Help Needed! Foundation cracks of a new construction (attorney, house) - Long Island - New York (NY) - City-Data Forum

LongIslandIceTea · 04-01-2009, 07:32 PM

Hey guys, I need some professional suggestions! I'm in the contract of a new construction near beach, but found a few cracks in the concrete foundation (see attached images). The builder says it is typical in long island since the house is built on sands. Is it true? Are they serious problems? Do I need to have an engineer to check it out? Any one can recommend a good engineer?

Many thanks.

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rocafeller05 · 04-01-2009, 07:36 PM

I would def. have a engineer take a look a those cracks. They are not hairline stress cracks. And they look they run from top to bottom. Maybe the builder poured below 32 degrees with no additives added?
Im sure KBinspections will chime in soon.

Arron · 04-01-2009, 07:37 PM

ummm..... that doesn't look good...

Mjeacoma · 04-01-2009, 11:19 PM

please let us know how it works out! Also get an engineer asap....

HappySpring · 04-02-2009, 07:01 AM

I'm no expert, but hey, that looks really, really bad.
I had a hair line crack on my foundation near the where you attach the hose. Well I didn't have the hose on tight when I went to water my shrubs and the water leaked down and into where the hairline crack was and it went thru the wall and into my basement.
My house was built in 2002.

Mine was a real hairline crack that was visable from the inside as well as the outside. What you have looks like an enormous crack.!

LOL

Can you see the crack in the foundation wall inside as well ? If So I think this is a serious problem that would require repair.

I would get an engineer in right away.

Good Luck !!!!

LocalX · 04-02-2009, 07:49 AM

The builder is full of you know what, are you on a slab or have a basement?

LongIslandIceTea · 04-02-2009, 10:11 AM

Thanks all. It only has a crawl space, so I couldn't tell how bad it looks inside.
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atypicalLIer · 04-02-2009, 10:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LongIslandIceTea

Hey guys, I need some professional suggestions! I'm in the contract of a new construction near beach, but found a few cracks in the concrete foundation (see attached images). The builder says it is typical in long island since the house is built on sands. Is it true? Are they serious problems? Do I need to have an engineer to check it out? Any one can recommend a good engineer?

Many thanks.

Your 'builder' is FULL of Baloney. If he's misrepresenting the foundation now, what other significant structural problems can you look forward to in the future?

Be prepared to have your attorney involved, this might not be pretty.

1) The hole for the foundation might have been dug too deep and then back filled to bring it to the proper height. The fill wasn't given proper time to settle and the cracks are stress points where the fearth under the foundation is settling.

2) There may be issues with the footings.

3) The foundation might have been backfilled too soon -- backfilling a green foundation will cause issues.

4) The concrete mix might have been incorrect for the weather it was poured in.

These are only a few exanples.

Is this a rebuild on an existing structure, or is this completely new construction from the ground up?

The builder might tell you, "Well it passed inspection." Don't accept that. Go with your gut and get an engineer in there. I will IM you a name of a man I have worked with.

One of my neighbors became a 'builder'. He is trained in computer programming. Too many people watch HGTV and learn just enough to become dangerous.

LongIslandIceTea · 04-02-2009, 11:02 AM

Thanks. It is a new construction. I'm definitely going to have an anengineer take a look. These cracks do look scary to me, although there is 6-year's warranty for structures.
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atypicalLIer · 04-02-2009, 11:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LongIslandIceTea

Thanks. It is a new construction. I'm definitely going to have an anengineer take a look. These cracks do look scary to me, although there is 6-year's warranty for structures.

What is to say the builder will be around next year, let alone in 6 years to honor any warranty? The fact that he is trying to pass the cracks off on sandy earth tells me that he will try and blame any other defects on the earth in an effort to avoid warranty work.

If this is a crawlspace, I would definitely want to know more about the structure's footings. If his foundation is half-assed, I would wager he cut a lot of corners elsewhere, too.