How Can Basement Damage Impact the Rest of My Home?

Your basement is not a contained space. If you don’t make a point of waterproofing this space or repairing it when it’s been damaged, that damage can spread throughout the rest of your home. The longer you let your damage sit, the worse off the rest of your property is likely to be. 

Migratory Basement Damage 

Pipe-based basement damage doesn’t always stay in your basement. If you’re not careful, this kind of damage can easily spread through the rest of your home. After all, the bulk of the damage you’ll be contending with will be moisture-based. For starters, this moisture can seep into your basement’s structural supports and weaken them, even going so far as to damage your foundation. A damaged foundation can weaken other key features around your home, all the way up to your chimney. 

On a simpler level, moisture damage in your home can easily migrate up into the first and second floors of your home. If, for example, you don’t attend to this kind of damage in a timely manner, you can start to see your floor joists suffer from damage. As a result, the floors in the upper levels of your home can start to sink, making those floors unsafe to walk on. 

Basement Damage and the Value of Your Home 

Pipe-based moisture damage that’s less immediately visible than a damaged floor may not seem as though it has a significant impact on the value of your home. This, however, is not the case. You have the option to sell a home that’s suffered from pipe damage in your basement, but that doesn’t mean you’ll necessarily make a profit during your sale. 

No, homeowners who try to sell a home with damaged pipes in their basement can expect to lose up to 30 percent of their home’s value in the sale. After all, potential buyers may request compensation for the repairs they’ll have to invest in after you move out. If you’re not sure whether or not to invest in home repairs before listing your home on the market, do the math. If the cost of repairing your damaged pipes doesn’t outweigh the money you may lose in your eventual sale, that’s all the more reason to reach out to the professional contractors in your area.