jade32•22d ago

I finally stopped ignoring that crack in my foundation after the basement flooded

I live outside Portland, and we had that big storm last February. I kept putting off sealing a hairline crack in my basement wall for about a year. Figured it was just cosmetic. Then water started seeping in during a heavy rain and I had to rip out a whole section of drywall and carpet. Cost me about $800 in repairs. Now I patch any crack I see right away, no matter how small. Has anyone else had a tiny foundation crack turn into a big problem?

2 comments

2 Comments

reed.eva22d ago

Water damage is overblown in my opinion. A little seepage doesn't automatically mean you need to rip out walls and carpet, sometimes it dries out fine on its own. People act like every hairline crack is a catastrophe when really it's just a risk, not a guarantee.

jade_lane1922d ago

Wait @reed.eva have you actually dealt with mold before? My friend Sarah had a tiny leak behind her bathroom wall, like barely a damp spot, and she just let it dry out on its own. Thought she was being smart and saving money. Six months later her whole master bedroom smelled like a swamp and she had black mold creeping up the baseboards. Cost her like 8 grand to fix because it spread into the insulation and subfloor. She's still dealing with breathing issues and her insurance barely covered it cause she waited too long. So yeah sometimes it dries fine but that's a big gamble if you ask me.