Foundation Issue (Howe: buying a home, buying, inspector)

[kevin1260]

I am thinking about buying a home that the front yard was built up 4 feet because of a sloping yard. Its 6 years old and their are know signs of current foundation issues. Does anyone know if raised yards have anymore foundation issues than others?

[thumpcbd]

Originally Posted by kevin1260

I am thinking about buying a home that the front yard was built up 4 feet because of a sloping yard. Its 6 years old and their are know signs of current foundation issues. Does anyone know if raised yards have anymore foundation issues than others?

In general if it's been raised up this much, the builder brought in dirt and regraded the property. Fill dirt, if not properly compacted when brought in, will settle more during the first few years the property is lived it. Often times, builders don't compact it properly -- its a hard task to accomplish properly.

I would expect more foundation issues in cases where the property is regraded with fill dirt.

[escanlan]

Originally Posted by kevin1260

I am thinking about buying a home that the front yard was built up 4 feet because of a sloping yard. Its 6 years old and their are know signs of current foundation issues. Does anyone know if raised yards have anymore foundation issues than others?

Not quite sure about the situation you are describing. Is the current slope of the yard down and away from the home? If it is an even grade near the foundation, or it slopes towards the foundation, then it has the potential to cause water problems around the foundation. Of course there are other factors that can relieve the problem such as gentle swales to reroute water away from the home, area drains, etc. Do you have any of these?

You indicate the home is already 6 years old. Do you know when the yard was raised with the fill dirt? If the site was properly prepared during the original build then bringing in dirt and just using it to raise the surrounding ground should not be a concern as far as the foundation goes. However if the new fill was also used to replace existing fill due to erosion or improper preparation of the pad area then it is always possible for future movement of the foundation.

As for the recent foundation movement we have, as you know, been experiencing one of the worst droughts in quite a long time. Many people are experiencing foundation problems due to these conditions. Some have even tried to maintain proper soil moisture around the home and have still experienced problems. You should try to find out more of the home's history to gain a better understanding of the current foundation problem you note, as well as the new grade work and other issues that might be related. If you have had the home inspected already then I would expect that the Home Inspector has referred you to seek guidance from a licensed Engineer who has extensive experience in these issues before the end of your option period.

[TXbound2011]

I see so much about foundations and the soil - what about all of the inground pools. I would think the issues with soil and shifting must cause pool issues as well. Is it two totally different thing?

[nsumner]

It's not an uncommon practice for builders to raise a lot before building. If they added a retaining wall, that's usually a good sign, however, Escanlan is a home inspector and I would defer to his judgement.

On the other hand, since the home is only 6 years old, it should still have a foundation warranty from the builder for another 4 years (if the builder is still in business) so whatever your findings are, the owner can get them to rectify at no cost.

Naima