24/7 Emergency Service
Cons of a Finished Basement
7/16/2020 (Permalink)
Basements are common areas of a home for water damage.
In our experience, the most common area of a home that we clean up after water damage in the basement. That’s why we kind of have to wonder whether it is even a good idea to finish a basement. So, in all honesty, this might not be a completely objective little read. We have cleaned up many homes in the Cedar Valley that have experienced flooding in their basement and usually, there aren’t too many warning signs. A 100-year-old home whose foundation may be compromised, or the city’s sewer lines backing up into your basement or the sump pump not being able to keep up with the heavy rain, are all unfortunate happenings. Sometimes, we even clean the same finished basement twice, or even three times from numerous issues. Yikes.
Pros
You have more space where you can kick it back with your friends or a family room where you can spend quality time with your children or even a bedroom for that child who never wants to leave you. It can also increase the market value if you are thinking of selling it.
Cons
- It can be extremely expensive to finish your basement.
- A flood in your basement can add extra repair in restoring the basement.
- Flooding may destroy valuable and sentimental content.
- If there’s a sewer back up, all content will not be saved.
- A humid basement can promote mold growth in areas that aren’t always noticeable.
- Over time, the foundation of the basement might settle and lead to water seepage.
Healthy Homes can have a finished basement.
Not every house will experience flooding or sewer backup in their basements. Since water restoration is our business, we often are a part of such issues but it doesn’t mean it will happen to your home. If you are considering finishing your basement or buying a home with a finished basement, we recommend you be super observant of the health of the home and ask as many questions as possible to avoid such a situation. (Does this neighborhood experience flooding? Have you ever had a water problem in the basement? Etc.)