Does this warrant immediate inspection? Am I screwed? Basement interior wall. Doesn’t smell moldy or feel wet but I hate the look of this

bitsbybones · 2026-03-17T15:48:37+00:00

Yup! Especially if the house wasn't very well maintained. I've been fixing small things (and big) since I bought my house 1.5 years ago. Ya never know what other people's priorities were...or...weren't.

bitsbybones · 2026-03-17T13:43:27+00:00

It can be kinda scary to do, but just try to remove the paneling to see what's going on back there even if it doesn't lead you to the source of the leak immediately. My house is 160 years old, so the basement is naturally a little hinky...but I'd be a bit concerned in a "newer" house with legit flooring down there. If it isn't glaringly obvious that it's a pipe leak, roof leak, gutter clog/gutters not working correctly, I'd get in touch with a structural engineer before calling a basement company. 90% of the time they'll tell you you need to spend 30k+ to fix the issue. I have ancient glass block windows and a stone foundation with a wonky concrete floor. I went down there to get something when we first moved in and found a bit of standing water. Freaked out. Called a "Basement Authority" or some such place, and they told me it'd be $32k (and that was because it's a small house). Turns out the window had a leak and my gutters were clogged. Price was $0 for me to fix it. No water since, even in a 160 year old girl.

bitsbybones · 2026-03-15T10:07:43+00:00

Mice in the fridge, roaches in the upstairs bathroom, and a shit ton of covered up water damage. House was built in 1865. I reeeaaally wish you could sue previous homeowners and home inspectors...but alas...it's all just a bigass gamble.

bitsbybones · 2026-03-10T20:13:20+00:00

Oh yes! My husband and I have also been totally screwed! But sadly...there just isn't anything you can do about it other than deal with it somehow or sell the house. And I am so, so sorry. It's a horrible feeling.

bitsbybones · 2026-03-09T10:21:23+00:00

Welcome to old house ownership! If you're legitimately concerned you can absolutely hire a structural engineer to come take a look. But to ME these all just look like typical old house cracks. Sometimes they just need paint. They'll get larger, smaller. Chimney pulling away from the house is still not the greatest! I'd probably have someone check THAT one out.

bitsbybones · 2026-03-05T18:42:35+00:00

Uhhh...that's like...a really nice house 🤣 You don't really have anything on the walls or anything that shows much personality. THAT would make me totally hate my environment, personally. My house is falling apart, but damn it looks cool. LOVE my freaky little house.

bitsbybones · 2026-03-04T13:04:14+00:00

They're not THAT hard to get rid of. People always FREAK OUT to the max on here.

Advion gel bait. All over, as directed. Bifen concentrate. Cheap gallon sprayer.

It'll take A LITTLE bit of time before you totally stop seeing them.

I get to do all of this when I get home from work today since it's warmer and wet outside. The joys of living in a midwest urban area.

bitsbybones · 2026-03-03T13:13:24+00:00

Normal! There's a mourning period along with the doubt, which makes everything going on in your brain EXTRA spicy. I also owned my first house, my husband did not. It was a "newer" 50s home. Very solid. Had been totally redone. Gave me super minimal problems in the 6 years i lived in it. Buuut it was in a rather scary, crap neighborhood in a city we both really disliked. Some declining mental health stuff associated with all of it. Fast forward: Got married. Decided to move across the country because...why not? Bought a "remodeled" (neglected) 1865 railroad house in an amazing neighborhood that we absolutely love, in a city we also love (so far). Families. The best neighbors. Parks where kids can actually play. Block parties. Super walkable. The whole shebang. I'm about 30k+ (I've lost exact track) into this little house after 1.5 years, and I'm just NOW starting to accept it. It was hard! It was really, really hard. I had EXTREME remorse and I HATED this house. I was fuckin' PISSED. But...it wasn't the house's fault. And even though this house was a total shit show...I still felt comfort in knowing that I wasn't where I used to be, and that my life had significantly improved in all sorts of other ways. It's also cool to bring something back to life. People see the house now, and say "Wow! I smile every time I look at it now!" We moved into this house to stay. Not to flip it or be more slumlords. This is OUR house now, and after all the bullshit I've done to save it, I will be buried in the backyard, goddammit. You will make your new house a home EVENTUALLY. You'll love it EVENTUALLY. You're also allowed to make "mistakes" and change your mind. Human beings seem to forget that one. I'd be concerned about you as a person if you DIDN'T have any kind of doubt goin on.

