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Most of the cracks have been repaired and it doesn't look like any of the walls are severely bowed.
Honestly, I would buy it. At least you know what you're getting. It has been reparied with a lock system. Does the lock system have a warranty?
I grew up in a house with severely bowed foundation walls that didn't cause any problems for over 30 years. We only repaired them for resale.
There are lots of people who buy houses with finished basements that have huge problems hidden behind the finished walls. Those people have no idea what they're buying.
I always think it's funny that people want to buy houses with finished basements.
As for water, a little moisture isn't a big deal for unfinished basements. Usually a dehumidifier is all that's needed.
If gets outright water, there are plenty of options, but I would start with a french drain. My husband did our french drain in one weekend.
I would ask why those cracks did not close up when the house was re leveled....They should have, at least they should have better than what is shown in your pictures.......
I would ask why those cracks did not close up when the house was re leveled....They should have, at least they should have better than what is shown in your pictures.......
and why does some of that mortar look so new????
I would but since it's a foreclosure I don't have the option to talk to the previous owner or the legal right to get disclosure from Olshan who did the work. I forgot to mention that they put in 24! cable lock piers.
There does not appear to be much, if any lateral displacement. Just perform subsequent monitoring for any changes in the displacement. You can take a permanent marker and a ruler, draw a 1" or 2" line across the cracks, and that will give you a baseline to make sure they are not expanding.To keep the moisture out can require several steps. You DO NOT want to throw several thousand dollars at a waterproofing company to fix everything. Water intrusion should be mitigated incrementally starting with the low cost, easy to perform items like extending gutters, building up the soil grade (with compactable clay) to shunt water away, removing mulch from the adjacent areas (mulch holds water to your porous foundation), add ground plants that soak up a lot of water, and the get into the more expensive items. A french drain system will do the trick if all else fails. I recommend a dehumidifier in every unfinished basement whether you see signs of moisture or not. It is cheap insurance. (frigidaire 50 pint with permanent drain at Lowes runs $200. It is energy star rated drawing only 4 amps, has a 5 year warranty, and is pretty quiet)
Just fyi: I have inspected over 10,000 residential and commerical buildings and also own a company that deals with crawlspace/basement moisture mitigation. If you want more detailed info, feel free to message me.
There does not appear to be much, if any lateral displacement. Just perform subsequent monitoring for any changes in the displacement. You can take a permanent marker and a ruler, draw a 1" or 2" line across the cracks, and that will give you a baseline to make sure they are not expanding.To keep the moisture out can require several steps. You DO NOT want to throw several thousand dollars at a waterproofing company to fix everything. Water intrusion should be mitigated incrementally starting with the low cost, easy to perform items like extending gutters, building up the soil grade (with compactable clay) to shunt water away, removing mulch from the adjacent areas (mulch holds water to your porous foundation), add ground plants that soak up a lot of water, and the get into the more expensive items. A french drain system will do the trick if all else fails. I recommend a dehumidifier in every unfinished basement whether you see signs of moisture or not. It is cheap insurance. (frigidaire 50 pint with permanent drain at Lowes runs $200. It is energy star rated drawing only 4 amps, has a 5 year warranty, and is pretty quiet)
Just fyi: I have inspected over 10,000 residential and commerical buildings and also own a company that deals with crawlspace/basement moisture mitigation. If you want more detailed info, feel free to message me.
Thanks for the professional feedback. I believe I have some easy fixes most for the water intrusion. The soil is not graded correctly and I found a downspout that empties next to the foundation. I think that will fix 80% of the problem if not all. I'll grab the low hanging fruit and see where I end up after a month or two. I'll be sure to mark the walls and monitor for movement. Thanks again.
Thanks for all the insight. I'm having the home inspected tomorrow and will post some pictures of the questionable areas tomorrow evening. I have obtained the Olshan warranty but was concerned because it's a forclosure. That being said I don't have the option to speak with the former owner and get the full details. I do know this... The home was built in 1994 and Olshan did the repairs in 2001 and another firm added supports in the basement to level the floors at the same time. It's a 1.5 story over a full basement.
Thanks again.
You're talking about a newer house (built in 1994) that's having all these problems?
I wouldn't buy it. It sounds like it wasn't built right to begin with.
Last edited by World Citizen; 03-14-2010 at 06:25 AM..
You're talking about a newer house (built in 1994) that's having all these problems?
I wouldn't buy it. It sounds like it wasn't built right to begin with.
I hope that's not the case. I'm proceeding under the assumption that this is not abnormal settlement and even some of the cracking (according to the home inspector). It's possible that some of the great houses I've looked at have the same issues but they are already covered due to the basement being finished. It seems that some people believe that a large majority of houses will settle and need some repair. I have the warranty for the foundation repair and won't have to foot the bill if it settles more but I doubt it since the repair was done in 2001.
I have noticed cracks on my wall, although small but is still a big concern for me. What is the best method to repair the foundation ? What questions should i ask a contractor in order to know how qualified they are to do the job. Pls. help, , don't have anyone to ask.
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