Originally Posted By: Diana Reese This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
Hello everyone. Well, being a Florida resident, you all know of the torrential rains we experienced last summer - 16 extra inches! I have now begun to notice dare I say it, cracks, and I strongly suspect that at least the garage area of my home has experienced some upheaval. I just measured the garage opening and it’s 7’ in height on one end, and about 7’ 1/4" on the other end. And unfortunately, I am six years into living in this 18 year-old house and just now learning how important it is to have gutters [they’re about to be installed].
I have done extensive research and I know a survey by a structural engineer is really in order, but I am so afraid of the future because there is simply no way, and I do mean no way, to even begin to pay for what might be a foundation repair. I have been through some very lean and difficult times in recent years.
Does anyone have a crystal ball  who can share any advice or information on whether the home will continue to experience movement? The property slopes downward, except for the immediate perimeter which I am in the process of regrading.
I was considering trying to sell the home next year, but now I don't know what to do. I would imagine this is something a bldg. inspector would note and therefore, no one would then want to buy the place.
This is all so frustrating and dispairing. Thank you.
Originally Posted By: aslimack This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
Diana,
The gutters and downspouts are very important. Make sure that you have the proper extensions at the bottom of the downspouts, pitched down and away from the home. I always recommend a minimum of 6 ft. extension away from the home. Thats in the northeast where houses generally have basements. I believe you are more slab(?) in FLA., so one of the others will probably chime in on what is typical for your area. Be sure to keep the gutters clean so the system performs as intended.
The grading coupled with the the gutters/downspouts go a long way in maintaining your foundation.
If you are doing the grading yourself, be sure to allow for recommended clearances from the structure or you may solve one problem but create another. The "other" being potential wood rot or wood destroying organisms.
Originally Posted By: mkober This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
Diana,
Maybe you should just count your blessings and be thankful you aren’t worrying about frost heave! Serious foundation problems are usually evident around the exterior perimeter (slab/stemwall), where you will see differential settlement and predominantly vertical cracking that is usually non-uniform in width. Other indicators are windows and/or doors that bind or stick. Unless you are absolutely sure that your garage door opening was built “perfectly true,” I don’t know how much faith I’d put in the 1/4" difference in vertical measurements. I recently inspected a brand new home with a 3/8" + difference in vertical clearance between ends of a 16’ garage door–partly the result of a header beam installed out-of-level and the rest attributed to concrete formsetters/finishers who didn’t know the function of a carpenter’s level or a 10’ straight-edge.
Originally Posted By: Diana Reese This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
Funny thing is … I have looked and looked and do not see very many homes in our neighborhood with gutters.
The cracks are predominantly external stair-stepping, beginning at ground level or could be deeper [I can't see the actual foundation]; hairline to about 1/16". Some shoot up from a window's corner in somewhat of a diagonal direction.
But the ones that concern me the most are in the garage. There are two, in particular, one on each side close to the entrance that begin in the slab and shoot up into the cement barrier that's right beneath the cement blocks in a diagonal direction about three inches. I have stuck toothpicks in them to check for further movement. There's also a 1/16" gap between the slab and the front walls of the garage.
I have swept these areas enough to know they have changed. 
Originally Posted By: dvalley This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
Diana,
If you could possibly post pics, it'll assist us in determining your problem, whether it be serious or minor. There are just so many variables to consider when determining the cause of problems within your foundation and what appropriate measures to take if we can?t see what?s going on.
Originally Posted By: dbowers This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
Diana -
There's nobody on this site or any other site that can tell you if your home will settle; will settle more; has stopped moving, etc. All they can do is tell you how to cut down on your chances of it happening.
What you're trying to do is the same as calling a doctors office and trying to describe a growth on your shoulder and asking for a diagnosis on the phone - is it malignant or benign?
Call a local structural engineer or competent foundation contractor to find out where you're at now so you have a future benchmark to monitor.
Seeing your case 1st hand, they can also give you better advice than you can get from our well-meaning people that aren't there to see it.
Originally Posted By: Diana Reese This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
Hey! I understand the nature of what I am asking, but it’s not the first time someone has tried to grasp at straws when they feel desperate.
When it's all said and done with, if a structural engineer confirmed a settlement issue, well, we are not in the position to have anything of that extent repaired, so it's a mute point. And if the gutters and regrading hold the fort steady, well hallaluyah!
But how does this all impact selling? Are we legally required to reveal the home's full history? It certainly wasn't revealed to us. We have been wanting to repaint for a couple of years now, prior to the cracking, but if we do and we repair the cracks in the process, and the inspection goes well, what happens if the future homeowner begins to notice cracks later or worse?
Originally Posted By: aslimack This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
Diana,
Concrete cracks and settles. Thats a given. You don’t necessarily have anything out of the ordinary. You are taken the proper steps to minimize any future movement/settlement. As stated above, w/o pictures, i don’t think you can expect to get any help beyond what you have already gotten from us. The doctors office analogy explains this. I would recommend doing what your doing and monitor the cracks that you do see. In the meantime, try to get a friend with a digital camera to come over and take some pics and post them for us. Guys like Robert O’ C and all, will be much more help to you. And you can’t argue with the cost here. Find a friend with a camera and get back to us.
Originally Posted By: dvalley This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
Quote:
But how does this all impact selling? Are we legally required to reveal the home's full history?
I?m not familiar with Florida Real Estate laws but if you have a question about whether or not you should disclose something, avoid the potential for liability and always tell potential buyers about it. If you?re concerned about structural defects at hand, then I advise you to get a pre-sale home inspection performed by a NACHI member in your area before you decide to list your home. This will help you determine any issues if there are any.
Full disclosure of any property defects found in a home inspection will help protect you from legal problems later, such as buyers who want out of the deal or who claim damages suffered because you carelessly or intentionally withheld information about your property.
Just because you disclose a problem doesn?t mean you must repair or correct it. The disclosed item can become a point of negotiation between you and your buyer.
Originally Posted By: Diana Reese This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
Thank you all so much for your valuable feedback. We have decided to repair the cracks and repaint the exterior with elastomeric paint, as well as the garage, and of course, continue to monitor for further movement. I sure do hope the gutters and regrading prevent further issues.
Should we decide to sell, we do intend to have an inspection done prior to going on the market [no since in going on the market if it's all heck to begin with] and even if the inspector doesn't notice anything awry, we will disclose the issue about the repairs that we will have done. I just hope to gosh this kind of repair doesn't deter folks from buying our otherwise lovely home.
But I have to confess that I have learned soooooooo much about homes in the past few months that I would probably be a homeowners worst nightmare. I doubt if I will ever buy another home again! Such a joy and such an aggravation at the same time.
Originally Posted By: jwortham This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
Diana,
Most homeowners have a tendency to think the worst when they see an issue they don't understand. They predict dire consequences and imagine huge amounts of money being required to repair it.
In most cases, this is simply not true. I have not seen the cracks and will not offer an opinion as to the cause/repair. But if it was my home, I would get the opinion of a professional.
If it's the worst case scenario, well, you are already playing that mentally so having it confirmed won't increase your anxiety substantially. But if it turns out to be less of an issue than you suspect, the relief you feel will MORE than make up for any money spent on having it checked.
Just my opinion and it's worth every sent I charged you for it! 
We have decided to repair the cracks and repaint the exterior with elastomeric paint, as well as the garage, and of course, continue to monitor for further movement. I sure do hope the gutters and regrading prevent further issues.