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Old 09-29-2013, 05:51 PM
 
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I have a slab foundation which is probably a little different - but we had about 20 piers or so put in (forget the exact number) for $5000, and a few years later, all the cracks are back but the floor is mostly level. Lots of people are sort of blasé about it because even if you water and add piers there is no guarantee that the problem will never appear again.
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Old 10-08-2013, 09:19 AM
 
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We have had a bunch of different foundation folks and two engineers look at the house. Everyone is telling us the foundation is fine and the cracks are a way of life, floor is level, etc. Not much comfort if you ask me. These cracks are awful.
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Old 10-08-2013, 09:43 AM
 
Location: Mostly in my head
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My engineer said that they did not recommend piering until the difference in elevations was about 2 inches. Look at your report with the diagram of the house and the numbers - is the difference about 2"? That's a Level B inspection. They go in all the rooms with a gadget and neasure the elevations at numerous points.
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Old 10-08-2013, 10:32 AM
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SouthernBelleInUtah View Post
My engineer said that they did not recommend piering until the difference in elevations was about 2 inches. Look at your report with the diagram of the house and the numbers - is the difference about 2"? That's a Level B inspection. They go in all the rooms with a gadget and neasure the elevations at numerous points.
Thank you for the reply. We were less than a quarter inch. Still, the cracking is killing me!
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Old 10-08-2013, 11:22 AM
 
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Originally Posted by foundationproblems View Post
Thank you for the reply. We were less than a quarter inch. Still, the cracking is killing me!
Yep, quarter inch is enough to crack. I got an extremely long crack across my entrance tile due to 1/4 drop of the front of the house. I'm on a slab though.

It also depends on the initial condition, nobody knows if everything was exactly level when the differential movement started. And also if you have different types of flooring they might have different height.

Do you have big trees close to the house?
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Old 10-08-2013, 12:08 PM
 
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That looks like plaster walls. It cracks EASY and fast.

My pier and beam house with plaster walls required repairs to the plaster every 6 months. It was just part of the changing of the seasons.
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Old 10-09-2013, 09:51 PM
 
Location: Hot Springs, Arkansas
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We lived in Texas for 10 years until 2011 when they had the great drought. THEN I learned about watering around the foundation. That's when I got serious and bought a bunch of soaker hoses to try to keep it from happening. Evidently the foundation was so hardened over the 30 years since it was built it never did crack but it frankly scared me half to death in anticipation.

Texas has perhaps the worst soil in the nation. I've never seen anything like it. There is a layer of "sugar sand" and then hard pan clay below it. Consequently a normal septic system is not even legal in the state and the aerobic systems have to be used outside of the city sewers. Probably the only way to actually insure this would never happen would be to dig down far into the clay which shouldn't shift like the sugar sand. But I don't know how this might be done exactly or be esthetically pleasing. I wonder how many contractors take this into consideration. Probably not many and a lot of homeowners will be in for a rude awakening. The building codes should probably be amended to deal with this situation.
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Old 10-09-2013, 10:39 PM
 
Location: Wonderland
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OP, you're lucky to have a pier and beam house - even if there ARE foundation problems, the vast majority of those are very easy to fix in a pier and beam house, unlike a house on a slab. Also, like someone else said, your walls look as though they are made of plaster, which cracks easily and which also can "heal itself" easily too, especially during the wetter spring season. I know that sounds crazy but I promise it's true.

You've had it inspected and reinspected by professionals who are very familiar with the area, and they've all assured you the house is fine and what you're seeing is normal for this area. Relax and enjoy your home and the wonderful Texas fall and winter you're about to experience!
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Old 10-10-2013, 07:40 AM
 
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To the OP, the only kind of crack that kills is crack cocaine. These cracks will not kill you ;-) They are eye sores only. If your structural engineer told you the house is level, you should be fine.
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Old 10-10-2013, 08:23 AM
 
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I don't water, and I really don't have problems - yes some small cracks happen and sometimes doors stick in certain seasons in 50 plus year old pier and beam houses, but it's not a concern, there is some give and take - they are still much better than slabs. Slabs are cheap, that's why new home builders use them. Where there might be a concern is if you have a water leak under your house. That can undermine a pier. Have you checked that?
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