Hi Robert,
This comment is specifically for you since you are an engineer.
What do you do in a situation where additional engineering thought is needed to identify the problem and remedy the same? Do you charge additional fee for it? Or, simply you report and tacitly tell the buyer that the situation needs additional engineering.
Thanks,
Senthil
For a while I have been concentrating more on the engineering, and getting away from doing inspections. But if I did a home inspection I would advise clients that I am also a structural engineer, and if there are indications of any potential structural problems I could spend the extra time to look more closely into the issue for an additional fee.
Seeing a crack on the BB and seeing it durring an inspection are two different things.
Wood frame houses get drywall cracks, most are of no great concern.
Sorry guys, and no offense Robert, but a crack in the drywall as shown in the original pic, certainly does not require a Structural Engineer to figure out.
This is obviously a shrinkage crack that is normal with drywall construction. I see this on a regular basis and are usually corrected within the one year warranty. Sometimes these cracks necessitate installing a permenant control joint, re-taped and painted.
We are dealing with wood here and material that is installed with no enviromental evironment protection while it is being done.
Moiture intrusion on to the material, before it is all said and done could be exactly what is needed to create these cracks.
Home Inspector= Crack in the drywall, should be monitored to make sure that it is not related to movement of the structure. Any increase in size, should be evaluated by a Credintial Contractor and/or Engineer.
Case closed.
Marcel