Looking for help regarding townhome foundation

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1

Originally Posted By: Ken Ross
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Hi guys. Sorry, this might get wordy, please read through it as I could really use some advice.


Here's a quick history. I purchased a townhome (2 stories + walkout basement) in January of this year '05. The community was constructed in 90 - 91. It's a poured concrete foundation and is the middle unit in a row of 5.

Prior to moving in I painted the master bedroom with one coat of primer and was forced to leave it at that due to time constraints. Now, 4 months later I found a hairline crack over the bathroom door frame that goes from the frame (left of center) and straight up about 8". So it has formed within that time frame.

I then checked outside on the front of the house (the bedroom is in the front) figuring that would be the best place to start and have noticed some things that are now worrying me. (This being my first home, I've become extremely sensitive to these things and am probably going to worry myself to an ulcer...)

There are what appears to be two repairs in the front of the house. There is a false brickface that was added on, but in these two places there is just concrete that was plastered in. Secondly, I noticed a very straight looking and very narrow gap near the end of the unit. It almost looked like an error in the false brick. I then went into the basement and I see a hairline crack has formed at the top of the wall right in the middle (coinciding with one of the front repairs) and is about 10" long. There is nothing noticeable where the other repair is.

However, where I see the odd gap in the front, inside there are what look to be water stains running all the way down the wall (the front hose bib is right there) and there is a section of the wall starting from the top about 1 1/2" wide and around 2 feet long going straight down where it appears the foundation was filled in. There are two metal .... tabs for lack of a better name sticking out of this repair. It has a little crumbling to it and it looks to be old. I say old because it has a relatively similar color to the surrounding wall. I'm used to newer concrete being darker, but what do I know.

I had an inspector come out and I'm trying to see if there was any mention of this in his report but I honestly don't remember it being there. He had mentioned a horizontal crack in the back of the house (opposite corner) that appears to be cosmetic and I'll be filling that in soon. But should he have mentioned the previous repair or am I mistaking a construction technique for a repair?

Regardless, I'm worried. Someone on another forum mentioned it could be the house settling now that we're thawing out. I also wonder if the gutter draining right into the front of the unit is a good thing either.

I'm not sure if I need one, but I think I would feel 100% better to have a guy that I know damn well knows what he's talking about come, take a look and then give it to me straight. My problem is I have no idea whether I should get an Structural Engineer or another inspector and how to choose one that I can really trust. My understanding is this can be like car repairs. If you don't know anything about them, the mechanic can tell you it's a busted fetzer valve and you need blinker fluid so you just stand there and nod pretending to understand.

So......... What do you think? I could take pictures if requested.

Thanks in advance.

Ken

2

Originally Posted By: Dan Leleika
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Pictures would be helpfull.

–
A. Dan Leleika


A-Team Home Inspections


dan@a-teamhomeinspections.com

3

Originally Posted By: jpope
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Pictures are worth a thousand words. You’ll have a much more educated response to your question if we can see the problems rather than try and relying on your descriptive narrative (not that it wasn’t helpful).


I'll reserve my final judgement until pictures have been posted, but for now, it doesn't sound too serious.

--
Jeff Pope
JPI Home Inspection Service
"At JPI, we'll help you look better"
(661) 212-0738

4

Originally Posted By: ccoombs
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Ken


I can respond to part of your post.

It is always good to get water from rain gutters or any other source as far away from the house as possible.

As far as who should come out and take a look, my opinion is a good home inspector. Although engineers and home inspectors don't have an interest in you doing unneeded repair, the home inspector is less money and will recommend a structural engineer if the problem warrants further evaluation.

Good luck!

--
Curtis

5

Originally Posted By: Ken Ross
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I’ll get them up early evening tonight. I didn’t have net when I was home.


Thanks for the replies so far, I'll get them up ASAP.

6

Originally Posted By: Ken Ross
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Okay, pictures as promised.


This is the fine crack in the basement. This crack coincides with FrontRepairOne.
[ Image: http://www.nachi.org/bbsystem/usrimages/B/BasementHairline.jpg ]

This is the large repair in the corner of the basement. It coincides with FrontStraightCrack
[ Image: http://www.nachi.org/bbsystem/usrimages/B/BasementMainRepairFront.jpg ]

Here is FrontRepairOne. It is pretty much in the middle of the unit.
[ Image: http://www.nachi.org/bbsystem/usrimages/F/FrontRepairOne.jpg ]

This is the second repair, about two feet to the right of repair one. I haven't seen anything that matches it, although it's probably close to the same spot as the crack in the bedroom wall upstairs.
[ Image: http://www.nachi.org/bbsystem/usrimages/F/FrontRepairTwo.jpg ]

This is the straight crack right next to the corner. My unit sticks out a bit in front of the one next to me. There is no visible damage along the side. The crack is right under the hose bib.
[ Image: http://www.nachi.org/bbsystem/usrimages/F/FrontStraightCrack.jpg ]

This is the crack that started it all. It's a white wall with poor lighting and it's a very fine crack so I circled it. I also took a flashlight to it and it appears that this has been patched over before. So this isn't a new crack it's one that has continued to move.
[ Image: http://www.nachi.org/bbsystem/usrimages/B/BedroomCrack.jpg ]

This weekend I'll have time to go through all my packed files (yes I'm still not unpacked after 4 months) and will find the inspector's report. Should there be a mention of at least the crack in the front that looks like a separation? Maybe even the (to me anyway) repair in the basement?

