I want to comment on what I found interesting about how manufactured homes are anchored. I thought manufactured homes were built on a chassis and then moved to a location and set on a foundation. I just learned about the manufactured home ground anchor system. The manufactured home will be positioned on several steel I-beams and then supported by short piers that have been anchored into the earth.
Some information has been collected from the International Association of Certified Home Inspectors, Inc copyright 2006-2019
Moisture intrusion. I can relate to this topic because it happens to us. We have a dog shed in the back yard that gets flooded when we have heavy rain. I have gutters around the dog room with a downspout at the end of the room facing out away from the house. What I ended up finding out was that the water was ponding along the side of the dog room next to the foundation wall and the isolation joint. I will need to dig a channel out further away from the house and recheck my backfill up against the house.
In Florida, there are many on grade slab foundations. Here we have vegetation growing up a concrete exterior wall. Although the vines have not caused any issues in this situation, over time the vegetation could cause weakness in that wall and cause water intrusion.
In areas of the country with little or no frost or where there is a high ground water table, many residential homes are built with slab on grade foundations. Most have a stem wall and are supported by the soil underneath.
Past repairs observed at supports/piers. Adequacy or sufficiency for support of foundation structure appear marginal. Two or more piers have settled and are out of plumb creating potential for support system failure. Recommend evaluation/repairs as needed by a qualified foundation contractor.
Soil and Settlement.
Soil must have the long term ability to bear the structural load of a home. When not adequate, differential settling may occur creating stresses that result in cracking of components. Proper grading and compacting help to limit detrimental effects of settling and drainage.
Masonry Inspection-
Inspecting masonry on a building is a time consuming and very important in the home inspection process. Masonry can be negatively affected by the climate, terrain and several environmental factors associated with its location. These factors can produce havoc on the masonry and cause it crack and deteriorate. Cracking can be seen as horizontal or vertical and be caused by moisture, temperature changes and uneven settlement. The cracking can include the mortar also which can indicate a moisture problem. It is important to note what type of deterioration of masonry you notice in your report and advise to get it further evaluated by a professional.
This course did not seem to address this type of column pictured. It is an adjustable steel column. Many of the homes have this kind of column installed in their basements. It would have been good to know how to inspect these columns/piers in this course. Nevertheless, these adjustable columns should be inspected for holes from rust, bolting to foundation and beam, and recommend adjustment if floor appears to be sagging.
I read the article, “Structural design concepts for home inspectors”. It was very thorough in explaining how loads are distributed throughout a home. It offered several considerations for vertical loads such as dead, live, wind, snow, and seismic loads and pressures. For horizontal considerations, one must think of wind, seismic, flood, and soil pressures on the home.
A Residential Home:
In a crawl space the structural components showed indications of active decay penetration along with cosmetic defects correction is needed. There are indications of uneven support, that may, in my opinion, present a structural or safety concern, correction is needed
This foundation is showing signs of cracking. It is on a corner, and both sides of the foundation have sidewalks that are in the process of collapsing, most likely due to soil erosion beneath the concrete walkways. To prevent moisture from entering the foundation wall and possible water damage to the basement, it is highly recommended to contact a qualified contractor to inspect and repair as needed.
Clearance of Non-Treated Wood From Grade
Proper access and sound structure, non-treated woods for foundations should have a minimum height of 18" to avoid indications of moisture from the wood in contact with or near soil if it is observed then correction is needed.
Enclosed for the basis of my essay is a picture of what appears to be the erosion of soil at the base of an exterior wall near the foundation of the home I was performing a home inspection on in SW Florida. Most likely the result of the heavy rains experienced in SW Florida and a lack of gutters
An often overlooked aspect of efficient home insulation is foundation insulation. Up to 50% of a homes heat loss may occur in an uninsulated basement in an otherwise well insulated home. Foundation insulation is primarily beneficial to reduce heating costs, reduce the growth of mold causing condensation, and promoting and more comfortable living space. Foundation insulation has very little effect on reducing cooling costs.
I chose to my article about anti scalding valves (sometimes also refered to or called mixing or tempering valves). These valves are very important as a safety feature in a homes plumbing systems in order to help prevent burns or scaling from hot water temperatures that are to hot, anti scald valves help prevent or mitigate scalding or possible burns by balancing the hot and cold water
At the time of the inspection a significant crack in the foundation was observed. This crack may be due to differential settlement of the foundation. It appears to be an old crack and the adjacent vertical lines in the foundation members do not appear to be misaligned. I recommend continued observation of this crack and the structure above it for further movement and damage.
The image titled False Settlement Crack is quite noteworthy. It shows a vertical crack in the foundation wall that could easily lead me to believe that it is from differential settlement. The crack is vertical and it is wider at the top and tapers downward. It is actually showing that the crack is from inward bowing of the foundation wall. Obviously it is a significant material defect and must be reported.
Wall on the front side of house showing openings away from main wall. Reason for that can be moisture intrusion or insufficient connection for main wall. Vegetation is very close to foundation and walls so also can be problem regarding roots growth.
Cracking in masonry walls can be safety problem. Very often cracks shoving problem in foundations or footings. Cracking, spalling, bowing ( vertical or horizontal bulging ), leaning, mortar deterioration can be caused by thermal conditions or moisture expansion. Active cracks can be sealed with flexible sealant and inactive ca be pointed
The exterior wall shows step cracks in the mortar. Looking down, this is most likely due to improper grading of soil allowing the water to run back up against the foundation and causing pressure on the foundation. Soil needs properly graded and inspector recommends an engineer for further evaluation.
