Home Inspection is too Expensive

General Inspection Topics General Inspection Discussion
#1

I was called to do an inspection on a house and the complaint was that the addition was put on 10-15 years ago was not level and the windows and doors do not work in this part of the home. The owner wants a quick fix to the problem, he bought the property 5 years ago (and no he did not need a inspection because his real estate agent informed him it was waste of money.)

The company or most likely a inexperienced home owner forgot to use footers under the concrete blocks.

I gave him the bad news that he will have to call a masonry contractor to probably dig out around his home and install a correct foundation. Then call a licensed carpenter to repair the damage to the homes walls, windows and doors.

I am sure there was visible damage 5 years ago but all he looked at was that the roof was good and he liked the home. Now it is costing him, If only he had home inspection when he bought the place he would have known.

017.jpg
017.jpg800×600 103 KB

015.jpg
015.jpg800×600 92 KB

018.jpg
018.jpg600×800 94.5 KB

016.jpg
016.jpg800×600 109 KB

#2

Tsk,Tsk,Tsk, that’ll learn em :slight_smile:

#3

did you dig down to frost depth, or bottom of concrete block wall?

#4

Me too… I’d have at least tried to poke under the footing (but they aren’t deep here) I wouldn’t have shot a laser in there either :smiley:

There may be some problems there… eek

#5

I was able to probe right under the blocks they were install about 12" deep. In my area the footers need to be at least 4’ deep

#6

http://2.idx-pics.diverse-cdn.com/495/1797055/11-full.jpg

Here is an inspection I am doing this weekend. This picture is off the listing on a RE web site. Notice the addition/posts. I bet there is an support issue on this one.

#7

Here’s one that the home inspector before me missed. They built an addition (a bathroom) on top of a porch roof. Obviously it started to fall off and they had a good 10 degree pitch in the floor in the bathroom because of the lean and a large crack in the wall where it connected to the home. The last inspector said it was fine and moved on. They poured concrete on the floor to level it out (I know, I know…). After they did that the cracks got larger and they called me. You can’t tell from the picture, but it is falling off of the house…

DSCF5898.jpg
DSCF5898.jpg800×597 69.2 KB

#8

Ugly, I’ve seen this before.