Fix it yourself
Foundation Specialist repairs you can do yourself
4 foundation specialist problems a careful person can handle at home — and the point where each one becomes a job for a pro.
- You can do
- 4
- Pro-only
- 0
- Typical time
- 30 min – 6 h
- 01Open
Basement Floor Crack Widening Over Time
Mark the crack's ends with a pencil and date, and measure the width at a marked spot with feeler gauges; photograph it with a ruler in frame.
easy 30–60 min· $10–30 for a tell-tale and sealant
- 02Open
Basement musty smell
Measure the humidity: a basement above 60 % relative humidity smells musty on its own, and a dehumidifier set to 50 % often solves it.
easy 1–3 h· $20–40 for a hygrometer and cleaner; $150–300 for a dehumidifier
- 03Open
High radon levels in basement
Confirm with a second test — a long-term kit over 90 days on the lowest lived-in level, or a continuous monitor — before spending money; single short tests swing with the weather.
easy 1–2 h· $15–40 for test kits; $20–60 in sealant and a sump cover
- 04Open
Standing water in crawl space
Pump out the standing water with a utility pump to the yard well away from the house, then find where it came in — a wet streak down a wall, a plumbing drip, or the whole floor damp after rain.
moderate 2–6 h· $100–300 in vapour barrier, tape and downspout extensions; $150–300 for a pump
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