House we love has a sketchy basement, can exterior excavation with membrane fix this without full concrete encasement?
Hello everyone,
My wife and I are looking at a house in a neighborhood we really like, but the basement needs some work. I only have these two photos to share right now, but I hope they give a decent idea of the current state.
If we’re lucky enough to get the house, our budget for basement repairs will be pretty limited, so we need to be smart about the approach. I ran this by an AI and now want real-world confirmation from people who’ve dealt with this:
- Is it realistic to excavate the exterior of the foundation, add a proper waterproofing membrane to the foundation walls, and call it good enough to stop further deterioration?
We’d really like to avoid having to encase the interior foundation walls in concrete (or other major interior work) if possible. If that’s basically a non-negotiable requirement here, we’ll probably walk away and keep looking.
Any advice, experiences, or red flags would be hugely appreciated. Thanks in advance!