Low spot in basement

[John Warren]

Hi BP community,

I was inside a house last night. And ran into something I have never seen. In the basement there is a low spot in the concrete floor that has some water in it. My contractor was not sure what could cause this.

There have been water issues in the basement before according to the disclosures. It looks like the water issues were related to a sewer backup. In addition there is a big tree outside the house that needs to come down. 

Does anyone know what would cause this low spot? Sewer leak? Tree root? Nothing big deal?

[Account Closed]

@John Warren, notwithstanding the source of the water problem (although in my opinion, a sewage problem is something very different than a water problem), when I read your original post, my first thought concerning the standing water you saw, was simply that the slab, when poured originally, created the low spot where water could pond/collect.  If there are no visible problems with the slab's integrity (cracking, etc.), then I personally would not immediately conclude that there is a slab, or sub-slab problem. But rather, since water seeks the path of least resistance and is subject to the laws of gravity, it will naturally collect in low spots.

I was just on a project this year in which, despite having a floor drain, the concrete was not sloped properly to it and so water puddled elsewhere in the low spots of the basement.