Flood damage in a finished basement?

Question

I was wondering what I need to look for to see how extensive the damage is. What problems can flood damage cause? I am looking at purchasing a home, but the finished basement had flood about 4 ft. up (not due to uncontrollable factors such as the weather, but a previous tennets mistake.) There are two rooms (one master size,) one large full bathroom, a large walk in closet (plus the large closets in the bedrooms) and a utility room down there. Can tile be salvaged in these situations? There is mold growing so I know (obviously) that ALL of the sheetrock will need to be replaced, and depending on how long it sat, some of the studs might need to be replaced. But, what are the other factors here that I should know about?

Answer 1

Be very careful, water damage that high can only come from a flood. Why are the wall still on  they should of been stripped immediately. You will have staffi botris in the walls which is very dangerous . I would renovate with a match if i were you  or a large excavator and start again . how much are they paying you to take it?

Answer 2

I looked at the pics.  That basement is a death trap and needs the be gutted.  Tear everything out.  all the way to the concrete.  That the good thing about basements.  it will be easy to replace studs, tile, drywall.  Do not try to save anything.  Mold is very dangerous.  If you have not bought the place run like h**l.  If you own it, give me a call i will fix it. [e-mail]

Answer 3

Wow. I would have a hard time being convinced that such damage was the result of a tenant mistake. Further, if it was due to a flood up to 4ft, how long did it sit there?I don't own a house anymore but I can tell you one thing that may be VERY helpful. Here in New Jersey (check into it for Texas if that is where the house is) black mold is considered an extreme hazard to health and insurance covers removal of the problem as it has been proven to cause lung issues in humans. There is clearly a black mold problem there and the current owner can file through his insurance to make the repairs. If he had no insurance and wants to sell the house as is I am truly wondering the legalities of that. I also would look into your own insurance and what can be done if you purchase the home. Yes the studs may be damaged....but there are so many other issues that would have to be looked at including the plumbing, electric, and possibly even the foundation.You truly need an expert in there to look at the matter. This is no small project. Look at the cost factor and add it to the price of the house.

I wish you great luck and hope you find a happy home be it this one or another.

Answer 4

OMG... I think you have a lot in front of you, and I think it  happened more than once... I see two times of water damage in those pics!

Find someone who you would trust, like someone who works in home construction, for advice!  You need to cut away sections of wall to be sure how much mold has occurred.

Uuuugh.... this is a family that let the wetness go instead of taking care of it!  A few fans would have eliminated the visible mold situation!

Answer 5

Keep looking and avoid this place.  BIG headache here.

Chris is right.  The entire basement needs gutting down to the cement & replaced.  Sheetrock, insulation, etc..

Answer 6

Nothing, and I mean nothing in the basement can be salvaged including the tile.  Water damage becomes worse with time and temperature.  The mold is so invasive in the basement that I have no doubt that the spores have made it upstairs too.  The first floor joists undoubtedly have mold on them too although they did not come into direct contact with the water.

Once the drywall is removed you might even have damage to the foundation walls as 4' of water in a basement exerts a lot of outward pressure on the walls.  The fact that water accumulated to this height might be indicative of a storm drain problem or sump pump problem too.  All electrical wiring of the basement will need to be removed and replaced and now brought up to current code.  Duct work will need to be cleaned and sealed too.

I'd suggest calling in a water restoration company for an inspection.  The restoration company should be IICRC (Institute of Inspection, carpet restoration and cleaning) certified and have a certification in Applied microbial remediation.