House Foundation Issues

Kelse92 · 04-09-2021, 08:33 AM

Houses settle.
-1 inch on a corner is not bad at all. I usually tell my clients not to start worrying unless its -2 or more. Keep an eye on it though. And the biggest thing is keep moisture away from the house. Maybe see about adding gutters or doing some landscaping over on this side to help divert the water away from the house.
Always remember too its a foundation company's job to sell you piers. More than you need usually. Get the engineers opinion and then take it to the foundation guys so you're not getting 20 different opinions.

zx10guy · 04-09-2021, 09:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dreamingat30fps

I don't understand why you think I'm so resistant. I just said my preliminary search didn't come up with anything. This is FL. Most everyone is a scammer of some kind. When I find one I trust I have no issue having them check it out.

I'm saying you're resistant because you were concerned enough to get a foundation repair company to look at your house. Then you asked a neighbor for their opinion. As I said, it's all speculation with no real certified expertise. If you are worried about being scammed, the likelihood of this happening with a structural engineer is slim to nil. They're all licensed Professional Engineers that go through extensive testing and mentoring by other Professional Engineers.

dreamingat30fps · 04-09-2021, 10:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by zx10guy

I'm saying you're resistant because you were concerned enough to get a foundation repair company to look at your house. Then you asked a neighbor for their opinion. As I said, it's all speculation with no real certified expertise. If you are worried about being scammed, the likelihood of this happening with a structural engineer is slim to nil. They're all licensed Professional Engineers that go through extensive testing and mentoring by other Professional Engineers.

That's because up until it was mentioned here I had no idea hiring a structural engineer for this was a thing. I know about home inspectors, but I wasn't sure they would have the tools and what not to check the foundation specifically. First thing that came to mind was a foundation company and my neighbor is across the street and always outside doing stuff so that literally took 5 sec to have him take a look. Hindsights 20/20.

At this point I think the best move is to cover up the small crack and keep an eye on it. If it comes back or gets bigger or what not then get a structural engineer to check it out and go from there based on their recommendation. Thanks guys!

DETRoadster · 04-09-2021, 01:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dreamingat30fps

At this point I think the best move is to cover up the small crack and keep an eye on it. If it comes back or gets bigger or what not then get a structural engineer to check it out and go from there based on their recommendation. Thanks guys!

That's the right track, man. Patch and monitor. But seriously, in the meantime, get some gutters and divert that water as far from your foundation as you can. water and foundations never mix. I dont care what style house you have or where in the world you live, diverting rainwater off your roof and as far away as you can get it from your foundation is always a good thing. Good luck!

XutvJet · 06-15-2022, 05:05 PM

You bring up a good point about the age of the home. Most movement happens in the first 10 years or so.

Stucco cracks like that aren't a big deal. I have then in my house and its been that way since we moved in back in 2006. They've gotten slightly worse.

If you've had extended and uncharacteristically wet or dry weather, it can result in foundation movement and once things go back to normal, cracks can get smaller. I've seen that in all three of the homes I've owned.

I would hold off on any work and spend a some cash on a structural engineer's evaluation.

dreamingat30fps · 06-15-2022, 09:36 PM

Well since this was resurrected I will update. Had the house painted shortly after finding the crack and so far the crack has not reappeared so. Good enough for me for now, got bigger fish to fry.

NYG · 06-16-2022, 11:53 AM

Old thread - not sure if you figured all this out yet.

I'm an SE/PE (design high rise steel/rcc structures and med rise masonry structures in nyc) - if you need any more advice feel free to ask/reach out.

Do you know what soil you're on top of?

Step-style crack is the first symptom of differential settlement (one corner of your building drops more than the others). Not sure exactly what the solution proposed to you was but it sounds like they want to tie back the footings/foundation wall which seems like overkill.

There's a lot of reasons why stucco can prematurely crack that isn't related to settlement but hard to say without a better idea of the situation.

04-09-2021, 08:33 AM	#23
Kelse92 Major 1132 Rep 1,366 Posts Drives: Former e92 M3 Owner Join Date: Aug 2018 Location: Dallas, TX iTrader: (0)	Houses settle. -1 inch on a corner is not bad at all. I usually tell my clients not to start worrying unless its -2 or more. Keep an eye on it though. And the biggest thing is keep moisture away from the house. Maybe see about adding gutters or doing some landscaping over on this side to help divert the water away from the house. Always remember too its a foundation company's job to sell you piers. More than you need usually. Get the engineers opinion and then take it to the foundation guys so you're not getting 20 different opinions. __________________ #ladydriven Heavy-spec M3 // KW Clubsports // AA x-pipe // Gintani muffler // Macht-Schnell intake // Gintani tune // OMP Seats // Too Many Apex Wheels // Stoptech ST-60 // Cobalt Friction brake pads
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06-15-2022, 05:05 PM	#27
XutvJet Major General 5540 Rep 5,366 Posts Drives: 2011 Cayman Base, 2016 M235 Join Date: Mar 2016 Location: Kansas City iTrader: (-1)	You bring up a good point about the age of the home. Most movement happens in the first 10 years or so. Stucco cracks like that aren't a big deal. I have then in my house and its been that way since we moved in back in 2006. They've gotten slightly worse. If you've had extended and uncharacteristically wet or dry weather, it can result in foundation movement and once things go back to normal, cracks can get smaller. I've seen that in all three of the homes I've owned. I would hold off on any work and spend a some cash on a structural engineer's evaluation.
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06-15-2022, 09:36 PM	#28
dreamingat30fps Lieutenant Colonel 5307 Rep 1,907 Posts Drives: Miata, Cayenne, Model 3, F350 Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: South Florida & NC iTrader: (1)	Well since this was resurrected I will update. Had the house painted shortly after finding the crack and so far the crack has not reappeared so. Good enough for me for now, got bigger fish to fry.
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06-16-2022, 11:53 AM	#29
NYG Brigadier General 10580 Rep 3,643 Posts Drives: Corvette Z06 Join Date: Feb 2017 Location: Brooklyn, NY iTrader: (0)	Old thread - not sure if you figured all this out yet. I'm an SE/PE (design high rise steel/rcc structures and med rise masonry structures in nyc) - if you need any more advice feel free to ask/reach out. Do you know what soil you're on top of? Step-style crack is the first symptom of differential settlement (one corner of your building drops more than the others). Not sure exactly what the solution proposed to you was but it sounds like they want to tie back the footings/foundation wall which seems like overkill. There's a lot of reasons why stucco can prematurely crack that isn't related to settlement but hard to say without a better idea of the situation.
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