Structures
101 - "This
house isn't going anywhere." Or is it!
Serious
structural problems in houses are not very common, but when they occur
they are never cheap to fix. Some can’t be fixed at all. This report
won’t
turn you into a seasoned home inspector, but it will give you some of
the common indicators.
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Uneven
Floors If the floor sags to the middle of the home, it’s probably just a charming old home. Houses are like people, they sag in the middle when they get older. On the otherhand, if the floor slopes towards an outside wall, there is a good chance that the house has a significant structural problems. |
Leaning
House While no house is perfect, this is one area where you should be very careful. Take a look at the house from across the street. If the house appears to be leaning one way or the other, there may be a structural problem. It may help to line up a front corner of the house with the back corner of an adjacent house just for reference. The corners should be parallel. Stepping back from the house to take a look is always a good idea. It is easy to miss something major by standing too close to it! If there is a lean that is detectable by eye, don’t take any chances, get it checked out. |
HORIZONTAL
FOUNDATION CRACKS ARE BAD
It is not uncommon to find cracks in the foundation. This goes for new houses as well as old ones. While there is a great deal of engineering that goes into “reading” these cracks, there is one rule that you should never forget. “Horizontal cracks are a problem”. Of course not all vertical cracks are acceptable, but they are generally not as serious as a horizontal crack.
Harmless
Cracks
Shrinkage cracks in a new house: Most new foundations will develop small vertical cracks. These cracks are a result of the concrete shrinking as it cures. These cracks are about 1 /8 inch wide or less. They don’t affect the structure. The only concern is leakage. If you see small cracks in a new foundation, don’t panic. In fact, in a new home, some builders will pre-crack the foundation and fill the crack with flexible material.
Plaster
Cracks:
Few things are more misunderstood than plaster cracks on the inside of
the house.
The following crack types are not generally related to structural movement:
• a small crack (less than 1 /4 inch) that follows the corner of
the room where two walls meet
• small cracks that extend up from the upper corner of a door opening
The
following cracks may be related to structural movement –
• large cracks (larger than 1 /4 inch in width)
• cracks that run diagonally across the wall
• cracks on the interior finish that are in the same vicinity as cracks
on the exterior of the house.
CALL
US
If you are unsure, speak with a Carson Dunlop Engineer. We have a free
phone consult service for Real Estate Professionals and their clients.
CARSON DUNLOP REPORTS GO DIGITAL!
We can now deliver the Carson Dunlop Report directly to your personal e-mail address. In fact, this is the last issue of the Carson Dunlop Report that will be issued on paper. Reports will be e-mailed to all destinations that are currently on our mailing list. To have our reports delivered directly to your personal e-mail address, call 1 800 268-7070. To maintain document quality, the e-mailed version will be delivered as an “Adobe PDF” file. This means that the file will be in a universal format that can be viewed and printed by anyone and it will look just as nice as our paper version. All you need is the “Adobe Acrobat Reader” loaded on your computer. You may already have this program but if you don’t, it’s free and it’s available from the following sources –
• Download it from the Adobe web site (www.adobe.com). Scroll down the Adobe page and select “Get Acrobat Reader”
Line drawings are from Carson Dunlop's The Illustrated Home
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