I've had some professionals take a look at my basement, and they found step cracks inside, some of which were filled with hydraulic cement. The walls had also been painted with Drylok, suggesting they might have been trying to cover up previous issues. The basement appears recently finished, which raises my suspicion about whether the seller concealed these problems. There are some minor bows in the walls, and I've been told that settlement might be at play. The contractor mentioned that if we want to buy some time, we could fill in the hole outside and apply Drylok again to the interior. My concern is, how long would that actually last? We bought the house back in April, and it feels like the seller knew about these issues. I'm curious if I have grounds for legal action regarding non-disclosure. Any insights or similar experiences would be greatly appreciated!
3 Answers
You should definitely consult with an attorney in your state to understand your options. Also, were you the first owner of the home, or did it have previous owners? That could influence your legal standings if there's potential non-disclosure involved.
Remember, inspectors can only report what they see during their assessment. If the cracks had been treated prior to that, they wouldn't know unless it was obvious. If the basement was finished without sealing those cracks, it raises questions about why. If the grading of your property is right, it might just be a minor issue, but if you keep having water problems, consider more thorough repairs that involve digging out around the footings.
Just a heads up, proving that the previous owner knew about the issues could be a tough battle and costly. Keep in mind, Drylok is more of a temporary fix and might put the walls at risk for future problems. It might be worth investigating more about the structural condition rather than just relying on that.