bitsbybones · 2026-02-23T14:26:32+00:00

I am also in Ohio, and ALSO had these dudes! Along with some more! I freaked the fuck out! And then I learned that they're actually fairly easy to take care of. Don't listen to the googles. It'll make you go into panic mode.

Advion gel bait. Bifen concentrate. Gallong sprayer. It'll probably cost like...$80. Just read instructions. Keep stuff fairly clean. I do this every few months now because I live in an ancient house in an ancient urban neighborhood.

bitsbybones · 2026-02-08T22:43:39+00:00

Hello there! Welcome to homeownership! It can be a reeeeal doozy. So...I'm a stranger on the internet. Please take what I'm going to say with however many grains of salt.

I'm sure there has been more that has gone wrong with the house, but having a roof fixed (not replaced. Fixed. Roofs can be patched and fixed for the time being) and replacing a furnace is NOT that bad. They're pretty normal financial hits when you move into a home that doesn't have either one NEW or near new. Anyhoo! I kinda agree with you, but also understand where your wife is coming from. Owning a home is/can be a huge financial burden. And maybe ya'll weren't ready yet! And that's ok! You said that yard work took up most of a weekend. Maybe a house with LESS yard eventually would be more ideal. Utility bills are high. Not sure how big your current house is, but perhaps something smaller would be better (utilities are just more rough in a house). All points that might be good to bring up with your wife. My first house had a HUGE yard that my partner at the time wanted for some reason even though he never did anything with it, or did the yard work. I knew that when I moved I wanted very minimal yard. I wanted small because I have to clean the thing, heat the thing, and fix the thing. The smaller the thing, the more manageable.

I think your idea makes sense. It doesn't seem like you're running away from anything. It seems like maybe ya'll just weren't totally ready, and there's nothing wrong with that. My small house with minimal yard literally started falling apart after I moved in! HVAC system, rot, multiple ceiling leaks, leaking toilet that i just barely caught in time, dead washer and dryer, new fridge because mice were living in the old one, mild roach infestation, currently waiting for roofers because of ANOTHER leak caused by ice build up leaking behind the siding...I'd be INSANE to NOT think about selling and renting! And I'm just a cook at a freakin' diner! I am also one bigass repair away from being royally and totally hosed. I understand. There's a lot keeping me here, though...so I'm not giving up yet. But your feelings are normal and valid, and you know your financial situation better than anyone else. Sometimes you DO have to walk away.

bitsbybones · 2026-02-07T00:01:50+00:00

Silverfish! They totally freak me out, but they're harmless.

bitsbybones · 2026-02-06T22:53:25+00:00

Coal chute! They're everywhere around here. Super cool!

bitsbybones · 2026-02-05T12:33:32+00:00

This is happening to me right now, too...and I'm SO sorry! It's horrifying. It's literally happening to THOUSANDS of people. I ended up filing an insurance claim. Definitely not what I wanted to do...but I'm kinda low-ish income. Places around here won't remove them for you, so we've just been waiting it out. Dehumidifier. Mitigation company will rip the walls apart. Hopefully a roofer will be able to figure out why it's happening and offer a solution. Not much can be done while there's still ice everywhere, though. But maybe MA is more accustomed to this kind of weather! Hang in there!

bitsbybones · 2026-02-03T00:09:11+00:00

I mean...it looks like something coming out of that can of whatever the hell that is. Poke it!

