.
Call (262) 251-5700
Fax (262) 251-4894
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
