Six early signs your basement is leaking (before you see water)

Standing water is the last symptom. By the time you see a puddle, the wall has been wet for months. Watch for these earlier signals.

1. Efflorescence

White chalky deposits on concrete walls — mineral salts left behind as moisture migrates through.

2. Musty odor

Most often from the lower 18 inches of drywall or carpet pad. Trust your nose before you trust your eyes.

3. Paint that flakes from the bottom up

Peeling at the floor line is moisture pressure pushing the coating away from the substrate.

4. Rust on bottom of metal posts

Bare moisture on a slab will rust the cap plate of an adjustable steel post within months.

5. A spongy spot in the lawn near the foundation

Often a clogged downspout or a buried gutter extension that's failed.

6. Window-well puddles after rain

Window wells should drain to the perimeter drain — if they pool, they're feeding water against the foundation wall.