I'll be getting some downspout material to move the output away from the house but I can't go too far as it then becomes "a common area."

If you need a different view of something, let me know. The front of the house has shrubs so it's a bit hard to get a good shot.

Thanks again for your opinions and any info/help you can be!

Ken

7

Originally Posted By: mkober
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Ken,


First of all: Stop worrying, since worrying is simply wasted anxiety. The scenarios in the pictures you've shown are not particularly unique to your home. Wish you could see a few that I've inspected in the last week--crumbling load-bearing walls, with cracks large enough to slide your fingers in up to the first knuckle. But do get those downspout extensions installed as soon as possible.

What you call the inside corner repair appears to be a simple form gap near a set of form ties that were not ground off, with the protruding concrete simply chipped off but not ground as is usually done. It also looks like you have a "cold joint" where the efflorescense shows, no doubt resulting from downspout runoff. The crack could be related to thermal expansion, not unusual in a long run of wall with a jog in it--an effective repair that I've often used is injection with a low-modulus epoxy. The outside repairs (crudely done, but functional if they sound solid when tapped with a hammer) appear to be voids from a former utility service (oil tank filler pipe?, gas line?, etc.) that were removed for whatever reason and then filled with a dry-packed mortar/concrete.

Wish I lived closer--I'm a P.E. and an H.I. who enjoys playing detective with structural abnormalities. But based on what the photos show, I don't think your problems are all that serious--try bridging the "crack that started it all" with some 35-year caulk forced into the opening with a putty knife and then moist sponge-floated, followed by primer and your top-coat of paint. Good luck.

--
Michael J. Kober, P.E. and H.I.

"NACHI Member and Proud Of It!"

8

Originally Posted By: Ken Ross
This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.


Thanks Mike.


The only thing that worries me about the basement inside corner is that it literally looks (to me) like a strip was cut out of the wall and then filled back in. That filling is now crumbling out a little. I understand about the ties, I noticed them the other day so I figured that was part of the construction.

After looking at other posts here, I know about the cold joint. It's not a large piece of the wall, it looks like they ran out just before they topped off that front corner. It runs about 6 feet towards the middle and slowly tapers off. That part doesn't worry me.

How about the 'gap' in the front under the hose bib? And should I fill in the large inside piece?

Thanks again.

Ken

9

Originally Posted By: mkober
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Ken,


What you call "crumbling" in the photo appears to be an over-sized fin of concrete (worked its way through a gap in the forms while fluid) and then either left rough (low-slump) or randomly broken off after forms were stripped. If I'm mistaken and it truly is crumbling, you should see small chunks of rock and mortar on the floor below this area from time to time, and when a geologist's pick (small hammer) is dragged across it, a hollow, delaminated sound will be produced, or it will feel soft and pulpy. A professional repair should be your next order of business. On the other hand, if the rough "crumbling" material is solid and sound, you don't have to do a thing (although if aesthetics are a concern, you can chip all projecting material off slightly below flush and then float some polymer-modified mortar over the area to make it pretty, starting at the bottom. Same can be used at other suspect areas after any loose material has first been removed and the areas roughened. Chipping by hand will be labor-intensive (wear eye protection!), so you might consider renting/buying/borrowing a suitable air compressor and small chipping hammer (looks like an impact wrench) with chisel tips. Grinding flush with a masonry wheel on a heavy angle grinder is another option, but the dust you create will saturate the whole house as well as your lungs--not good. Or take the easy way out and call your local foundation repair man--at the same time he can seal the exterior crack with the low-modulus epoxy I mentioned earlier or possibly an appropriate urethane caulk.

--
Michael J. Kober, P.E. and H.I.

"NACHI Member and Proud Of It!"

10

Originally Posted By: mkober
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Darn computer is stumbling again–or was it my fat “submit” finger???

–
Michael J. Kober, P.E. and H.I.


"NACHI Member and Proud Of It!"
11

Originally Posted By: Ken Ross
This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.


Thanks Mike.


I'll have to take a look. I also have to test the outside patches for soundness.

I'll have to look into concrete. I've also been thinking about facing off the front to give it at least an even appearance.