Structural
Serious structural problems in houses are not very
common, but when they occur they are never cheap to
fix. Some can’t be fixed at all. This report won’t
turn you into an expert, but it will give you some
of the common indicators.
Leaning House
While no
house is perfect, this is one area where you should
be very careful. Take a look at the house from
across the street. If the house appears to be
leaning one way or the other, there may be a
structural problem. It may help to line up a front
corner of the house with the back corner of an
adjacent house just for reference. The corners
should be parallel. Stepping back from the house to
take a look is always a good idea. It is easy to
miss something major by standing too close to it! If
there is a lean that is detectable by eye, don’t
take any chances, get it checked out.
Uneven Floors
Uneven
floors are typical, particularly in older homes.
Here is a trick to help distinguish between a
typical home with character and a structural
problem.
If the floor sags to
the middle of the home, it’s probably just a
charming old home. Houses are like people, they sag
in the middle when they get older. On the other
hand, if the floor slopes towards an outside wall,
there is a good chance that the house has a
significant structural problems.
Horizontal
Foundation Cracks Are Bad
It is not uncommon to
find cracks in the foundation. This goes for new
houses as well as old ones. While there is a great
deal of engineering that goes into “reading” these
cracks, there is one rule that you should never
forget. “Horizontal cracks are a problem”. Of
course not all vertical cracks are acceptable, but
they are generally not as serious as a horizontal
crack.
Harmless Cracks
Shrinkage cracks in a
new house: Most new foundations will develop small
vertical cracks. These cracks are a result of the
concrete shrinking as it cures. These cracks are
about 1 /8 inch wide or less. They don’t affect the
structure. The only concern is leakage. If you see
small cracks in a new foundation, don’t panic. In
fact, in a new home, some builders will pre-crack
the foundation and fill the crack with flexible
material.
Plaster Cracks
Few things are more misunderstood than plaster
cracks on the inside of the house.
The following
crack types are not generally related to structural
movement:
The following cracks
may be related to structural movement –
-
Large cracks (larger than 1 /4 inch in width)
-
Cracks that run diagonally across the wall
-
Cracks on the interior finish that are in the same
vicinity as cracks on the exterior of the house.
