Before You Start
Preparation matters more than you'd think.
My Inspection Kit
Everything lives in one kitchen drawer. Flashlight (bright, 500 lumens). Crack gauge card. Tape measure. Notebook and pencil. My phone for photos. A 4-foot level. Takes thirty seconds to grab everything.
The first year, I'd spend ten minutes hunting for tools. Now the kit is ready to go. Makes it much more likely I'll actually do my inspections instead of putting them off.
Clear the Path
My basement used to be packed with boxes against the walls. I couldn't see half the foundation. One spring I finally moved everything out far enough to walk around the perimeter. Found a crack I'd never noticed, been there the whole time. Now I keep a clear path along all walls.
Takes effort to maintain, but worth it. Can't inspect what you can't see.
Pick Consistent Times
I inspect in April after the ground thaws and in October before winter. Same times every year. This consistency lets me compare apples to apples. Seasonal variations become visible when you're comparing the same season year over year.
The April check catches anything that happened over winter. The October check ensures I'm going into winter with no surprises.
Review Previous Notes
Before going downstairs, I spend two minutes reading my notes from the last inspection. Reminds me what I was watching, what I was concerned about, where my attention should go. The notebook is the memory I don't trust myself to have.
Walking Each Wall
I go around the perimeter wall by wall, always in the same order.
The Visual Scan
Starting at the northeast corner, I walk slowly along each wall. Flashlight in hand, scanning from floor to ceiling. I'm looking for cracks, staining, efflorescence (the white crusty stuff), any discoloration or change from what I remember.
My walls are painted, which makes spotting changes easier in some ways, harder in others. New cracks in paint are obvious. But hairline cracks in the concrete behind the paint are invisible.
My Known Cracks
I have four cracks I track. Each has pencil marks at the ends and a measurement point marked with tape. For each one, I check: Does the crack extend past my end marks? Is the width the same at my measurement point? Anything look different from last time?
Five years running, the answer is always the same. Nothing has changed. But I check anyway, because the one time something does change, I want to know immediately.
Looking for New Cracks
Beyond my known cracks, I'm looking for anything new. A crack I don't remember. A stain that wasn't there. If I see something new, I mark it, measure it, photograph it. It becomes part of my monitoring going forward.
In five years, I've found one new crack. Turned out to be a hairline shrinkage crack that had probably been there all along, just never noticed it. Measured it, marked it, monitored it for a year. Completely stable. Not a concern.
Wall Straightness
After Gary's wall started bowing, I added this to my routine. For each wall, I stand at one end and sight down to the other. Any curve or bulge would be visible. Then I hold my level vertically against the wall at several spots, checking if it's plumb.
My walls are straight and plumb every time. Gary's wasn't. Catching that early would have saved him money.
The Floor Check
Don't ignore the basement floor.
Floor Cracks
I walk the whole floor looking for cracks. My floor has three cracks that have been there since I moved in. Stable, unchanging, not connected to any water issues. I note their condition but don't worry about them.
If I ever saw a new floor crack, especially one with one side higher than the other, I'd pay attention. That could indicate settlement.
The Golf Ball Test
I keep a golf ball in my inspection kit. Roll it on the floor in a few spots. It always rolls gently toward the floor drain, which is normal. The slight slope has been there since 1978.
If the ball started rolling a different direction, or rolling faster, something changed. The floor's slope tells you what the house is doing.
Floor-Wall Joint
The joint where floor meets wall is a common water entry point. I check the entire perimeter for staining, dampness, or cracks along this joint. My northeast corner has some old water staining from before I fixed my grading. Nothing new in years.
Water and Moisture Signs
Water causes most foundation problems. I look for it carefully.
Active Water Entry
Is anything actually wet? I do my inspections during dry weather to establish baseline, but I also check after heavy rain sometimes. Water stains that appear wet tell you where water is currently getting in.
My basement is dry now. Wasn't always. The first year, I had water coming in at the northeast corner during heavy rain. Fixed the grading outside, added downspout extensions. Problem solved. But I still check.
Historic Staining
Old water stains, tide marks, mineral deposits. These show where water has gotten in before, even if it's not currently. I have some old staining that predates my ownership. Important to know where water has historically been a problem.
Efflorescence
The white crusty stuff that forms on concrete. Means water has moved through the concrete and left mineral deposits behind. I have some on my east wall, been there since I moved in, hasn't gotten worse. New efflorescence would concern me.
Musty Smell
That classic basement smell means moisture. My basement used to smell musty until I got moisture under control. Now it smells like a basement, but not musty. If the smell came back, I'd investigate.
Support Structure
Columns and beams matter too.
Steel Columns
I have two steel columns supporting my main beam. I check each one for rust, especially at the base where moisture could accumulate. Look at the top where it meets the beam. Any gaps or signs it's not fully supporting would be a problem.
Mine are fine. No rust, solid connections top and bottom. Takes two minutes to check both.
Main Beam
I look along my main beam for any sagging, cracks, or signs of stress. It's a steel I-beam, been doing its job for 45 years. No issues. But I look anyway because Rick told me beams can fail without warning if there's hidden corrosion.
Where It All Connects
The connections between columns, beams, walls, and floor matter. Anything shifting or separating indicates movement somewhere in the system. All my connections are tight. That's what I want to see.
Windows and Penetrations
Openings are stress points and water entry points.
Basement Windows
My basement has two small windows. I check the frames for rot or rust, the seals around them, any cracks radiating from the corners. Window corners are stress concentrators. Cracks often start there.
Both windows are old and a bit drafty, but no structural concerns. The frames are solid, no cracks around them.
Pipe Penetrations
Places where pipes come through the wall can leak. I check around each penetration for moisture, cracks, or failed sealant. Had to reseal around one water pipe a few years ago. Now it's fine.
Window Wells
Outside, my window wells can collect water if they get clogged with leaves. I make sure they're clean and draining properly. Water pooling in a window well is just waiting to get into the basement.
Upstairs Quick Check
Foundation problems often show up in the living space.
Doors
I check a few key doors. Front door, back door, bedroom door on the corner above my longest basement wall. Do they close the same as always? Any new sticking or rubbing?
Gary's front door started sticking months before his wall showed obvious problems. Doors are early warning systems.
Drywall
Quick look at walls near doors and windows for new cracks, especially diagonal ones from corners. These indicate frame stress from foundation movement. I don't have any. If I ever do, I'm in the basement immediately.
Floors
Any new squeaks? Does anything feel different underfoot? Floors that change can indicate structure movement below. Mine feel exactly the same as always. Comfortingly boring.
After The Inspection
Documentation turns observations into useful data.
Write It Down
I spend five minutes with my notebook after each inspection. Date, what I checked, what I found. Measurements of tracked cracks. Any observations. Most of my entries just say "no changes, all stable." That's exactly what I want to write.
Photos
I photograph each tracked crack, same angle and lighting each time. Store them in dated folders. These photos are evidence. Five years of identical photos proves stability better than any engineer's opinion.
Compare to History
I flip back through my notebook, look at photos from the same season in previous years. Everything should match. Any discrepancy gets investigated.
Schedule the Next One
I put my next inspection date in the calendar before I put my kit away. April done, schedule October. October done, schedule April. The reminder keeps me consistent.