Thanks for the follow up. I actually live quite close to downtown Chicago (10 minutes), so these townhouses are pretty desirable for people who don't want a condo and can't afford a single family house (most go for close to a million around here). The other thing going for them is that they were designed by a well-known architect (I. M. Pei) and have a nice modernist vibe. There are 4 bedrooms and two full baths upstairs, open floor plan living/dining room, half bath, office, and kitchen downstairs, and the family room and craft room in the basement. Since they are fairly spacious, they are pretty popular with young families. I imagine that most people would want/need storage and a laundry space and the unfinished half of the basement is it. I've done a lot of improvements to the house since I purchased it 3 years ago, but I'm not sure whether investing money in what is a "work space" will pay off. That said, it is not a bright or cheerful place!

Hi All! I have finished basement in a house from 1975. It has been dry up until a few years ago. When it rains really hard, I get a litle squishy spot on the carpet a foot wide on one wall. There is no other source of water there and the 6" poured foundation was free of cracks prior to finishing. The house has perforated, corrugated pipe drain tile with pea stone and no sock that encircles the footing with two connections on either side of a sump crock. The plastic is in really good condition still, with no signs of being brittle. I get water in there at a good trickle when it rains. I am wondering if it may have silt backing up causing this issue. The advice I got so far is 'dig it' but I was wondering is 'hydro jetting' is a viable option. I tied directly into the tile when I dug an eggress window a while back. I was careful to not allow any sediment in while installing the "T" and afterward. There are no trees nearby. All the gutters have 6' downspouts and the soil is graded near the foundation. I have heard hydro jetting is a scam. Any thoughts? Sail

Ya, that why I said "much" of the problem. I've always increased the size and slope of my eavestroughs to facilitate the ability of that near frozen water to get gone as well. Aggressive slope cures lots and you can trim it or paint it to minimize the street look. We have a few homes in Calgary and it can Chinook on you, be well above freezing and then drop, leading to immense ice issues if you don't get out in front of them. Between air sealing, insulation and good drip edges along with attention to the troughs and downspouts (don't make freezing water travel too far before you divert it down) we have substantially minimized our issues. And Brick is right, each home is a bit different, each geographical location is a bit different and here in Canada we don't have stuff like air handlers, hot water tanks or aircon in our attics, so you have to watch for those variables as well.

No pics yet because nothing's been able to be "redone". Still plywood subfloors, no appliances, and a ripped out bathroom. I realized yesterday that the refinished floor has areas that are duller than others, so now I need to get the guy back to recoat. It didn't show up until the floor was fully dry and starting to "cure" but it's very noticeable. :-( The entire finished basement has to be ripped out (walls, ceiling and all insulation) and the floor and all the framing disinfected. Environmental companies don't do this and not many pest control ones do either. I've gotten estimates ranging from $4400 to $9600 for the same job. It involves guys wearing chemical suits, respirators, extractor fans, disinfectant spray, the whole 9 yards. The neighbors will no doubt be appalled at the goings on. Then I have to get an electrician in to examine the visible wiring for damage. I'm sure there will be some. Haven't been able to address the garage floor issue because the old refrigerator is sitting there waiting for my son to arrange to remove it, which apparantly is a more complicated scenario than hosting the Olympic Games. Nobody rents a truck with a power liftgate, nobody we know has a trailer hitch for one of those tow-behind things, and none of his friends have time to assist. When the rest of the house gets painted, the walls will be sealed with BIN first. I realized that the garage floor is actuallly painted (the grey stuff) so I may be lucky and perhaps a good scrubbing with Mex will help. (TSP isn't allowed to be sold in our state) I have to say, the rodent stink is just as bad as the dog smell. Different but equally disgusting. This has been a huge financial sinkhole. What should have been no more than $35K in renovations has already surpassed $65K that in outlay to date, and there is still another $40K committed to (and necessary) but not yet done and paid for. In the end this house will have cost me $100K more than its selling price and neither the house itself nor the area justifies that number. I could have bought any of a number of houses listed at that level over the past 3 years which would have gotten me more square footage as well. And fewer problems!