I always love this - the agent orders the inspection and says it has a “full basement”. We roll up and find the “basement” is 200sf and the house if 2000sf. Do they just think elves are holding up the other 1800sf?
It’s funny to see that houses in Minnesota look exactly like the ones in Oregon. Those pictures and overall setup are an everyday thing in Oregon. Crappy crawl spaces that no one ever new even existed.
Don’t I know it. I started this inspecting journey in the Vancouver/Portland market back in 1996 with PB piping in mobile homes, and relocated to Minnesota in 2006 just in time for the market crash and all the garbage that came from that. It’s been one hell of a ride so far!
Wow! So fascinating how so many systems are interdependent to one another.
Dwelling was originally built with a basement foundation 4 feet down into grade. Later an additional space was incorporated to the dwelling. Contractors will choose not to extend the basement. It is expensive to dig a new 4X20X30 new whole and deeper foundations. Therefore, the new addition will be constructed at the same main floor level height, there of living and empty space under between the grade and the new joist floor. That will be your crawl space. In many cases such a crawl space will have an access gate via the basement if it is properly treated for vapor barrier and insulation on the surrounding sides. In those cases the connecting gates may be a way to allow recirculate air
This pics are taken from a basement with stone foundations into the crawl space that supports the joist of the kitchen addition (1945).
Nicely done. In our area, we would have a few inches clear of SPF for a termite inspection window.
I read somewhere that SPF applied below grade on a stone foundation will deteriorate the mortar joint but of course you can’t see it.
Freakin wow!
This happens a lot huh? Inspectors are little more than certified snoops, huh? “Hey! Where does the strange hatch in the basement lead? Imma find out.”
Goodnight!?! SMH
Yo! You’re making this up! I can’t stop laughing! Scenes from a horror movie are flashing before my eyes with these pictures!
Holy crap, ladies!
The fun continues reporting on it.
Interesting coincidence this morning… I participated in an AWC (American Wood Council) webinar this morning regarding Engineered I-Joist: Assemblies and Fire protection.
During the discussion, talk turned to basements and fire risks with I-joists vs nominal lumber, etc.
The speaker posted this graphic to illustrate the NAHB predominate foundation types in new construction starts for 2020.
Thought you all may be interested.
In a region with hills, it is pretty common to have a slab on grade walkable basement, and then the upper portion to the hill will also have a crawlspace on that side of the house.
Hills will dictate all sorts of oddities, but sometimes cheaper for excavation and framing and making functional use of space where possible.
Now, this doesn’t have anything to do with basements or crawlspaces, but I thought you might get a kick outta…
This house, near Honolulu, was being occupied by 7 or 8 different families. Maybe 3500sf. One family, a mother and three children, occupied ONE of the bedrooms. This house had more rooms that they were not renting out at the time of inspection.
This is a 2nd-story balcony that ran the length of the “backyard”.
We live on top of each other here on Oahu
This was the only way to get down to the backyard ->>
This ext ladder was the “permanent” addition to getting to the backyard.
And yes, that is a purse strap and printer cable “anchoring” the ladder.
What’s worse, the guy seen pictured here daylights as Safety Director on one of the military bases. So he’s a HUGE OSHA guy.
Oh, and chickens. Chickens everywhere. On this property, the one next to it… Residents had 'em in cages all over their property.
Yes, here are some additional pictures of some crawlspaces with foundation walls - some were very nice with poured concrete floors and HVAC-conditioned, some with earthen floors with poly sheet and gravel and ventilated to the exterior:
Here’s a pier/post crawlspace with earthen floor - was not fun:
Dream crawl, she is marriage material 
Whoever made that map hasn’t been to CO… They must have confused apartments with single family homes.
I believe the key word is predominate and it’s probably correct for Denver Metro. The new construction track home builders went away from basement construction a few years ago. For example Century Communities went from basement included in new builds to offering a basement for an increased price.
Now I see homes being advertised that basements are included in all home. Marketing to differentiate from the others.
The foundation type in my area I see quite regularly especially in houses built from mid 1990’s to around 2010 is full basement with full crawlspace under the basement.
That would be interesting to see and a first for me. What is the basement floor constructed of?
