Name the worst thing a homeowner wants to see in the basement:

[thesaint258]

Whatever weird thing you sickos are thinking, that's not it. The correct answer is water. On Saturday, I was walking by my open basement door and noticed that the concrete floor was reflecting light. I'm not the most handy person, but I knew that wasn't right. It turns out several gallons of water leaked into the basement through a small hole next to where the water main enters the house. I vacuumed up all the water, but the leak was still going. I tried to keep the water from spreading with a towel, but it didn't take too long for it to get soaked through.

Because the leak wouldn't stop, I got some hydraulic concrete to put on as a temporary patch. It slowed the leak, but it didn't stop it completely. Now I have a guy coming tomorrow to do a more permanent and complete patch. I'm also trying to identify the source of the water. I'm 95% sure that it's because of the sprinkler system. I just got it fixed a couple weeks ago by the landscaper that properly graded the land and put in new sod. Because of the new sod, I've been watering quite a bit, so it's possible that's a cause. The second possibility is that one of the valves is leaking. I opened the box with the valves, and the dirt inside was absolutely soaked. I have two other boxes right next to that, and both of them were relatively dry. My hunch is that it's a problem with the valves themselves or some of the pipe connecting to them. Being a homeowner is fun...

[TripletDaddy]

[San Juan Sun]

Last summer I was playing CoD one night with a bunch of the CUF crew, and we were having a torrential downpour outside in MI. The city pumps failed, and all that rainwater backed up from the sewer system into my basement. I literally watched a small wet spot on my carpet grow, lifting the carpet off the concrete, and eventually rise up about 3 inches.

I had to get the place treated/cleaned, throw away a bunch of soiled stuff, and replace the carpet and walls. I've never been more thankful for insurance.

I hope it all works out for you. A basement full of water sucks.

For the record, I did not stop playing CoD.

[BigPiney]

I don't know, but I know the worst thing I have have found in my garage is a baby rattlesnake less than a foot from my barefoot daughter on her birthday. Very scary.

[Art Vandelay]

Grrr. I just saw this thread and was going to post a Buffalo Bill photo, and see Quick Draw McTriplet, beat me to it.

[jay santos]

Grrr. I just saw this thread and was going to post a Buffalo Bill photo, and see Quick Draw McTriplet, beat me to it.

[jay santos]

This would be another

[HuskyFreeNorthwest]

It would be pretty bad to find out 7 years in that I have a basement.

[TripletDaddy]

[PaloAltoCougar]

I don't know, but I know the worst thing I have have found in my garage is a baby rattlesnake less than a foot from my barefoot daughter on her birthday. Very scary.

Very frightening, and the babies are worse than grown rattlesnakes. Sorry about the H20, saint.

I'll go with this basement denizen:

[TripletDaddy]

[Jeff Lebowski]

Are you nuts? That would be awesome.

[kimchicoug]

The rats in this basement scene haunted my childhood:

[PaloAltoCougar]

Are you nuts? That would be awesome.

I think it means Pee-wee Herman or, worse, Paul Rubens, is probably lurking behind the water heater.

[TripletDaddy]

I think it means Pee-wee Herman or, worse, Paul Rubens, is probably lurking behind the water heater.

As long as he isn't in the movie theater.