Advice on repairing basement and potential structural issues

[Eli Moore]

I am looking at a property built in 1890. There are concerns with the basement/structure. There is water intrusion and potential structural damage, as detailed in the inspection report that I received from the seller. I am hoping for any advice/insights on how to proceed. My current plan is to schedule a basement specialist to come out and give a quote/inspection. Any advice will be useful. If anyone has any recommendations for this job in the Indianapolis area, it would be greatly appreciated. Here are some snap shots from the inspection report.

[Marcus Auerbach]

@Eli Moore - looks like an old Milwaukee brick basement. It is amazing how much these brick walls can bow out before actually failing, and it may be decades, but eventually they will. There is a good chance the walls sit on bare soil and do not have propper footings underneeth. 

Unfortunatley there is no easy solution, this basement is just past its useful life.

The only real solution here is to suspend the house on steel beams and then remove the basement from underneeth. I would also replace the old sewer lateral out to the street, which is made from clay tile. And the water main, which is probably a lead pipe. Then dig to native soil, form it out and pour new concrete footings and basement walls. That's all manual labor because you cant get an excavator under the house, unless you have room to move the house into he backyard. It can be done, but you are probably looking at six figures for this.

If the issue is limited to a few areas you can replace segments of the wall. You can also replace the temporary construction posts with permanent support, but you will have to cut the floor at least 24x24 and pour a concrete footing before setting a new post on top. 

My guess is the whole building has settled, so lots of slanted floors, sticky doors, walls out of plumb, which makes it difficult to hang cainets etc. Bring a marble to test the floors.

Replacing old carriage beams with new ones (which are straight) is a bad idea, as it will force the whole house to straighten out (and crack the plaster). Better to sister and support. Anything a carpenter can do is comparativley cheap to the above.

It can be done if it is a great house in a high value location, but frankly probably more eonomical to tear down and build new. Ask me how I know.