Foundation Cracks
By Tim Oglesby, Home Check
America
Cracks 101
"This house isn't going anywhere."
Or is it!
Serious structural problems in
houses are not very common, but when they occur they are expensive
to repair. Some can't be fixed at all. This report won't turn you
into an expert, but it will give you some of the common indicators.
Uneven Floors
Uneven floors are typical,
particularly in older homes. Here is a trick to help distinguish
between a typical home with character and a structural problem. If
the floor sags to the middle of the home, it's probably just a
charming old home. Houses are like people, they sag in the middle
when they get older. On the other hand, if the floor slopes towards
an outside wall, there is a good chance that the house has
significant structural problems. While no house is perfect, this is
one area where you should be very careful. Take a look at the house
from across the street. If the house appears to be leaning one way
or the other, there may be a structural problem. It may help to line
up a front corner of the house with the back corner of an adjacent
house just for reference. The corners should be parallel. Stepping
back from the house to take a look is always a good idea. It is easy
to miss something major by standing too close to it! If there is a
lean that is detectable by eye, don't take any chances, get it
checked out.
Horizontal Foundation Cracks are Bad.
It is not uncommon to find cracks
in the foundation, especially poured concrete foundations. This goes
for new houses as well as old ones. While there is a great deal of
engineering that goes into "reading" these cracks, there is one rule
that you should never forget. "Horizontal cracks are a problem." Of
course not all vertical cracks are acceptable, but they are
generally not as serious as a horizontal crack.
Leaning Walls
A leaning foundation wall is not
ideal, but may not be a significant defect if movement does not
appear to be recent. Home Check America inspectors use the 1/3 rule
for wall stability as pictured here.
Harmless Cracks
Poured concrete shrinks as it
cures. Shrinkage cracks in a new house are common and can be small
vertical cracks or small 45 degree cracks at the basement windows.
These cracks are about 1 /8 inch wide or less. They don't affect the
structure. The only concern is leakage. If you see small cracks in a
new foundation, don't panic. In fact, in a new home, some builders
will pre-crack the foundation and fill the crack with flexible
material.
Plaster or Drywall Cracks
Few things are more misunderstood
than plaster or drywall cracks on the inside of the house. See my
article on truss uplift.
Stress Cracks or Surface Cracks
The following crack types are not generally related to structural
movement: We call these "stress cracks" or "surface cracks".
Cracks Related to Structural Movement
The following cracks may be
related to structural movement:
-
large cracks (larger than 1
/4 inch in width) or cracks that have deflection (a lip, where
one side of the crack is beyond the other side of the crack).
-
cracks that run diagonally
across the wall, or in a stair step fashion.
-
cracks on the interior
finish that is in the same vicinity as cracks on the exterior of
the house.
Structural movement or structural
damage cracks can be repaired in a number of ways, such as; building
buttresses, pilasters, steel tie-backs, steel channel columns,
sister walls, etc. A good inspector can describe these methods to
you should the need arise.
About the Author
In 1984 Tim Oglesby unknowingly
bought a home with significant defects. In 1994 he began Home Check
America to assist new homeowners in NE Illinois. With a degree in
business and masters in management, Tim was trained as a home
inspector with Carson & Dunlop Engineering, was a general contractor
for eight years, and is a licensed home inspector and real estate
broker. He is a sought after public speaker and author on issues
important to property management and home inspections.
Contact:
www.homecheckamerica.com or call toll free
1-866-245-4663. Home Check America is responsible
for the content of its articles and has no
affiliation with the RE/MAX organization.
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