… did not sue home inspector.
‘Foundation was deteriorating because water was coming in through foundation crack’
and i’ll scream this shtt again g dammmnnnnnit lol, interior basement drainage system azz holes should also be SUED becauseeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee, they do the same shtt as the engineer did, damn skippppppppppy, they don’t do squat about stopping the penetration of water through cracks, cracked parging etc in block, brick foundation walls soooo they don’t, they can’t, stop further deterioration of these walls, and don’t stop/prevent mold either… Helllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllo!
hey, some here n elsewhere GET me wrong, I’m not purposely shtting on HI’s, realtors etc, noooo! Damn man, some are just weak azz minded mfrs.
Am trying to HELP, help some HI’s etc and BUYERS.
Engineer article above, got sued $113,000 whatever thousand, deservedly so imo.
One POINT here… “Buyers were LED TO BELIEVE crack was minor…” hear this shtt all the time, and some then tell homeowners to ‘monitor the crack’, or tell buyers that shtt, wrong most of the time.
2 short videos, PROOF… these buyers were, ahhhhem, “Led to believe the hairline cracks you see here on here inside were minor”, not to worry etc etc dumb azz shtt
“Led to believe cracks were minor”, plus here a fraudulent INT system company bs’d and sold previous homeowner an interior drainage system and wall anchors $$$$$$$$$, see next video outside
Outside same house, back wall, have videos of other walls SAME SHTT!
Inspecting, eyeballing foundation walls from INSIDE a basement doesn’t tell you the whole story, the TRUTH, doesn’t show ANYONE including that engineer the significant existing defects, aka cracks etc on the OUTSIDE!!!#@#$#^#^#@%@%#!@!#!@#!@
These interior basement drainage system companies pull this lame, fraudulent shtt all the time!
…so ONLY an honest experienced waterproofing/foundation contractor or maybe some HI’s or engineers who have repeatedly SEEN what happens on the outside of these foundation walls is going to be able to give people an honest, much more thorough assessment of the true condition of these walls
Cracks are most often ‘minor’ structurally if one knows how to read the crack.
Water entry is typically/usually due to lot slope and poor back-fill finish grade.
1: Observation: Thin, Vertical foundation crack. If when thin vertical cracks are observed.
‘All cracks’ require repairs. Typically/usually polyurethane injection. Injection from the footing to the shelf.
Recommend: A licensed concrete repair contractor; ‘further evaluate and repair’ any foundation cracks on the residence.
2: Negative lot finish grade.
Recommend a licensed landscaper positively finish the lot to required multiple grade.
Typically/usually municipalities require a lot ‘finish grade’ to be sloped 6" inches higher at the foundation for every 10’ feet of level laterial run or 5 percent posative grading.
Limitations: Plantings, bushes, Stored items, Shed, etc…
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Mark, from my observation, the defect allowing water to enter into the basement is hydrostatic pressure, the pressure that is exerted by a fluid at equilibrium, at a given point within the fluid, due to the force of gravity. Water is driven below the footing, surpassing the perimeter drainage and weep tiles, entering the basement through the footing/foundation intersection and floor slab cracks. Basements do not hold/contain water like that photo. Floor drains in the basement slab discharge the gray water pipe and out to the sewer line.
As for an engineer missing SOP. Not unusual.
Every engineer I have been involved with; 1: do not have the aptitude to preform home inspections. 2: Do not carry tools, a measuring tape and note pad, at the very least, to preform quick basic mathematical calculations.
Too bad.
So sad.
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Robert, for crying out loud, I sincerely believe that you have no need to respond to Mark telling him what hydrostatic pressure is all about.
I also think that your statement about Engineers is false.
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1: I was replying to a thread. “‘Foundation was deteriorating because water was coming in through foundation crack”. That how I read the post.
2: I do not know Mark. Just posting information.
3: You can believe anything you want.
Sorry if my unedited post seemed derogatory. I have received malicious phone call that has dogged me for >< 10 days.
Not from you Marcel. Likely a hater.
Take care.
Robert, I don’t agree with your assessment about engineers either. As an engineer for over 35 years in my previous career, I have seen good and bad. No different than any other profession.
