u/BismarckFGC

Hey all,

After a pretty stormy season while cleaning, we noticed some odd contours in two sections of the drywall in the basement on an exterior wall that normally is covered by a painting. I had a pinless moisture checker that I use for wood which has a drywall setting and it came back between 10 and 24% for the rough square sections marked in red. And dry basically everywhere else in the basement. It's hard to tell but the areas in question visually almost look like there was a hold there previously that was patched hastily with a replacement drywall piece and putty and then painted.

I've got a fan and dehumidifier running to see if that reduces the moisture level, but if it does, does that indicate a potential water issue? If it does, what's the best way to check behind that wall and see if theres extensive damage which won't cause bigger problems later? The area is roughly 1x1.5 ft total.

Noticed this spring that one of our patio slabs in an area partially covered by the soffit/gutter has a minor slope towards the house. It looks like the previous owner had used some sort of foam sealant where the slab meets the house to help with moisture prevention, but theres gaps in several places now, particularly in the corner by the steps. I haven't seen any moisture damage on that side of the finished basement and am planning on correcting the grading/slope, but in the meantime we do have a rainy week forecasted next week and I was wondering if theres a temporary measure I can take to prevent/reduce any potential moisture issues until this can get done.

Images: https://imgur.com/a/lMSibac