Foundation Problems in Round Rock - radon gas, other dangers (Houston: apartments, renters)

[roamingveg]

We just moved into a rental house in Round Rock, and there are obvious foundation problems. We were in a hurry to move out of our previous rental, and unfortunately didn't realize what we had signed up for. Our new rental house has cracks in just about every wall and ceiling, and the floors are all completely uneven, and they also have lots of spacing and cracks between the laminate pieces, and where the floors meet with many of the walls.

I'm really starting to worry that the walls will buckle or the roof will collapse. There are also tons of ants. I've read that foundation problems due to the clay soil in this area and the lack of rain can lead to infestation problems, moisture issues (and then possibly mold problems), and even radon gas exposure.

First question - has anyone else in Round Rock had their homes tested positive for radon? It's the number one cause of lung cancer. I know our area is generally low-risk for radon exposure, but the EPA says that many individual homes in low-risk counties can still have elevated levels of radon. Trying to figure out how worried I should be about radon. Also, are the landlords responsible for this expense, or are we?

Second question - I'm not sure how to convince our landlords to have the house inspected to see how urgently the foundation needs to be fixed. Has anyone had any luck (or terrible luck) using a foundation engineer and with foundation repairs?

I have a newborn and a 3-yr-old, so I'm really concerned about them getting hurt or sick. I'm also wondering if the previous tenants have gone crazy using pesticides inside the house due to the ants... pesticide use is the number one cause of birth defects and death in children under the age of 1.

So my third question is - does anyone know how to have your home tested for the presence of toxic chemicals? I already asked the landlords if they have had any pesticide service in the house, or if they knew if the previous tenants did. They couldn't tell me for sure. In the mean time, I'm cleaning like crazy, but I'm not sure if it's enough. I'm not sure how persistent pesticides are.

Fourth question - how to find out if there is a mold problem...

Fifth question - can a general inspector look for all of these problems, or do I have to call a different service for each problem? I'm not sure which inspections the landlords are obligated to pay for, or if we're responsible. We've only lived here less than a month, and we moved to save money on rent. So I would like to have an idea of how expensive all of this can be. Obviously I know we're not responsible for paying for foundation repairs or anything like that.. but it seems like renting a house is so much more of a hassle than renting an apartment, and you never know what the tenant is going to end up paying for.

Thanks in advance for reading my questions and for any advice!

[mickey65]

Wow, that sound pretty bad. I have some foundations issues at my place - but it's not quite that bad as what you are going thru. I'm sorry about all that, I know it's pretty frustrating.

What does the landlord have to say about it all? You home sounds like it's border-line inhabitable. Can't you report him somewhere for that?

[Austin97]

Originally Posted by roamingveg

We just moved into a rental house in Round Rock, and there are obvious foundation problems. We were in a hurry to move out of our previous rental, and unfortunately didn't realize what we had signed up for. Our new rental house has cracks in just about every wall and ceiling, and the floors are all completely uneven, and they also have lots of spacing and cracks between the laminate pieces, and where the floors meet with many of the walls.

I'm really starting to worry that the walls will buckle or the roof will collapse. There are also tons of ants. I've read that foundation problems due to the clay soil in this area and the lack of rain can lead to infestation problems, moisture issues (and then possibly mold problems), and even radon gas exposure.

First question - has anyone else in Round Rock had their homes tested positive for radon? It's the number one cause of lung cancer. I know our area is generally low-risk for radon exposure, but the EPA says that many individual homes in low-risk counties can still have elevated levels of radon. Trying to figure out how worried I should be about radon. Also, are the landlords responsible for this expense, or are we?

Second question - I'm not sure how to convince our landlords to have the house inspected to see how urgently the foundation needs to be fixed. Has anyone had any luck (or terrible luck) using a foundation engineer and with foundation repairs?

I have a newborn and a 3-yr-old, so I'm really concerned about them getting hurt or sick. I'm also wondering if the previous tenants have gone crazy using pesticides inside the house due to the ants... pesticide use is the number one cause of birth defects and death in children under the age of 1.

So my third question is - does anyone know how to have your home tested for the presence of toxic chemicals? I already asked the landlords if they have had any pesticide service in the house, or if they knew if the previous tenants did. They couldn't tell me for sure. In the mean time, I'm cleaning like crazy, but I'm not sure if it's enough. I'm not sure how persistent pesticides are.

