This is in a basement at today’s inspection. House built in the 50’s, recently flipped. I don’t usually try to guess, but I’m wondering why this wall is here? There’s no chimney(it’s too big for a chimney anyway). That’s the main sewer pipe going into it. The wall is half down two sides of the house (uphill side and along another side). It doesn’t appear to be part of the flip.
Any thoughts on what the purpose of this wall was, or is? Just curious.
Does it step down the slope of the hill? Reminds me of a partial basement/crawlspace I used to see up north.
It does step down the slope. Maybe it was once a partial basement, then later was dug out to full basement. Makes sense, I just don’t know why it is 30 inches or so wide, and if the outside wall was built later, or visa versa. Seems like a lot of masonry work to “shore up” the foundation wall.
I have seen a few like that and they were attempts to stop the wall from shoving in.
That was my first inclination, Randy. One of the top caps is loose, and the area was filled with broken pieces of concrete and dirt.
The systems they use nowadays are a lot less intrusive looking than a 2 1/2 foot wide wall built on the interior! My, how technology has changed 
BTW, the wall/floor intersection read 30-33% moisture content, it hasn’t rained here for about a week or so.
Yeap. I’ve seen this quite often at old houses with brick foundation walls.
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…and somebody installed an interior water diverting system ( 12"–16" ish edge of floor–wall was busted out and replaced).
Water is still coming in (when it rains) through the exterior cracks in the original block wall that I’m guessing nobody waterproofed (and instead put in the stupid interior system).
Good eye, my friend! Looks like recently poured concrete against the wall, where the stupid interior system was installed. I was wondering why there was no sump pit…duh…because the failed system was removed? Wasn’t sure what to speculate, but this was all mentioned and pointed out on site. Funny, client asked about an interior water diverting system he had heard about. I told him “I don’t believe in them…and my expert friend Jon Bubber says…” 
It appears to be the homeowner’s $$$ choice of interior water management systems nowadays. In the late 90’s you could not put 6 companies together surround Montreal Qc. Internet and systems and courses put this cottage industry into full motion.
Water control is/can be costly, but will stop moisture affecting the soil around the footing from setting and structural movement further down the rad where interior system fail to do so.
Merry Christmas Bubba.
Mr. C,
Some companies/contractors that install these moronic interior systems don’t install a sump pump, they sometimes will just bust out the perimeter concrete and place some drain tiles underneath and then maybe place a membrane etc along the very bottom of wall–floor to help divert the water under the new concrete. Sometimes you can see the TOP of the membrane sticking up/out-of the concrete they replace (along the wall) and other times one won’t see it as its just below the concrete
Sometimes, on some homes, when these interior basement system knotheads bust out part or all of the basement floor, it weakens the basement wall (was giving lower support), it can cause cracks in the wall or a wall to bow in or collapse… just by taking out the perimeter floor/concrete.
Then add that most of these nitiwits do not replace 4" of the floor, they’ll pour around 2–2 1/2", sheeesh, where oh where is their brain? Ummmm, nowhere, that’s where lol. All they care about is selling the piece of junk water diverting system, yep, 'cuz if they don’t sell enough of them they will be out of business.
Sure, it’s possible they also installed a sump and months/years later someone-else took it out.
It looks like there is, or was… a sump (or maybe its just piping for something else) in your 2nd photo, INSIDE//between the walls…is that a discharge line/pipe? It’s about 3’ or so to the left of that dumb azz 5 gallon bucket of DRYLOK… sheeeesh-drylok loooolll, what a waste
As usual, from where i sit, the problems are on the outside of that wall/house. That’s where the water is first entering because there are exterior cracks in the wall.
Well, hmmm Mr. Y… you wrote “Water control is/can be costly but will stop moisture affecting the soil around the footing from settling and structural movement…”
See, i cannot agree with you on those words, all due respect.
Why? Because there are many times where the soil under a footing (basement, porch etc) has dried out/become to dry/contracts so, when that happens the soil can/will… settle under a footing and so if the soil settles/drops where it used-to-be up against the bottom of a footing then then a wall can settle. The soil gave the footing/wall SUPPORT but if it dries out/contracts then you lose some support, just saying.
Yeah Mr Y, I agree w/you-others to the point where… trying to divert a ton of water from accumulating against a foundation wall is fine and dandy, it helps if-when there are heavy rains, because as you know one doesn’t want the soil to expand big time either but say again, if the soil dries out, if the soil settles where it was up against the bottom of a footing, problems sure can occur.
Example… Drought Conditions Cause Central Valley Homes To Sink Into The Ground - CBS San Francisco …drought conditions…‘When that clay soil starts SHRINKING…the foundation follows, especially on older homes’
Merry Christmas to you and yours Mr. Y
no, Bubba, that’s the main sewer. Your first paragraph sounds right from what I saw. This was done very recently, the interior wall is much older. I’m guessing the water came under the interior wall, so they did the interior thing. Must not have worked, because there was visible water there when my client looked at it a few days before, after a recent rain, and my moisture meter confirmed water was present.
Sounds like a cheaper version of the interior system, with no sump pit or pump. Possible the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard of, but I do hear and see a lot of stupid stuff. 
Contractive soils require a percentage of moisture. That would be for another discussion in my neck of the woods. Expansive soils and minerals up here Bubba.
Much thanks.