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I am interested in a nice house with a basement, just had an inspection done and mostly everything checks out but one side of the basement has a horizontal crack about a quarter size that runs pretty far at the mid level. Inspector wasn't too concerned due to no signs of water leaking. His suggestion is to put in gutters and water sprouts to help keep the soil less wet and reduce the pressure against the wall. The wall seems plumb at least, how concerned should I be about this?
If you put a straight edge vertical against the wall, does it remain flat against the wall? Doing that type of check will tell you if the wall is bowing in at the point of the crack. Depending on the amount, it may be nothing, or it could be the start of something.
A quarter size (assuming you mean the thickness of the quarter and not the diameter) crack is not necessarily a big deal. But searching for other clues in the house that could correspond to the crack is also important.
Assuming it is reinforced concrete with rebar and/remesh, I would not be concerned about it. If it is an old stone foundation with concrete, it would be a concern. Sounds like it is poured concrete though.
The only person that can responsibly answer that question is a structural engineer that you hire to come out and look at it in person. This will probably cost you a few hundred dollars (depending on where you live), but it's well worth the peace of mind to know what the deal is.
A local SE is also likely to know what the soil situation is and note any potential grading/water runoff issues you have. They will be able to give you an idea of what it will cost to fix, if necessary, and if it's likely to get worse.
You do not want to mess around with cracks in foundation walls, and generally speaking, horizontal ones that are more than just superficial are no bueno.
1959 and a crack like that- definitely a block wall.
Block walls back then were "damp-proofed"- hot mopped tar.
The notation "no leaks observed"- I'm sure the wall was very recently cleaned and painted. A straightedge on the wall will tell you if the upper half is moving out.
If the house is a strong contender, hire a PE to assess the foundation and make recommendations for correction- that should give you an idea of cost for remediation.
The inspection was done the morning after a torrential downpour and he used and an infrared device to look for water. Still concerning to me though
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