I have been looking at it like the damaged window treatments and other things that I have seen comments on. The quandary in my mind was will they make it look like more of a problem in the basement if left than removed.

I'd gut it and make sure it's clean. Having some interior stud walls wouldn't add value, because it just says "more work" to a potential buyer and may not match how they'd finish it out, if they want to.

It's a $100,000+ house. Gut it and make it clean. You'll never get a return on your money if you fix it up.

Remove any nonbearing interior wall framing that isn't being used for the bathroom.

Are the damaged ceiling panels easily replaced with identical new ones, or would you have to replace the whole ceiling's worth of panels?

Showing photos would be helpful.

It is a basement so the interior wooden framing would never be load bearing. The panels are not what is being damaged it is the support structure. Why need a picture with wooden studs if the question is remove or leave? Sorry makes no sense to me.

I never worry about return for investment because I am very aware that it does not happen except in a few markets. Most improvements/changes should be done to improve the sale ability of a structure and not for a return. At most the return is 60-80%. Husband used to be an appraiser and have read the manuals that he received. Valuation is per square foot not per improvement.

"It is a basement so the interior wooden framing would never be load bearing"

Not correct at all!

SaltiDawg where would the interior wooden framing be load bearing? What part of the country? I have seen the support poles covered with wood. Have one in the basement the other was in an interior wall and has a metal shell around it. Definitely has not been coded that way for over a half century in this area. Curious as to where you have seen this? Generally only happens on the upper floors but not in a basement.

Applepie am curious as to what looking at a photo of a basement with only studs showing tell you about a basement? I would really like to expand my knowledge. I could see if the question was redoing the basement but to rip out or keep I am confused.

If you Google load bearing wall in basement you'll get many, many examples. Generally the situation is either an older home without iron to support a required very long support load.

In the below picture, they have a newer home, with a very long span that is being supported by an interior wall of 2X6 construction. There are literally hundreds of images and discussions available to you. I have seen load bearing basement walls in all parts of the Country, including my current home. My current home has joists running both in the direction of the single iron beam and also normal to that iron beam.

I know you mean well, but you have taken over this thread wn=and contributed lots of bad info.

https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSvekcBNVypeEgte3E154S0F9MfHJ5zXWQfvPGsWkw3OaH44otRZQ

Here is a second example... joists are stopped because of Vent Duct.

https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTQz-iFjxNdkLnimsE2Tv05QJ1MqcLZdX1aBFEbWGLjI36tWqEz

Salti what is allowed in your area is not allowed in this area which is why I asked where it was allowed. You may consider the difference between what is allowed in one area but not another false information but differing areas because of underlying materials do have differing codes as to what is allowed. We have discussed this before.

I posted this thread so if I want to ask for more information I will.

Photos might show how much of the basement was in what type of condition. If the basement were (say) 95% nicely finished painted concrete block walls with high ceilings, big windows, no exposed pipes or ducts, then finishing it off (again) might be worth it to get a quicker sale. If it's rough rocks with tiny windows and lots of ductwork and pipes, that's another thing entirely.

Applepie there are horizontal cracks in the walls. All of the outside studs must be removed when Dry Basement does it's thing but they are still in place. However because there was so much flooding they are backed up until mid-January but more likely early March. Part of the contract is removing the studs along the walls. Doing the usual with embedding laterals to drain any future flooding. Putting what sounded like a shrink fiber coat on the walls to strengthen it. Then doing a cosmetic coat to basically hide the fiber coat and make walls smooth. The outside studs must be removed so it is not a question of leaving those. Weedyacres with the do the repairs and remove all of the studs is what I was originally thinking as it give future buyers a clean slate to work with if they wish. I asked because it is always good to get a second opinion. The only thing that I may have left is the walls surrounding the bathroom. There is no budget for any remodeling because of nursing home costs. What the insurance paid went to removing drywall and other stuff from the basement.

Just get the basement dry and move forward w/o any other expense in the basement.

Neighbors have a 1955 house with original load bearing stud basement walls. Don’t start knocking stuff down Willynilly.

There is nowhere that it has ever been against code to have load bearing walls in a basement. What a strange thought!

As I mentioned before it is against code here. No one can know all of the codes of any area so please do not keep telling me I am an idiot. I have discussed this with a codes enforcer. With my 16 inch floor joists except under the kitchen and the studs in the basement really new probably 1989 they are not load supporting. Most are attached to the sides of the joists which also rules out what several have been mentioning.

Milly Ray,

You are, of course, absolutely correct. No where does Code prohibit load bearing walls in a basement. No where.

As a lapsed PE I have seen numerous examples of basement load-bearing walls. Indeed as a PE, I could not have signed off on the construction were the wall not structurally able to carry the load.

If you want to see numerous examples, Google on Load Bearing Basement Walls and select images. Or, just read the numerous discussions. Lots of examples available. No where do I see any reference to "Code".

Of course, the OP may not have any load bearing walls in his basement - but to dismiss the possibility because a codes "enforcer" said it was against code is either a terrible error or a misstatement.

Of course, a "codes enforcer" - whatever that is - would never say such a thing to '"the stalker". lol

Salti nice to know that the title of the city's department that oversees codes is not called the Code Enforcement Department. I will tell the people that I know that work there that their title of Code Enforcement Officer is invalid.

About five years ago before my husband needed to be placed in a nursing home we were going to add either a whole story or at least an addition so that I would have a studio and a place to keep my tender plants. At that time we were told that according to code metal reinforcements were now required rather than the older wooden ones. I really doubt it that requirement has been reversed.

Edited to add that having worked at the city partially with Planning and Zoning, Finance, and other departments both I and my husband have many contacts for correct current information unlike some who never ask questions or think what is correct for where they are is correct for the whole world.

If there are walls under a I beam, they are quite possibly load bearing. I think you’re deeply confused about this. It depends on how the slab was originally poured as to what can and can’t be load bearing without adding footers. If you just tried to make something else load bearing on a thin floating slab that is nothing more than a subfloor, you could punch right through it. If a wall or a section of wall was intended to be load bearing from the beginning, the footers were designed for this, and so was the length of any beam.

As I posted above " I have seen the support poles covered with wood. Have one in the basement the other was in an interior wall and has a metal shell around it. " Those are supporting the I beam.

That doesn’t mean they’re the only support. I would seriously have a structural engineer make sure your suppositions are correct. The consequences of being wrong are too high.

I would have hoped the structural engineer that my husband hired several years ago when we were thinking of adding an addition would have pointed out there was a problem. But of course with the walls now exposed a second inspection might be in order. The outside studs must come down to fix the walls so that is a mute point.

lol