Hey everyone, I need some advice regarding a mold issue I've noticed in my rental property's basement. There's slight mold on one wall, and while the basement doesn't flood, I see it gets a bit damp in some areas when it rains. I had a structural engineer check it out, and he said the wall is bowed about half an inch, which isn't too severe considering the house was built in 1975.
The engineer suggested a few fixes:
- Upgrade the gutters to larger ones with more downspouts.
- Regrade the area around the wall since it currently slopes towards the house.
- Optionally, install carbon fiber straps for reinforcement.
It's a duplex, but only one side has two 4-inch downspouts, which overflow when it rains—definitely an issue. I've also looked into getting quotes for interior and exterior drains but I'm not sure if I need them right now. One contractor mentioned that DIYing the carbon fiber straps could be pretty straightforward and offered to sell me a kit with instructions.
My current plan is to fix the gutters and regrade first, waterproof the wall, and just keep an eye on it for now. I have a couple of questions:
1. Should I focus on the gutters and grading before considering a drain system?
2. My garage is detached—should I switch out the gutters there too, or can I leave it as is?
3. Any experiences with DIYing carbon fiber strap installations?
1 Answer
I installed carbon fiber straps in my basement with a friend, and it wasn't too hard! The toughest part was drilling into the concrete and making sure the walls were clean for the epoxy to stick well. I'm all for adding more gutters everywhere, and extending those downspouts as far as you can! We did the garage too just for good measure, and it helps manage water there as well. It looks good and keeps everything uniform!
Thanks! So you've had no issues with further movement since using the straps? Did your kit come with instructions? I'm just worried about the tools I'll need, like a grinder and drill.