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Old 09-08-2016, 08:44 PM
 
122 posts, read 271,243 times
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I'm trying to buy a house but found cracks in and out. Windows frames have gaps too. What to do? run away or spend a few hundreds $ for a foundation elevation report?
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How bad is this foundation?-capture.jpg   How bad is this foundation?-capture2.jpg  
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Old 09-08-2016, 09:50 PM
 
Location: Lancaster, PA
997 posts, read 1,312,534 times
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Most places here have soil movement, some more then others. You can easily spend $10k+ "fixing" a foundation or just live with it and bargain with the seller. I'd talk to the neighbors if possible.
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Old 09-09-2016, 01:22 PM
 
122 posts, read 271,243 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JT-3 View Post
Most places here have soil movement, some more then others. You can easily spend $10k+ "fixing" a foundation or just live with it and bargain with the seller. I'd talk to the neighbors if possible.
If live with it, will caulking be good enough to repair the window? Or it need a new frame?
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Old 09-09-2016, 01:26 PM
 
Location: central Austin
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Have Centex Foundation out to take a look!

Centex Foundation Repair and House Leveling | Austin, San Antonio, Waco, San Marcos, Temple, Bryan/College Station
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Old 09-09-2016, 10:00 PM
 
Location: Lancaster, PA
997 posts, read 1,312,534 times
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Originally Posted by accent2010 View Post
If live with it, will caulking be good enough to repair the window? Or it need a new frame?
I could live with it, most homes require routine caulking. Look for signs of interior water damage to determine if a new frame or window is needed. If you are serious I'd walk the home with a good inspector.
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Old 09-10-2016, 09:42 PM
 
Location: Dallas/Ft. Worth, TX
3,071 posts, read 8,415,478 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by accent2010 View Post
I'm trying to buy a house but found cracks in and out. Windows frames have gaps too. What to do? run away or spend a few hundreds $ for a foundation elevation report?
Quote:
Originally Posted by accent2010 View Post
If live with it, will caulking be good enough to repair the window? Or it need a new frame?

Two pictures will not provide enough information to make any reasonable determination of what is occurring. Have the home inspected and if there is nothing else to make you walk away then bring in a licensed Professional Engineer for a full foundation analysis.
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Old 09-11-2016, 03:28 PM
 
Location: Austin, TX
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Run away! Don't buy it, don't!
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Old 09-12-2016, 08:20 AM
 
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I would be very leery of buying a house with those existing conditions unless I got a full inspection/analysis from a reputable foundation repair company beforehand. Cracks and gaps are indicative of shifting - it's your job to find out how much has occurred and from what cause. Could be no big deal. But could also be a very big deal.
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Old 09-12-2016, 02:48 PM
 
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Doesn't look like much of anything to me..... at least in those pics. Fixable. Half the houses probably have a little cracking at the brick mortar lines here and there.
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Old 09-12-2016, 05:41 PM
 
10,130 posts, read 19,879,750 times
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Yeah, just from those pictures it may not even have a foundation problem. The brick facade is not part of the structure of the house. It can be subject to it's own expansion issues that can cause cracks, that's why they have to leave gaps in certain places. If those don't work perfectly, cracks can happen, and even the separation from the window frame. Not particularly concerning on it's own.

However, you mentioned stuff inside the house... that is where you should be more concerned. Doors not staying shut, certain cracks in the drywall, evidence of repeated repairs of said cracks, and variation in floor level are more important symptoms when diagnosing a foundation problem. If you see those types of things, you should definitely consult a structural engineer before purchasing.
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