Can You Fix Structural Dmg To An Old House

Structural

Structural brick foundation collapse. We can see that this collapsed brick wall was a structural brick foundation, and the soil piled up suggests it was done in by pressure from wet earth - a drainage or roof drainage problem may have been the root cause of this collapse. Photograph courtesy of Alan Carson, Carson Dunlop, Toronto©. Nov 27, 2018  “You could see inside the house from outside,” recalls Cape Coral, Florida, real estate agent Mike Lombardo of a home he sold with a worst-case-scenario foundation fiasco. The house was under contract when the sellers left for the weekend.

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The only way to really know what's wrong with a home -- when it’s not obvious -- is to hire a contractor who's skilled in structural damage; but there are a few warning signs to watch for when you're shopping the housing market. The roof, foundation, walls, windows and doors are things that can indicate you should negotiate for a better price, have the homeowner handle some repairs, or keep on shopping.

Settling and Leaning Structures

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Diligent construction contractors factor in the settling of a home when building it. Jarring windows and doors, and/or cracks in the walls around these framed-in features are basic indications of poor construction, a leaning building or more settling than should occur naturally. Use a level on the outside corners of the home to see if the walls stand upright. When a home’s doors and windows are sticking or won’t open or close, the framework could be under too much stress from uneven settling or slanted walls.

Foundation

Upper walls attach to a crawlspace foundation by bolted plates or joints. Use a flashlight to inspect the foundation where it meets the crawlspace walls. Check for loose bolts or poorly aligned joints. You probably won’t be able to see the supports or footings below a slab foundation. You can expect, however, to see harmless, hairline cracks in the visible exterior or interior concrete of any foundation. Check for large cracks that are wider at the top and narrow as they move downward, which may indicate extreme settling. Horizontal cracks in a foundation that’s backed into a hillside may indicate a home is sliding or being pushed off its footings.

Rotting Joists and Shifting

You may be able to check for rotten or bug-infested, crumbling joists by poking your head through a dropped-ceiling panel and jabbing the wood with a screwdriver. This type of decay or damage, if widespread, is costly and serious. However, other destruction, such as that caused by shifting, may or may not be reason for alarm. For example, anticipate even a 1- or 2-year-old home to have the odd crack in the drywall from expansion as the seasons go from warm to cool and back again. Even daily changes in temperature are a cause for shifting; think of the creaks in the night as your home's voice when it adjusts from the warmth during the day to the cooling period overnight to another warm sunrise. Even though cracked drywall is unsightly, it is not a structural issue. Moreover, it's a simpler fix than a roof, which can show evidence of more serious structural damage caused by shifting.

Roof and Load-Bearing Walls

Shifting, whether from changing temperature, age or a natural disaster such as an earthquake, can cause load-bearing walls to move off their marks. Load-bearing walls carry the load or weight of the home. They’re strategically placed between upper roof supports and lower footings. Exterior walls are load bearing, but some interior walls also help to keep a building upright. One way to check for shifting is to examine the roofline from a distance. If the roof appears to droop at the ends or sway in the middle, it’s possible a load-bearing wall has shifted from its upper support, lower foundation or both. Before you sign a purchase contract for any home, bring in an architect, contractor or home inspector who’s skilled in structural damage to dig a little deeper and take a closer look, or have your real estate agent write up the agreement subject to the inspection.

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About the Author

Lorna Hordos is a home-flipping business owner and freelance writer. She writes friendly, conversational business, home and lifestyle articles for Bizfluent, azcentral, Daltile, Marazzi, Lowes, Philips Lighting, WordPress.com and numerous other publications.

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Hordos, Lorna. 'How to Know If There Is Structural Damage to a Home.' Home Guides SF Gate, http://homeguides.sfgate.com/there-structural-damage-home-46177.html. Accessed 09 March 2020.
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Discovering a crack in the foundation of your home can be unsettling, as this could represent extensive damage to your home’s foundation, which could mean costly repairs. However, if you have discovered a crack in your foundation you may be wondering if all foundation cracks are the same, or if certain cracks should be more cause for concern than others. The fact is that looking at the crack can tell you a lot about the damage to your foundation including what may have caused it and how severe the problem is. To help you get a better understanding of foundation damage, here is a quick overview of the most common types of foundation cracks.

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Vertical Cracks

Of the foundation cracks you are likely to encounter, vertical cracks are generally the most common and least severe type of crack you will come across. Vertical cracks are cracks that go straight up and down, or maybe on a slight diagonal of within 30 degrees of vertical, and are a common occurrence in many houses. These types of cracks are usually the result of your foundation settling, and it is thusly not uncommon even for new houses to have this type of foundation damage as a home’s foundation can settle greatly in the first few years. Fortunately, this type of crack is usually the easiest and least expensive to have sealed. Generally, a urethane or epoxy material will be injected into the crack, ensuring that it is sealed and does reopen or grow as your foundation continues to settle.

Diagonal Cracks

Another common type of crack that you may encounter is a diagonal crack that runs along your foundation or basement wall at a 30-75 degree angle. This type of crack may be a thin hairline crack, but will likely be wider at one end than the other. Diagonal foundation cracks are caused by differential settling of a foundation, which is where one side of a home’s foundation settles lower than the rest of the foundation. This type of uneven tension then causes diagonal cracking. Differential settling can be the result of the house being built on a hill, or due to the expansion or contraction of the soil under a portion of the home. This type of crack can be more costly to repair than a vertical crack since it may be necessary to address the cause of the differential settlement after the crack is sealed. However, the solution may be as simple as installing new gutters so that rainwater directs away from a section of your properly that regularly becomes flooded, as this water could be causing the soil under a portion of your foundation to shift.

Horizontal Cracks

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Foundation cracks that run sideways (horizontally) are the most serious type of crack to look out for, as they can signal serious damage to your home’s foundation and structural integrity. While these cracks are sometimes seen in homes with poured concrete foundations, they are most common in homes with concrete block or brick foundations. Several things can cause this type of foundation damage including soil pressure outside of your foundation, and hydrostatic pressure that can cause your basement walls to bow. If you discover this type of foundation damage it is important that you have it repaired as soon as possible before the structural integrity of your home becomes compromised. This type of cracking will require the most extensive repairs, which will likely include reinforcing your foundation in order to secure it and prevent further damage.

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Knowing what types of cracking you may discover in your home can help you to determine the severity of the damage to your foundation. Ultimately, however, any cracks you discover in your home’s foundation should be taken seriously and professionally inspected and repaired so that you can ensure the structural integrity of your home. Contact us to learn more about what you need to know if you encounter cracks in your home’s foundation.

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