Pier and Beam Foundation Issues (Richardson: 2013, houses, tile)

[dabrawl]

I have a house under contract built in 1965 in the Richardson area. We had an inspection which pointed out a number of things, a few which are below:
1. He saw moisture in the soil - Would you expect to see this typically with Pier and Beam along with the fact we have had such a wet winter into spring? I do not think there is any humidification currently.
2. Since AC duct work goes through that space, there is strong musty smell in the house. The house hasn't had the owner in there much so has been closed quite a bit along with all the rain might be a big reason for the strong smell. Any has experience with this and how to reduce some of the smell?
3. There wasnt much space for him to move around much with all the ductwork in the foundation area. Has anyone had foundation assessment/work done with similar situation?

Anything else folks have seen/experienced/recommend we would should look into, would be appreciated.

thanks

[bencronin04]

We live in an older pier and beam house. The guys HATE coming to work on our house if they need to get under it due to the lake of space. And yes they usually come out muddy so there is moisture down there.

[Rowan123]

I'm not surprised about the moisture. Did he comment on any drainage issues?

I'm guessing the duct work under the house is fairly common. I have it under mine and just had it looked at last week. It was muddy under my house too. I would guess the musty smell is because no one has lived in the house for a while. I'd open the doors while it's not too hot to let some fresh air in the house and run every ceiling fan you have. I'd then be sure the AC is on to keep the air circulating. All houses that aren't lived in have a musty smell to me. Have the AC filters been changed recently? That could also be causing part of the smell.

Did he see any foundation issues? If you're at all concerned, get a foundation company out there that works on pier and beam houses to take a look at it.

[dabrawl]

Thks for the quick responses!
No, he did not see any immediate foundation issues but could not go far since there was a lot of duct work and he wasn't able to fit after a few feet(the dude was a little big). We have a structural engineers report from 2013 from the seller stating the foundation in good condition, no remarkable settlement or instability observed. It also said grading and drainage was sufficient and not a probable cause for foundation settlement or distress. We are trying to get in touch with the engineer if he could get give more details as to what all he looked at. Will also check on the AC filters.
The issue with foundation companies is that I called two and both didnt have anything open for another 2 weeks. Being pier and beam doesn't help obviously. I will look to get someone out thee soon for a check.

[Rowan123]

Well one option would be to call the inspection company and tell them to send someone out who is smaller and could get everywhere they needed to under the house. While the 2013 report is a positive sign, I still think your best bet is a foundation company. Hope you can find someone to take a look on an expedited basis.

Good luck!

[FalconheadWest]

You *want* moisture around a foundation. What you don't want is dried and cracked dirt as that's when you're going to start getting shifting and bad things can happen.

[loves2read]

My experience is that a house on piers is much more likely to show interior evidence of piers collapsing/dropping than a poured concrete reinforced foundation
Did u see any evidence of cracks in exterior brick veneer walls?
Did rooms show cracks in drywall in corners or ceiling joins or doors that refused to stay open/closed or any cracks in tile floors if there are any???
If not then likely the foundation is ok

[BigDGeek]

Originally Posted by dabrawl

I have a house under contract built in 1965 in the Richardson area. We had an inspection which pointed out a number of things, a few which are below:
1. He saw moisture in the soil - Would you expect to see this typically with Pier and Beam along with the fact we have had such a wet winter into spring? I do not think there is any humidification currently.
2. Since AC duct work goes through that space, there is strong musty smell in the house. The house hasn't had the owner in there much so has been closed quite a bit along with all the rain might be a big reason for the strong smell. Any has experience with this and how to reduce some of the smell?
3. There wasnt much space for him to move around much with all the ductwork in the foundation area. Has anyone had foundation assessment/work done with similar situation?

Anything else folks have seen/experienced/recommend we would should look into, would be appreciated.

thanks

#2: Dehumidifier. I have the same issue with my house from time to time. (P&B, built in '57.)
#3: Same issue. Just ask for small plumbers when you call a company and explain why. It works fine for me!

[Wittgenstein's Ghost]

Originally Posted by dabrawl

The issue with foundation companies is that I called two and both didnt have anything open for another 2 weeks. Being pier and beam doesn't help obviously. I will look to get someone out thee soon for a check.

I've had four different foundation companies come out to look at a property I own within the last couple of weeks. Every single one showed up within 48 hours of my call. Keep calling.

[JTC Mom]

Your realtor should be able to help you find a foundation company who can inspect promptly.

When we bought our house a couple of years ago we got a seller concession for the cost of digging under the house to make future work/inspections easier. In this market may be impossible to get a concession for something like that, but if the inspection company documents the issue on your report...maybe worth something. Or maybe not.