Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I don't know, this one sounds bad. The fact that the problem is in a new addition is more troublesome to me than if it was in an old part. I would just walk, especially in this market. Is there a reason you really like this house? Good luck.
The unusual part is that the foundation is leaning "out"- typically the problem is soil pressure pushing the foundation "in". Something sounds very fishy, and you really need to have a structural engineer check it out- you couls be looking at a 5-figure fix quite easily.
inspection found that the house extension done 2 years ago of the house we're planning to purchase has an unstable foundation. the kitchen was expanded as was the basement. the new section of basement under the kitchen has 2 cracks in the wall that meet at the bottom (picture a "U"). the inside of the "u" is leaning out towards the outside of the house. inspector said the kitchen above could collapse if this structural issue isn't fixed. i've heard that often new construction takes a few years to settle, has anyone experienced something like this? should we walk? we really like this house, but my husband is concerned this might be a chronic problem.
there are many other issues with the house (it's quite old), but this is the biggest one.
Yes....its not unusual at all to find "settlement" in the foundation of an older home, however, the term settlement indicates a downward motion.....not side to side. Side to side shifting of a foundation is not "normal" or acceptable under any circumstances !!! Assuming your foundation is block the most common shifting of a block foundation over the years is inward.....not outward. Inward because poor drainage or water accumulation at the foundation freezes in the winter, expands, and pushes the foundation inward requiring reinforcing or replacement. Outward movement of the foundation will also require repair to stabilize the foundation as once a foundation starts to shift inward or outward it never stops on its own.
thank you so much everyone for your very valuable input. my husband spoke with our lawyer who basically said it's the worst inspection report he's ever read. there were lots of other things wrong with the house - possible asbestos being one, i didn't realize that was a really bad problem. and the roof had problems where it'd basically need to be completely torn down to the rafters and rebuilt (it has the original wood shingles from when it was first built and the 3rd layer of shingles is completely worn down). so, i think we're going to have to pull out.
thank you so much everyone for your very valuable input. my husband spoke with our lawyer who basically said it's the worst inspection report he's ever read. there were lots of other things wrong with the house - possible asbestos being one, i didn't realize that was a really bad problem. and the roof had problems where it'd basically need to be completely torn down to the rafters and rebuilt (it has the original wood shingles from when it was first built and the 3rd layer of shingles is completely worn down). so, i think we're going to have to pull out.
Yikes! Worst inspection report ever! Glad your lawyer is looking out for you. Yeah, I don't think you'll regret walking on this one.
thank you so much everyone for your very valuable input. my husband spoke with our lawyer who basically said it's the worst inspection report he's ever read. there were lots of other things wrong with the house - possible asbestos being one, i didn't realize that was a really bad problem. and the roof had problems where it'd basically need to be completely torn down to the rafters and rebuilt (it has the original wood shingles from when it was first built and the 3rd layer of shingles is completely worn down). so, i think we're going to have to pull out.
THree layers of shingles is illegal.....code only allows two.....in the case of a wood shingle roof the wood shingle roof counts as one layer.....everything needs to be torn off to the rafters and a layer of plywood added before you can apply a new roof....its very costly.
there were lots of other things wrong with the house - possible asbestos being one, i didn't realize that was a really bad problem.
It depends on the type of asbestos material and the condition it's in.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
