By Barbara Lehrer
Real Talk
Barbara Lehrer.
Each home has a history, made up of the whys and the why nots. A builder from the start designs the base of a building, the basement, around current needs and trends. When a specific home was being built it might have been popular to finish basements or consider the terrain in the front and back yard in order to accommodate items such as septic systems, oil tanks or washing machine backwash.
Of course, the process of what was put in the basement when the house was built began with heat and hot water, perhaps a BILCO door and some other necessary connection access points. These hookups are unique; each one has a special function. Some homes have city sewer while others have septic pipes, which can exit into the back yard as well as the side or front yard.
My objective is to make you aware of the different pipes in your basement. Perhaps the laundry pipes are obvious to you. However, if you are in the country, does it empty into a dry well or a septic system? The town hall has a file on each property, but sometimes information is not completely recorded. Walk around the basement. Hire a professional if you have questions or do not know what to look for. It is important to know all drains, cleanouts and where each pipe goes.
Perhaps a French drain system was installed in the basement way before you owned the home. This drainage process leads somewhere, and you need to know if it is still active or clogged or abandoned. Don’t wait until there are signs of moisture that were not there for years before giving your drain attention.
There are many pipes in the floor of the basement. A newer home may have a small pipe jutting out of the floor which is there in case you have radon at some point. The hole in the foundation is part of the remediation setup. Many builders now add them in new homes. Contractors also add pipes for a bathroom in the lower level, just for future planning.
All of these pipes are put there in anticipation of needs for venting or draining. They are all positive and you should make sure they are in good shape. The only time you need look at a hole in the wall and worry is if it leads to an abandoned oil tank. For years, property owners simply pulled out the tanks and added new ones in the basement. It is only bad if those little metal tubes hanging behind your new oil tank are still connected to an oil tank that was left in the ground. A home inspector always looks for this kind of telltale sign of oil tank abandonment.
So do your due diligence. Do not wait until you are marketing your home to study the basement. Possibly there was maintenance and permits pulled on some of these items. You can hire a plumber if you are investigating something. A sump pump needs maintenance, and so does a pump-up system if you have a basement bathroom.
Finally, at this time of year make sure your water valves in the basement are shut off to those outside spigots, since they will freeze in the winter.
Take care of that basement. Know it well; it is yours.
If you need more information on these issues, email Barbara.Lehrer@cbmoves.com.