espansive soils (buying a home, buying, inspector)

[Patricia Jeffers]

I am buying a home that is 7 years old. The basement is finished and the owner said he hadn't seen any cracks or blemishes in the foundation before he built the basement. He didn't "float" the walls.

How long can expansion go on? He said a house should all be settled in the first couple of years. Is this true?

[EscapeCalifornia]

Any major problems should have shown themselves by now but that's something you'll definitely want to discuss with your inspector who has a keener eye for these problems than either you or the seller.

[Biopace]

He must have finished the basement w/o a permit if floating walls were not used.

[Noahma]

Originally Posted by Biopace

He must have finished the basement w/o a permit if floating walls were not used.

This is true.

OP, do a search in the general Colorado forum for Foundation, you will find a very detailed post by me about the different types of foundation systems regarding Expansive soils in Colorado. Most foundations are able to survive very well now even with expansive soils due to the design guidelines in place with structural engineers.