The home buyers first mistake was having the seller hire the engineer. There were many clues as to the homes foundation problem. IMO, the engineer, intentionally or unintentionally, was biased toward the seller.
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“It turns out a foundation crack, which they were led to believe was minor, was actually quite serious. The foundation was deteriorating because water was coming in through it.”
BUNK!
Hypotheses only. The foundation was deteriorating because of water in contact with the concrete foundation and saturated soil for ‘prolonged periods of time.’
Shifting, expansive, contractive soils also exert undue influence on foundations.
Lot slope and Perimeter drainage play an extensive roll in maintaining a healthy foundation.
Out of the thousands of foundation cracks I have inspected as an established home inspection company, less than, 0.1% leaked below grade I believe.
Observations: Both Thermography and open access to an expose foundation.
Much like roof coverings, foundations shed water.
Water can penetrate a foundation through capillary action. Molecule by Molecule a chain is crated to penetrate the foundation.
Witnessed personally. Water dripping, droplets through the mid level of a concrete foundation. No honey combing, cold joints, spalling. Droplets from a small wet circumference half the diameter of a dime, drip, drip, drip onto the concrete wall below.
Capillary action. When the attraction between water molecules, ‘Hydrogen Bonds is mine’, and molecules in the wall exceeds the attraction of water molecules to one another, capillary rise occurs. This capillary action causes moisture in damp soil to migrate ‘first to the footings’ and then up into the foundation walls.
I have no hard feeling about engineers. My father, an electrical engineer.
Its when an engineer takes on a role of home inspector I disagree with. 2 different and unique disciplines.
I argued this point, 2 different and unique disciplines, in front of a judge gaining me title, expert witness as agreed to by the defendant and defendant expert witness, an engineer.
Lets move past this point of contention.
Types of Engineers.
1: Civil Engineer. Should they call themselves home inspectors?
2: Mechanical Engineers. Should they call themselves home inspectors?
3: Chemical Engineers. Should they call themselves home inspectors?
4: Electrical Engineers. Should they call themselves home inspectors?
5: Aerospace Engineers. Should they call themselves home inspectors?
6: Structural Engineers. Should they call themselves home inspectors?
Not one of the listed engineers qualifies to do home inspections unless trained in the discipline of Inspecting Homes and achieved a certificate or diploma from a recognized educator.
Typically/usually Structural Engineers are called in after the home inspection has been completed to aid with understanding reported defects and help resolve recommendations.
All the Structural Engineers that I collaborated with, not one knew what they were looking at due to the lack of tools at their disposal. Most critical load bearing components are behind finishings’. IE Floors, walls ceilings.
Too bad.
So sad.
Not one Structural Engineer brought a tape measure or note pad to preform measurements which are required to calculate bearing.
Too bad.
So sad.
I invited ‘all’ to use the equipment I had, a simple CMI, in my truck. Builders digital level inclinometer. Digital inclinometer. Electronic tape measure. Standard tape measure. 2 thermal cameras. Line levels. Plumb bobs. 200 feet of string. High powered Digital zoom cameras. A note pad. Sticky markers. Pin flags. I am just scratching the surface of tools I carry mind you.
So I have associated with several Structural Engineer. I guess they were just looking around. Not one produced a written report. I wonder why:thinking: Litigation for 1.
I highly regard the profession. I am not a engineer.
All the best with your endeavors, Joseph.
Robert Young
Jeffery’s morning meds.
Thanks for sharing, Jeff! We never knew. You’re a real trooper!
You’d think he keep something personal like that secrete 
We’er all pulling for you buddy.
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Here we go again! 
be nice guys! one day you may end up in the same situation 
After all the digression, Marks videos were still great information. And let’s not forget that Structural Engineers have a lot of “stress” in their lives! LOL
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Don’t give up your day job…
Good analysis.
Unfortunately balance between responsibility and authority is not in HI favor.
I have a ‘Living Will’ that say’s otherwise!!
Robert,
believe what you will, I totally disagree and the videos speak the truth, not this dumb BS about grading or drain tiles