Seattle Home Inspector's Blog

What do I feed it?

  How do I make it go away?

  Can, I make it go away?

Perhaps she could use it as staging?

     I have been known to "doctor" a photo for effect, now and then, but I swear-----I have done nothing to this photo----short of cropping it a little.  Steve and Barbara will probably tell me that I need to get back on my "meds," but it does kind of look a little bit like a lion doesn't it?  Please tell me it does-----I hate "mother's little helper."

      This lion has a name (as well as a mane).  His name is Efflorescence (also what his mane is)----kind of a funny name for a lion----but not as funny as living in a basement in Seattle (or Maine).       

       Efflorescence is created by the salts that form on the surface of concrete from the evaporating moisture. 

     So, what the lion is saying is,  "There is moisture running out of my nose."  As the moisture moves through the concrete, it may follow a wire form-tie (as in this case), a crack, or a cold joint----or just move through the concrete itself.  Regardless of the pathway, when the moisture evaporates from the surface, the salts that the moisture has picked up on its way through the concrete, gets deposited on the surface.  We call these deposits "efflorescence."  

     To get rid of the "lion," we have to stop the flow of moisture through the foundation.  When you see efflorescence in your basement, it is a good indication of missing and/or non-functional drainage systems around the outside of the foundation---or sometimes defective water supply piping like sprinkler systems etc.  Especially problematic is termination of downspouts that dump all their water next to the foundation instead of away from the home or to proper drainage pipes.

     It is very common for home owners to finish-off basement spaces that have this condition without doing anything about proper drainage at the exterior.  As an inspector, I hate finished basements in homes built prior to the early 70's.  Before then, it was highly unlikely that proper attention was paid to the drainage around the home.  Obviously, homes like this are vulnerable to hidden moisture issues-----including mold.  I will often quiz my buyers   as to their plans for the basements of these homes.  They often express a desire to finish off the basement space.  My advice to them is to always take care of the exterior drainage issues first----you really don't want lions inside your walls.