Fourth question - how to find out if there is a mold problem...

Fifth question - can a general inspector look for all of these problems, or do I have to call a different service for each problem? I'm not sure which inspections the landlords are obligated to pay for, or if we're responsible. We've only lived here less than a month, and we moved to save money on rent. So I would like to have an idea of how expensive all of this can be. Obviously I know we're not responsible for paying for foundation repairs or anything like that.. but it seems like renting a house is so much more of a hassle than renting an apartment, and you never know what the tenant is going to end up paying for.

Thanks in advance for reading my questions and for any advice!

Hey you forgot about tornadoes and drywall made in china. Seriously though you pretty much listed every possible problem that could ever happen - I wouldnt worry about any of those things. The probability that you get into a car accident and kill your children is orders of magnitude higher than all of the things you described combined.

You mentioned that birth defects are the number one cause of death before 1, but they arent caused by pesticides, except maybe extreme pesticide exposure while in the womb. Since both your kids are already born and dont have birth defects I dont really think you have to worry.

As far as foundation problems, I think it is highly unlikely that the house will collapse even with severe foundation problems. Some settling is normal and cracks will appear in the walls and ceiling but are typically just cosmetic. But even if the foundation is all messed up it still is unlikely for the house to collapse. I searched and I could not find any references to a house ever collapsing (except for one that was jacked up for foundation repairs).

Finally as far as treating ants go, dont spray, use an ant bait. The ants will take it back to the colony and kill the queen. But even if you did spray, unless your kids were licking the floor where you sprayed it wouldnt be a problem.

with regards to mold, you can usually smell it via dampness in the air.

In any case you do sound overly paranoid.

[CptnRn]

The rental laws for renting a home are the same as for renting an apartment, so I can't imagine what you mean there.

I don't believe the landlord is obligated to pay for tests if there is no clear reason for doing the testing other then the fact that you are worried about it. If you are as worried as you seem, you should arrange and pay for the tests to determine if you have any reason to go on worrying about it.

If your foundation is a concrete slab on grade, there is very little chance of radon gas getting from the ground into your interior spaces. It would be more likely with a pier and beam foundation, where the house is built over a crawl space, but even then there is very little reason to worry about radon gas in most of Texas. But you may be able to get a free or low cost radon gas test kit here Radiation Control Program Home Page




You can buy a mold test kit at Home Depot and send it in to find out if you have mold problems.

You can hire a structural engineer to inspect the home for you to advise if there is any reason to be worried about the structure collapsing. Cracking alone, from clay soil movement doesn't necessarily mean there is any danger of a structural failure.

There are a number of environmental testing labs in the RR area that can probably test for pesticides, mold and radon gas, but I suspect you will have to pay for the initial testing and can't expect your land lord to pay for much until there is some proof that there is a problem. environmental testing round rock tx - Google Search

It probably is your landlords responsibility to treat the house for ant or insect problems, but he will probably have to do that with pesticides. You can always insist that they use relatively safe methods of doing that such as Amdro or the dry bait recommended above.

Not to be mean or rude, but I think perhaps it would also be a good idea for you to talk to your doctor about how much you are worrying about all of these things. He may be able to give you some help with that.

[roamingveg]

Thanks for the responses and the links to resources. I guess I do sound overly worried about some of these things. It all started with worrying about just the foundation issues. These are not the normal cracks due to settling we've seen at every other place we've lived. There are significant dips in the floors and large gaps all over the place. There are very large holes and spaces along the outside walls of the house. I was initially just trying to find out if there was a way to tell how dangerous these foundation problems can be in terms of stability, but then I also read about the infestations, mold and radon, so I freaked out a little.

But it still seems reasonable to me that an expert should evaluate how badly the foundation has been damaged. Especially since this has been an unprecedented summer in terms of heat and lack of rain. I'd still appreciate hearing about anyone's experiences in working with foundation engineers/repairs.

Thanks for the EPA map. The page on the EPA website where that map is located, is where I read about how individual homes can still contain elevated levels of radon, even in low-risk areas. That's why I figured I'd ask if anyone has found high levels in their homes. Not sure what kind of foundation this place has... will ask the landlords.

We've rented both apartments and houses in Austin and Round Rock, and there has been a huge difference in our experiences. When we've rented apartments, we were not responsible for any maintenance expenses at all. When we've rented houses, we've been responsible for initial costs for various maintenance issues, as well as pest control.

