This photo shows water damage on a portion of the structural components discovered during a crawl space inspection. The portion of the structure sustaining the most damage is the framing band around the back side of the home. The home is built on the side of a hill with the back of the home facing the part of the slope coming down hill. In the crawl space and around the back side of the home it was evident the grade did not allow for water to move around and away from the home. It was also noted in the dirt floor of the crawl space that water trenches actually ran thru the crawl space from back to front.
Horizontal cracks in the wall of basement foundations are usually more sever than diagonal or stepping cracks. As the depth of the basement was increases so does the pressure on the exterior of the wall. Poor grading, water, problems with footings, and changes in temperature are all factors that can contribute to basement wall problems.
In my photo it shows a crack in the wall above and beside a door way. Further investigation shows multiple door ways in the house have crack in them but judging the age of the house its not a big issue because they haven’t got worse in time. Still it should be further inspected by a licensed contractor.
the essay I am doing is over residential foundation insolation. It goes over the different types of foundations and how just in the last few years people have been improving on how efficient it is to insolation a basement crawlspace or slab.
Look to see if beams are supported properly see if spacing of the columns are spread out to hold up the beams and that it’s not sagging the beams are the main support in the house if it is sagging the house is going to sag
When studying the structural side of a house it is important to look at the foundation of the house, you can see a lot when you are walking around the house outside at the lay of the ground and settling around the foundation like cracks that you can’t see from inside when everything is finished.
The resulting foundation wall failure due to back pressure at outside foundation wall has caused serious horizontal cracking with obvious displacement along crack. Concrete can withstand compression force well, but it is not prone to withstanding sideways stress. Recommend further evaluation by structural engineer.
From the picture gallery I chose one that depicts a beam supporting the edge of a deck. To check for the beam sagging it is best to go to one end and sight down the entire length of the beam to determine whether there is sag or not. From that vantage point it is easy to see any sag that is there or to see if it’s straight and sag free.
The concrete walkway has cracked, dropped by over 1 inch, and has begun to slope slightly towards the house. The crack presents a safety hazard as it is of 3/4 of an inch and the slope towards the house is likely to lead to water intrusion in the basement.
Adjustable steel columns, sometimes referred to as lally columns, can be found in some North American basements. When inspecting them, take note that they are more than 3 inches thick, covered in a rust protective paint, the post is straight and plumb, the post is connected to the floor and the beam, more than 3 inches of screw thread is visible, and that the floor above is straight and level.
In the “Illustrations Gallery” one image “Post Base Connection” under “Foundations” illustrates to us the one of the proper means of which a to anchor or a means of supporting a deck. As the post for a deck structure as in this image is not not just anchored by cement alone it is in fact anchor by bolts and metal assembly. In the article this method is much more safer as this method prevents damage to the wooden post if the deck shifts.
The picture that I took is a little hard to focus on but it seem to be moisture intrusion. Its a bottom level of a apartment so it not a roof leak, could be plumbing leak or mouse pee. Ewww.
The article that I was attracted to was foundation damage and expansion soil. I did not know that expansive soil can uplift or have an lateral expansion to your foundation when soil collects a lot of water. So its good check the soil around the foundation.
The above picture shows a rafter in an attic garage that is cracked. This could be due to many things such as damage from prior work or modification, or possibly heavy snow load at some point. This was noted in the report and it was recommended that a structural engineer do an evaluation.
The image Cantilevered Deck Supports shows an image of a cantilever on a deck construction. Cantilevers can be no more than 1/4 of the joist length or 3 times the joist width, whichever is smaller. This is often done incorrectly (too much overhang) when a deck is built by a weekend warrior homeowner and should be reported as a defect.
There is negative drainage at the corner of this house. Soil should be added so that the water will naturally flow away from the foundation. Also recommend a gutter extension or tip-up downspout be added so that water does not accumulate in this temporary drain pipe.
Here we see a manufactured trus roof structure in a hurricane prone region. Important items to look for are proper fasteners including hurricane straps. Additionally, often times trusses are cut for various reasons. This effects the structural integrity of the roof and should be noted.
This is a picture of a horizontal crack in the home’s basement wall. This crack could indicate a very serious issue with the homes foundation. This crack could also allow moisture to enter the home and cause other moisture related problems. It is recommended to have this issue evaluated and repaired.
In the article “Attic Pull Down Ladders” several defects are discussed. Some of these defects are cut trusses to provide access, a lack of insulation/seal at the opening, and inappropriately connecting the ladder to the structure either with the incorrect type of fastener or not enough fasteners.
I have read the article titled “Efflorescence for Inspectors”. I learned that efflorescence can either indicate a cosmetic issue or a serious issue that could lead to moisture intrusion or bacterial growth. These issues are most common in porous building materials like stone, concrete, and brick.
