The attached picture is an example of a separation crack in the poured concrete foundation wall. Although vertical cracking in poured concrete foundation walls doesn’t automatically indicate structural movement and smaller vertical cracking may only require sealing in order to prevent moisture intrusion. This particular crack, in culmination of several other areas throughout the home indicative of structural movement, proved to in fact be structural movement and the installation of push pins was necessary to repair the issue.
I chose the Structural Design of Foundations for the Home Inspector article and particularly focused on the Insulating concrete forms (ICFs).
I was surprised to learn that Insulating concrete forms (ICFs) have been used in the United States since the 1970s. They appear to be more and more common as of late. I liked their ability to provide both durability and thermally efficiency for foundations and above-grade walls at a reasonable cost.
In this picture you can see cracks in the brick lines in the corner of the foundation.It appears that the foundation is sinking in the corner although the gaps havn’t grown since it was last painted so It may not be a structural problem. The cracks could be the result of settling and cycles of freezing and thawing.
There didn’t appear to be a footing under the concrete slab where the support post for the porch cover was. As a result, settlement can occur causing structural damage to the house. Recommend that a structural engineer further evaluate.
The picture is of some exterior stonework around a door of afront attached garage. The stone shows no signs of cracking or pulling away from the wall. It has not moved upwards as there is no pressure on the soffits above. The driveway slab has been placed about 1.5 inches lower than the garage floor to allow for frost moving the driveway upwards. https://www.nachi.org/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=157084&stc=1&d=1475613958
H clips are a great addition to the roof structure. Placing anH clip between the sheets of roof sheathing at intervals of one for everyrafter space makes the sheathing act more as a unit giving each piece more strengthat the edge because it can now transfer weight to the next piece. It also actsas a gaper so that a small space is left between the sheathing and therefore allowsfor expansion because of high humidity. In many municipalities they have been acode requirement for quite some time for sheathing that is placed on raftersthat are 24” oc.
in the article “Foreclosure Inspections: Trust Your Gut” by Nick Gromicko and Kate Tarasenko The Authors outline how important it is to get an inspection on a foreclosed property. Even if the Bank will not have any of the problems fixed or let you use the inspection as a bargaining chip. The buyer will still stand to benefit from an inspection. Owners will sometimes destroy or remove many important things from the house awaiting a foreclosure. Ive seen holmes that all the copper wiring was painstakingly removed from the house, there could be other very expensive, and sometimes very subtle sabotages done to the home that will only be found with an inspection.
The photo is of the foundation block wall that shows not signed of cracking, buckling, or heaving. All mortar joints appear intact with no signs of chipping or cracking. This is a two story house with a finished basement. There were no signs of compression or expansion cracks in this area of the basement.
The article I read is Collar Ties vs. Rafter Ties. The article explained the differences between the two. Collar ties are usually 1x4’s spaced every 4’ on the upper third portion of the rafters. They help prevent the rafters from spreading outward. Rafters ties are usually 2x4’s or larger and are placed on the lower third of the rafter. Again, they help prevent the spread of the rafters that could lead to pushing the walls apart. Rafter ties are almost always required unless you use some sort of structural support (self-supporting) ridge beam or you use trusses.
While inspecting the crawl space of a manufactured home, I discovered that several of the pier shims have been damaged by termites. Two have very little actual wood left in them and had fallen off the pier. This area of the home is no longer properly supported on some of its piers. If not corrected soon, damage to the floor and wall structures and coverings will occur. I recommend a qualified manufactured home contractor/specialist evaluate and level the home properly. The home will also need treatment for subterranean termites.
The article I read for the research assignment is on straw bales homes. My interest is in learning how they are structurally different than tradional building. Straw bale homes are built as load bearing or non load bearing. The load bearing refers to whether the straw bales are used to bear the weight of the roof structure or if it is supported by posts (as in post and beam construction). I have not had an inspection job on such a different form of alternative building, but would certainly enjoy not only inspecting it, but learning more about this form of alternative building.
The living room is showing some cracking in the drywall. Investigating further it is noticed that the crack is in a similar location on opposite walls. Going into another room looking at the wall for the same problem, no issue is found. It can be said that some settling in the home has occurred. Looking into the foundation, no issues were found in the unfinished basement. The home is 19 years old and is a ranch styled house. Recommend to monitor the cracks for further evaluation. If the cracks become larger or change contact a structural engineer to address the issue.
Regarding article: “Residential Foundation Insulation”
It was interesting to learn about the possible energy savings by insulating a foundation wall. We recently purchased another home and the basement came with insulation covering the basement foundation wall. The plastic sheathing or moisture barrier is cut in a few places where it looks like someone had hit it with an object. Understanding the wicking issues with moister in these courses, I think it would be important to tape these damages closed.
The attached picture is showing separation of the sheetrock in the corner and also stress cracking above the window. This portion of the house was added 20 years after the initial home construction and is showing settlement of the newer addition where it is tied into previous construction. This would be noted in the report.
This is somewhat informative. What surprised me that home are continuously settling and depending on your region and other variables some settle more than others.
These are pictures of a manufactured roof truss system. The trusses are spaced two feet on center and are sheathed with oriented strand board or OSB. The trusses are secured to the exterior wall plates with a metal hurricane clip. The hurricane clips are required to be on both sides of the truss for the first four trusses and one per truss for the remainder. I recommend going beyond code requirement and securing each truss with two hurricane clips for added strength.
The article concerning a signed pre-inspection agreement is of great importance. The agreement should absolutely be signed by the client and in my opinion not by the Realtor. I do not release my reports without a signed pre-inspection agreement. The contract is also included in the inspection report at the end. Thank you.
mroot
(Michael R. Root, TREC #21957 NACHI #16042613)
4119
During this inspection of a home had with slab on grade foundation with signs of cracking. Differential settlement was noticed throughout the driveway and the cracking had followed through to the slab supporting the home and had shown up with stair-step cracking of the masonry exterior wall along the garage end wall. Additionally, the inspector utilized an altimeter and determined the front corner of the slab foundation had settled 2.4” below the grade of the home. The inspector recommended that a structural engineer should evaluate the foundation to determine what steps should be taken to stabilize the slab on grade foundation.
mroot
(Michael R. Root, TREC #21957 NACHI #16042613)
4120
The use of concrete in the construction industry is almost limitless. Due to its strength and the costs associated with its application concrete is an excellent material to use in both commercial and residential buildings. However, proper preparation and application of concrete is very important to assure the integrity of the finished product. Additionally, the importance of soil testing and proper design and construction of the project according to the site soil composition will determine the success of the finished product.
At this inspection I found the front walk way had sunk about 2 1\2 in toward the home. This caused rain to pool in this area and then drain to the basement. I advised my client to get assistance from a cement jacking company or have the walk replaced, draining away from the home.
