Originally Posted By: wdecker This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
Inspected a house the other day. pretty small, one story with shingle siding. The original (there was a small addition with a poured concrete foundation of its own) was a kind of glazed masonry block, tan in color. It was heald together with mortar.
In the back part of the basement (more a crawl space) there was considerable mortar loss and what appeared to be holes (about 1 1/2 - 2" in diameter) formed at the mortar joints and the interior of the blcok was pretty much hollow. I am thinking long term water infiltration and leeching of the interior contents of the block. As I said, the exterior was fire glazed.
In addition, the neighbor to the south had put in a 500SF asphalt driveway that came right up to the side of the subject property, was sloped towards the subject property and almost toughed the bottom of the shingles. Shingles were wet (cedar shingles) measuring over 20% with my pin meter. I would hate to think what years of rain and snow runnof from a 500 SF driveway running against the house would do.
Also, there was a centrally running wooden beam (6 x 6) that was supported on bothe ends with triple sistered 2 x 4s that rested on the glazed masonry block foundation. There was one wooden post supporting this beam, but it moved, easily, at its base. They added two steel screw jacks to under this beam (no footing and slab cracked and slumping).
Originally Posted By: rwand1 This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
Could the holes have been drilled to allow the water out of the CMU? CMU will hold water in the hollow cores. Also sounds like a grading issue. I would be inclined to contact the town building department, I don’t think neighbouring property can slope towards the house you are speaking about. Most towns have grading requirements which would not permit what you describe.
Originally Posted By: wdecker This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
The house was built in 1928.
I called out the grading issue and the foundation faults and recommended evaluation by a structural engineer.
The client suspected this (he is an electrician) and wanted a professional opinion to convince his girlfriend, who lives the house.
He won't be buying it.
Just wanted some info on this type of masonry block. It was not new and appeared to be original. Just another house that is a victim of onwer neglect amnd neighbor stupidity.
