Update on the following article, this house became a tear down.
During a recent home inspection came across a situation in the foundation walls that was a cause for concern. I noticed three of the four corners the block wall foundation had separation. By itself this is not a major concern…yet. However, the thought did cross my mind that it may be structural but I needed more evidence.
When reviewing the roof I noticed the roof rake and soffits had been extended, both front in rear. Spotted because the lower edge of the roof was not lying flat. Odd but not a problem.
My client is a first-time buyer and a repeat. The first home we inspected had structural issues and the client decided not to purchase. Therefore, if there was anything wrong with this home I want to bring it out quickly and possibly save my client from a full inspection price.
As we inspected the basement foundation walls I noticed horizontal cracks on all four walls. These walls movement in some cases were bowed inwards more than 2 inches. This now requires a structural engineer.
I explained the situation to my client and she chose to stop the inspection early. Thereby saving her money on a full inspection, and possibly thousands of dollars in repairs had she had decided to move forward with the home.
Cause of the problem could be hydraulic water pressure, reason to extend roof. Worse, bad back fill, rocks up against the foundation.
