I called a company that does foundation work and waterproofing and despite being unimpressed with their professionalism, I was pretty satisfied with what they told me. I was looking for an opinion and price on my options for waterproofing. I also wanted to have an idea how much it would cost to re-build the block foundation where the previous owner had knocked a hole for the stairway from the family room addition, and to install a lintel above the large rec room window, and, since the window has to be replaced anyway, install a row of blocks so it will not be right at ground level. And then there is the matter of re-pointing some of the brick at the front of the house. At the end of the day, I will not have to spend as much as I thought I would..
Waterproofing
There is definitely water coming in the basement. I solved one problem area by diverting a downspout. The same solution might apply to the other problem area. The rest of the solution might lie in landscaping. However, I like the idea of having a membrane installed so I know the problem is solved. The foundation guy steered me towards these less expensive solutions. I hate doing things twice. I am not crazy about the idea of paying for landscaping, then finding out that I still have a problem and having to dig up the landscaping again. However, I do like the idea of spending a couple thousand dollars instead of several thousand dollars, especially if that is all it takes to stop the water from coming in. I might still get another opinion on the matter, but we’ll likely be looking into the landscaping option in the spring.
The block wall
When the previous owner tacked the family room addition onto the existing house, he cut some large holes into the structure. The stairway to the basement from the addition was a nice idea and has proven to be very handy, but I am nervous that the hole he cut into the foundation is not properly supported. Besides, the stairs are narrow and uneven, not even close to being up to code. We are planning to rebuild the addition in the future, but we are not married to the idea of a second stairway, and even if we decide to have one, it might be in a different location. Therefore, our best option right now is to rebuild the block wall to restore the original structure. The cost estimate of this option is less than a thousand dollars.
The window
The large basement window is another glaring example of a good idea poorly executed. The large window takes advantage of the fantastic view of our back yard. However, there is no lintel supporting the brick above the window, and the bottom of the window is right at ground level. I want to raise the window off the ground, even if it means going with a smaller unit. The cost estimate, combined with the block wall, remains under a thousand dollars, not including the window unit.
Re-pointing
We have two issues at the front of the house. Some damage was caused by the cast concrete porch moving with the freeze-thaw cycles and rubbing against the house. With the cause and effect known in this case, re-pointing is the obvious fix.
The other issue is that there has definitely been some movement in the brick on one area . Often this can point to some problem with the foundation. However, the block in the corresponding area of the basement appears to be in good shape. Several years ago we had this damage assessed by another foundation company and walked away with an estimate for $35,000 that included helical piering and waterproofing. I solicited the opinions of other contractors (not necessarily foundation specialists) and got the same answer– re-point the brick and don’t worry about it. The damage could have taken place when the house was moved to its current location, or been caused by vibrations when the house next door was being built. In any case, there has not appeared to be any movement since we first noticed the problem which is good news.
Saving money, or at least not spending money that we don’t have
Make no mistake, this house is still a money pit. However, we’ll end up spending about 10% of what we expected four years ago to address the issues with the foundation. Avoiding a plunge into further debt, especially of the magnitude of $30-40,000 (which would cover half the expense of replacing the addition) is good news. Besides, I like the idea of starting to spend money on visible improvements. Landscaping fits that bill.
Professionalism was lacking
While the gentleman who came around to the house the other day was courteous and gave me some relatively good news, I will be hiring a different company. When I called for the estimate, I was given an appointment time of 1:30 on Friday. I returned to the house at 12:30 and had only been home for a couple of minutes before there was a knock on the door. “I’m early,” he announced. “I know,” I replied. “I was expecting you in an hour.”
Checking my phone messages later, I found that the office had called at 10:30 to reschedule for the earlier time and asked that I call back to confirm. I figured that a two hour window around a specific appointment time was sufficient (it always has been in the past), and I arranged my day accordingly. But had I returned home five minutes later, I would have had to call to reschedule another day.
Another thing that bothered me was when he took a call while we were talking. He told the person that he was leaving in a couple of minutes and would be there in x amount of time, making it clear to me that he was finished with me, even if I had more questions or concerns. As soon as he was done, I thanked him for his time and he was on his way.
The proper way to handle that situation would have been to excuse himself for a moment and at least walk out of earshot before he told the person on the other end of the line that he would be ditching his current potential client (me). Ideally, he should have told the person on the other end of the line that he was with a customer and that he’d get back to him. He then could have come back to me, excused himself and offered his card, telling me to contact him if I had any further questions. Instead, he made it clear enough to me that he had written me off as a client, even though, at that point, I would have considered hiring him. Business may be good enough for him to pick and choose his clients now, but it won’t always be that way, and word of mouth can make or break a reputation.