Recently built home. Foundation cracking all over (insurance, mortgage)

[TestyBass]

Small back story:

My dog had been ripping the carpet and linoleum off the floor downstars when he was a puppy.

Small places but it ruined our floor. So I went ahead and decided to replace the carpet and started to remove it.

What I found underneath really bothered me......

Its a crack that runs along the whole foundation. it's pretty big and 18 feet long. in the middle it's starting to stagger (one side is higher than the other)
I went outside and examined the foundation outside and it's also following down to the ground along the same place.

So I called the insurance man and hes wanting a structural engineer to come and look at the house


Do you all think they are going to declare it unsafe and tear the house down?

I also noticed another crack like this one except it's in my garage and it's also about the width of a quarter and going down the ENTIRE slab in the garage.

Can someone give me some opinions on what to do in this situation.

Do you think the builder was just slapping up junk houses?
Let me know what you think.

I have insurance on the house. so if the builder was at fault and the inspectors never noticed this.
They will be replacing my home.

[28173]

Follow to see if the crack continues on the wall, ceiling.

If not, it seems to be a "normal" line fracture in the concrete floor. To prevent that, some builders cut the concrete (you can see it when poured outside or in the garage) so the concrete crack is controlled (by the cut).
No worries, it is very common, I had same in previous houses I lived in.

[TestyBass]

@28173

No it's not going up the walls. or ceiling.

But we have noticed our doors are sticking and the front door has become very hard to close.
so the house is shifting gradually.

We had a class action lawsuit in our neighborhood earlier this past year because the builder made a goof and a few houses had a case of the floor sinking in (upstairs)

So it wouldn't surprise me if this house is a lemon.

Its a two story home and one of the bedrooms is supported on "stilts" that are above the front porch.
creating an awning.

I have to admit it's not a conventional house design. So I wonder if it's load bearing capability is properly designed.

[brokensky]

Seems to me that hiring a structural engineer will answer your questions.

You are going to hire a structural engineer, right?

[TestyBass]

Yes we are getting one at the house tomorrow to take a look at this place.

[frewroad]

I once owned a home where the slab cracked and one side of the house started to settle vs the other. This took several years before it became noticeable. I'd definitely get it resolved while there is still some sort of coverage on it.

Quick check - get a long builders level and stick it across the crack. If it's not absolutely level, you have a problem. IMO.

[MikeyKid]

Who was the builder? How old is it? You should have a 5 or 10 year structural warranty on the home. Getting a structural engineer to look at it is definitely the way to go.

As the engineer who inspected my house at several stages during construction told me... and I quote:
There are 2 types of concrete - concrete that is cracked and concrete that is going to crack.

So the crack unto itself doesn't mean it's a major issue... Although sticking doors and windows are not a good sign. Even if you have a serious problem, it's highly doubtful that they will declare it unsafe and tear it down. I've heard of techniques for stabilizing the house with injections under the foundation, etc. If it goes that route, I don't blame you for being POd...

[crestliner]

Only advice I can give is dont let the building inspector be quick to say the problem is of no major concern. To fix this will be very expensive if it can be fixed at all and the building inspector most likely has friends who are in the home building business and may be more of a team player for the builders that you. I would get several independent inspections IN WRITING...describing the cause and solution for it. .

[brokensky]

A structural engineer will provide a detailed, in depth report. I don't buy a house without having a structural engineer look at it, even tho that is not an inexpensive service. Just better to know upfront what the issues might be. A 30 year mortgage is a long time, lol.

I hope you find out that there is no concern, unless you want out of the neighborhood b/c of the history with other homes. Then, I hope you are able to work out a satisfactory resolution.

[28173]

Please let us know what the structural engineer said about this.
My money is on "this is normal, no worries".