Be sure downspout water is discharged AWAY from the house!
Houses don't make very effective boats. They don't like to sit in water. When this house was built, in 1965, foundation drainage and sump pumps were not used.
Today virtually every newly-built house has such drainage and a sump pump, at least around here.
This downspout drains right at the front corner of the house, and discharges about half of the water from the roof above, some 700 square feet.
By my calculation, during a single 1" rain storm, that would represent about 225 gallons of water.
Recognizing water intrusion into the basement wall, this homeowner at some point thought to connect a drain line. But that tubing came off, and the result can be seen below.
There has not been a lot of recent rain. So this moisture intrusion and staining has been happening for some time.
What the thermal camera demonstrates, and clearly, is where cooler temperatures are evident inside the wall. This foundation is masonry block, so the "bricks" are hollow inside. The cavities can actually hold water.
The cooler temperatures represent moisture that is saturating inside of the blocks, and in this case the moisture's thermal signature can clearly be seen.
Long-term water pressure against a block foundation wall is not good.
Long-term moisture around and inside a block foundation wall is not good.
The result? Saturation, movement, and structural issues, all of which were evident on this house.
My recommendation: water is THE killer of houses, inside and out. It must be controlled, diverted, and drained properly, inside and out. Water must be paid attention to all over and all around the house!
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