Just yesterday we discovered a wet place on the carpet in our finished basement. Called in a professional right away. Our house is 9 years old. The gentleman checked our whole basement carefully, indicated that his expectation is a crack from the bottom of the window opening and water seeping out from under the drywall. We removed the portion of drywall and insulation under the window, and sure enough, there is a crack, looks like settling, from the window edge to the floor. Drywall was wet for a few inches from the floor. Pulled bak the carpet and used heaters and a fan to dry it up. The man is coming back to use the injection of polyurethane and membrane method to seal it up. Our ground is frozen solid right now but we have had heavy rainfall over the last couple of days. The expert told us he had had 18 calls in the last 24 hours, as the earth cannot absorb the water just now and it runs down between the ground and the foundation, finding any way it can to run, in our case, through a small crack and into the house. In the Spring we will make sure that window well drains are clear, that water is directed further away from the house, that the grading is improved a bit. May dig down by hand to see if anything is required from outside. All the comments here have been incrdibly helpful, as we have had absolutely no experience of this in the past. Thank you all, and good luck! I may post again after all is said and done to report degree of success.

We are finishing our basement for our own use right now -- but before this -- I've always said that buyers would love our home - until they saw the basement. We have put thousands of dollars into our home: new windows, new cherry floors, new kitchen (addition), all new bathrooms, etc... But, when you walk downstairs to the basement you are greeted by nasty walls with seepage stains and dusty concrete floors. We had the walls taken care of (rod holes and cracks) but they are still ugly. Eventually, they will be insulated and dry-walled. My DH insists on a powder room even though it was not plumbed for one -- it was $1,700 for the sink and toilet rough in. I don't expect to ever recoup the investment on our finished basement when it is done -- but we could never sell it the way it is. At a minimum -- I would paint the floor and walls so it looks nice -- that is after making sure walls don't leak or seep. Another interesting option is spray painting the ceiling black -- our friends did this to their quasi-finished basement and I think it looks great.

Hi! I realize this is 3 year old thread, but can you post picture of your finished basement (walls, etc). We have a large basement, approx. 2000 sf and seriously considering painting the 'unfinished' ceiling like you did. We might go white on main area joists, flat black on ductwork, and case the plumbing in wood. How do you like the space? Anything you recommend or do differently? We are probably going to purchase a medium to large size industrial sprayer. Thanks! PS. @mark_rachel ... Did you end up doing this as well? If so, would you mind posting a photo? Thanks!

In every posted picture the carpet sample looks different, but I am sorry to say I don't like it in any. I don't have an alternate suggestion but IMO a subtle pattern would be nice. Good luck!