Thanks again!

[katmama]

I am fairly new to Texas in general....but I am renting a house here in RR, and well as renting out my house in So.Cali. I have lived in 3 homes in Texas in 3 years due to the nature of my husbands job here. We have not decided where to buy yet....here or NW Houston....but houses in Houston also have foundation issues and ANTS! That being said....I never have worried about the cracks in the homes here I guess because there are not earthquakes here like there are in Cali. Two of the homes I have lived in are here in RR....the first home had many cracks and drafty doors, and my biggest complaint there was the little lizards getting in the house all Summer and scaring the crap out of me. About a week before we were moving....There was a really large one on my pillow in my bed....I have never screamed so lound....i almost layed my head right on it. We moved right up the street and have no trees in our immediate property,so I suppose that is why I haven't had bug problems or lizard problems here. We are at the top of a hill in our same developement. I am certain that the landlord had this place fumigated and sprayed for bugs before we moved in because I havent seen anything....at all. I don't know anything about raydon gas....but I do have a small dog and a kitty...so I figure they are like my Canary in a Colemine...so to speak.

On the flip side. As a landlord....As I said...I rent out my So. Cal home in Garden Grove Ca. It is an older neighborhood and our home was built in the 50's. We recently got new tennents in the home, and against the advise of my property manager....my husband has befriended the new tennent. Well...he called us about a month after moving in and said hid teen age boy has been sick since they moved into our home...and his docs found mold spores in his lungs! We all freaked out and my husband of course rushed ahead and promised to have the house checked. I called my property manager and his take on it was...well, if you are certain there is no mold in the home....lets just let him have his deposite back and he can move out without any hard feelings...well the tennent wanted the mold inspection that my husband had promised...so we had to go through with it. My point here though is that we were willing to just release the tennant from his contract and return his deposite....maybe you landlord would do the same. When you bring up the word mold....nobody wants to screw around. There is mold everywhere....especially here in a humid state....and especially in and old house built in the 50's in a neighborhood 10 mins to the beach....and everyone has a pool.

Out "M" test result were neg...yeah for us...but the guy still wants to live there! Can you believe it...? I have not heard if the boy is okay or not....our property manager was pretty unhappy that my husband circumvented his authority....he said...you pay me to manage your property...let me manage it. I have stuck with that, and after and un-neccessary $425.00 mold inspection....I think my husband agrees.

Good luck....If no one is getting sick....I wouldn't worry.

[roamingveg]

yeah, we ended up having several bug problems and rats in the attic. one of the types of bugs is probably due to something that crawled and died under the house... there were hundreds of tiny flies and a horrible smell.. all due to the foundation problems- for example, there are huge holes all along the outside walls of the house where animals have easy access. our landlords have always been really nice, and when i asked to have the foundation inspected after noticing more cracks and gaps, nails bulging from the ceilings and sagging, they were not prepared for the expenses and immediately offered to let us out of the lease. this was a very expensive and stressful, but valuable, lesson for us. we'll never rent a place with severe foundation problems again. plus, when we're ready to buy a house in the distant future, we'll know what to look for in terms of foundation issues, knowing that it's not always just one small problem, but a problem that can lead to so many other problems. i never found out about the radon or mold, but the horrible smells, bugs, rats, sagging ceilings, bulging nails, sloping floors and loud cracking sounds were enough for us to move. and if we ever become landlords, i'll take your advice about listening to the property manager, katmama!

[DianeV]

Glad to hear you got it sorted out.

From the start, it was pretty clear that there were a number of problems which, in turn, could have caused or contributed to other problems -- which is just what you found, in the end.

I'm embarrassed for the posters who suggested you were "paranoid" and that you ought to talk to a doctor. It kind of suggests a willingness to overlook problems in order to keep ... achieve what? Better to ensure your environment, and that of your children, as you did.

[ScoPro]

Just hire an inspector to test for the problems you are worried about.

If anything bad turns up, then move.

[MaryleeII]

While you're at it, best make sure its not built over an Indian burial ground


Sounds to me like the OP just wants to get out of his lease early.

Look, just tell your landlord you want to move before the lease is up. We own rental property, and everything is negoiatable. As long as my renters give ample notice, and allow me to show it the last month, and leave it in good condition, I will break the lease. Stuff happens, I know, I live on Planet Earth, too. Just don't sneak out like a thief in the night, making up crazy stories on the way!