Basement leakage clues – crumbling plaster, drywall or masonry

Interior · Wet Basements and Crawlspaces · printed page 373 (PDF page 374)

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Book index entries

Basement – Crumbling Plaster, Drywall or Masonry

Text in the illustration

patch in wall finish
soft, wet, or uneven area
drywall over studs
spalling caused by the movement of moisture through the foundation wall
plaster directly on wall
check bottom of wall finish for deterioration
dust from deteriorating foundation wall

Generated explanation

The illustration shows a basement corner with exposed masonry foundation wall, drywall over studs, and plaster applied directly to the wall. Spalling near the bottom of the exposed masonry is attributed to moisture moving through the foundation wall, with deteriorated material collecting on the floor. The drywall has a rectangular patch and a ragged, deteriorated lower edge. A marked area on the plaster indicates a soft, wet, or uneven surface. Arrows emphasize checking the bottoms of wall finishes for deterioration as a clue to basement leakage.

Components

masonry foundation wall drywall wall finish wall studs plaster wall finish basement floor slab wall finish patch

Defects shown

Materials

masonry blocks mortar drywall plaster concrete