Foundation Inspection Rec for Garage - Advice?

[Jerry Simon]

Think the odds are high that it's something serious?

I really want this house and if further inspection finds something costly we're going to have to walk. We don't have the funds to invest and seems like the sellers don't or aren't willing to.

IMHO, any inspector worth their salt shoulda been able to figure out the cause of the crack, or at least have a theory or two; and, as folk have said, an on-site inspection of the areas in close proximity to the cracking should reveal clues as to cause, and to determine if there should be any concern.

If there is on-going movement, the main concern, then there are usually signs of on-going movement (for example, patching and re-patching of floor areas or wall areas around/above the cracking).

We often say things not contained in our reports; did the inspector offer any insight?

[purplepear]

He didn't say anything beyond "see someone else." Of course.

We'll see him again later this week when he completes the inspection (on the listing agent's dime - he's an idiot and didn't have the gas on the first time around. The inspector also has to reinspect some repairs made by the seller). I'm going to press him hard and see if he'll at least float some theories. Guess we'll see what he's worth then.

[hausdok]

I'm with Jim,

It looks like the back of the garage got hit by a car. The old drywall is the brown stuff and the new drywall is the white stuff to the right. If the rebar in that stemwall didn't extend up into that last few inches from the top, and the wall got hit hard enough, the stemwall might have cracked horizontally just above the rebar.

The report was painful to read. You know it's bad when you've been doing this stuff for 16 years and you read someone's report and have to stop to ask yourself, "Now did he mean this, or did he mean that?" Total inspectorspeak.

Call him up and ask, "What is your basis for telling me to seek the opinion of an engineer? What is it about the crack that is unusual or abnormal? What are the possible consequences of leaving it the way it is and not doing anything about it? What can an engineer tell me from a strictly visual inspection of that crack that you couldn't?

ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!!

Mike

[Marc]

Think the odds are high that it's something serious?

I really want this house and if further inspection finds something costly we're going to have to walk. We don't have the funds to invest and seems like the sellers don't or aren't willing to.

Whether you buy this one or the next, arm yourself with a good home inspector.

What gets me the most about your post from your report is that this 1963 house didn't have anything 'major'. In 9 years of inspecting, I don't recall ever inspecting anything older than 20 years and not finding at least one major issue.

Start reading sample reports from inspector websites, anywhere in the country. In just a day's time, you'll learn how to recognize the better reports. You don't have to be an inspector to see the signs. After that, get sample reports from inspectors in your area, then choose. If they don't have a sample report, keep looking.

Better reports don't always mean better inspectors but they generally do.

Some of the best reports I've ever seen are from members of this forum, including some that have posted on this thread of yours.

Looking for a good inspector is like looking for a good house. They're all different. You have to work at it to learn which are the best.

Marc

[Garet]

What's this line? In my area, garage floor settlement is common and my first assumption is that's where the top of the floor was first cast. If so, that's a problem. I'd have to see it first-hand to tell.

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[Brandon Whitmore]

I'd hire the best inspector you can find to go back through the house........... I'm sure Jim Katen will go down there for the right price[:-magnify, but I have a feeling there's some great inspectors in that area.

Oh, and you don't need to fix open grounded GFCI receptacles.........they're safe.

[Ben H]

Think the odds are high that it's something serious?

I really want this house and if further inspection finds something costly we're going to have to walk. We don't have the funds to invest and seems like the sellers don't or aren't willing to.

Whether you buy this one or the next, arm yourself with a good home inspector.

What gets me the most about your post from your report is that this 1963 house didn't have anything 'major'. In 9 years of inspecting, I don't recall ever inspecting anything older than 20 years and not finding at least one major issue.

Start reading sample reports from inspector websites, anywhere in the country. In just a day's time, you'll learn how to recognize the better reports. You don't have to be an inspector to see the signs. After that, get sample reports from inspectors in your area, then choose. If they don't have a sample report, keep looking.

Better reports don't always mean better inspectors but they generally do.

Some of the best reports I've ever seen are from members of this forum, including some that have posted on this thread of yours.

Looking for a good inspector is like looking for a good house. They're all different. You have to work at it to learn which are the best.

Marc

If the inspector is half-ass honest this is great advice. However, I've got a few guys locally that have the most bullshit ridden sample reports you've ever seen.

The homes main picture is a 10-15 yr old house 500k house. The house has EVERYTHING wrong you can think of. K&T wiring, massive termite damage in the crawl space, cracks in the basement, etc. The took every problem you could think of and put in one report.

[fyrmnk]

Oh, and you don't need to fix open grounded GFCI receptacles.........they're safe.

I agree. As long as they're upgrades from 2 prong ungrounded receptacles, GFCI outlets don't require a ground wire installation to the outlet.

However if they were originally grounded, they're supposed to remain grounded.

[Marc]

Oh, and you don't need to fix open grounded GFCI receptacles.........they're safe.

I agree. As long as they're upgrades from 2 prong ungrounded receptacles.

However if you are wanting a surge protector to be used on one, I'd still install a ground wire so they will work.

That's one reason why I don't call them safe. Fix them. Change the wiring if you have to.

Marc

[kurt]

I finally read this thread just to see what's going on.

Does anyone out there honestly think this is anything other than some guy running his worthless HI software report program?

It's a garage. If the guy can't figure out a garage, I'd throw the entire report in the trash.

Quiz questions for the day........What part of the garage is holding anything up? (hint......it's not the floor or a curb.)

[purplepear]

I finally read this thread just to see what's going on.

Does anyone out there honestly think this is anything other than some guy running his worthless HI software report program?

It's a garage. If the guy can't figure out a garage, I'd throw the entire report in the trash.

Quiz questions for the day........What part of the garage is holding anything up? (hint......it's not the floor or a curb.)

Well this I'd like an answer to. Lol

[kurt]

I will concede that the answer is only slightly more complicated than elsewhere in the US of A due to Bay Area seismic activity, but it's still a garage.

Honest, if the guy can't understand a garage, do not trust any other thing in his report; he's got to be a total dweeb.

[Jim Katen]

What's this line? In my area, garage floor settlement is common and my first assumption is that's where the top of the floor was first cast. If so, that's a problem. I'd have to see it first-hand to tell.

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I think that line is an impression from the shiplap sheathing that they used to form the wall.

[hausdok]

What's this line? In my area, garage floor settlement is common and my first assumption is that's where the top of the floor was first cast. If so, that's a problem. I'd have to see it first-hand to tell.

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The line between where the slab was when it was placed and its current height is just above the slab. You can see a narrow clear area just above the surface and then the bottom edge of the rough surface where the fresh concrete splashed against the face of the stemwall when it was placed. It's so narrow that I don't think it's settled - it probably ended up there when the slab had finally finished curing and shrinking.

ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!!

Mike

[kurt]

I think that line is an impression from the shiplap sheathing that they used to form the wall.

Or something like that.

Until I see a full range of pictures establishing context, I think it's just crappy concrete work. In order to not appear too much the philistine, I will hold final judgment because there are a few things we don't know, but only because I understand there's some small possibility it could be something more than crappy concrete.

What'd Ghent say(?).....a lunchtime pour. That's what the pic looks like to me.