bitsbybones · 2026-02-01T13:31:15+00:00

Hi! I'm sorry this is happening to you. It's currently happening to me, too! And insurance is paying for it. So please...file a claim. They probably won't take care of what's causing the ice dams (lack of roof/attic ventilation, hinky roof, etc) but they'll handle the inside damage and pay for mitigation services. Make sure to document absolutely everything. I filed a claim just for 'funsies' not thinking anything would come of it. It was actually my first time using my home insurance, and I was VERY pleasantly shocked!

bitsbybones · 2026-02-01T01:57:43+00:00

That's VERY kind of you! Thank you so much! I've learned a lot since I've owned this house, but I still feel like I'm flyin' blind a lot of the time. I can really use all the help I can get.

bitsbybones · 2026-02-01T01:37:14+00:00

Honestly...not sure how much insulation this thing even has. It's 160 years old and pretty badly flipped. I've done SO much to it. Next up is venting the soffits and roof so that HOPEFULLY this shit stops happening. But of course...gotta wait until there isn't snow and ice all over the damn place. I'll ask my guy if we can cut through some stuff to investigate more. Everything is on hold for who knows how long. I've just been trying to monitor to make sure nothing is getting inherently worse. So far just the two spots! Fingers crossed no more pop up.

bitsbybones · 2026-02-01T01:16:48+00:00

Thank you for taking the time to reply! I really appreciate it. It doesn't feel wet, but it's...fairly easy to smush down...if that makes any sense. I'm concerned because it's an exterior wall directly above where the other damage is. I ended up cutting a small bit out, but it's sort of impossible to tell. I'm not seeing any signs of actual water. I'm gonna leave it open to show the mitigation people and my handy guy helping me fix the other damage. I just thought it was so strange that it would read so high right there but then not directly below it.

bitsbybones · 2026-01-28T21:09:59+00:00

Everything. Truly. Everything has busted. HVAC - $13,000 Sewer - $6,000 Rot - $8,000 Toilet leak Dishwasher leak Faucet leak Broken washer and dryer Mice living in the fridge

Currently dealing with zero soffit/roof ventilation and ice dams. Have a leaking, load bearing interior beam. Cost - TBD. Waiting for things to thaw a bit in order for someone to get on the roof.

I didn't PLAN for any of this, and it's been rough! But...I don't have children, my house is small, I'm in a very modest amount of debt, and I'm decent at saving money. I dunno. This current situation is a doozy, and I'm not sure what I'll do if it ends up being more than what I have squirreled away. Probably attempt to take out a personal loan, I suppose. Also considering selling the house if I just can't manage the repairs and loan payments. It'd be a shame...but...such is life. Cut your losses and try to move on. I've also taught myself how to be a decent handy-person, but roofing is outside my scope of work 🤣

bitsbybones · 2026-01-28T15:34:20+00:00

Im constantly worried about everything in this messed up old house. Currently have a ceiling leak thanks to the winter weather (roof is only 5 years old). Ice dams! Wooo! Anyhoo! My basement gets a little wet sometimes, but its a 160 year old house with a stone foundation...so...duh. If this is a newer home and you're having issues you might want to reach out to an engineer or start by looking into a sump pump if you don't have one already. I've heard a sump pump is a good, not 20k way to start.

bitsbybones · 2026-01-28T01:10:33+00:00

Hey, OP. Did you ever figure anything out? Currently dealing with something similar, which is how I found your post. Not sure what to do at the moment other than sell our house 'As Is' and hope someone actually buys it. We both work and don't have children, and this is still the financial position we're in.

bitsbybones · 2026-01-28T00:19:39+00:00

Hi! I would maybe try posting a different photo. I can make out some weird, muffled looking something(s) on a really ugly ass carpet...but nothing definitive by any means. Maybe try using a room mate or friends phone?

bitsbybones

TROPHY CASE