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Updated about 9 years ago on . Most recent reply
I-beam coming through concrete basement wall
Hello all!
I looked at a house recently, here in the Kansas City area, and noticed something on the outside basement wall. Some of the concrete has fallen away, and the ends of the I-beam (that holds up the joists in the basement) are visible from outside the house. Is this bad?
I haven't been able to look inside the house yet; I may do that early next week. I didn't notice any other big cracks in the parts of the basement walls I could see, but most of them are below grade and I can't see them from the outside of the house. I was just wondering if this is a "run away screaming" kind of thing or not. :)
More background: The house was built in about 1972. The basement is roughly 50 feet by 25 feet - two-car garage in one half, living area in other half. The house is on the side of a hill - not on the top, but not in a low spot, either. I don't know how long it's been like this; it's been at least long enough for somebody to repaint the outside of the basement wall, and paint over the cracked concrete and the end of the I-beam. However, this may have been done in the past few months, as the house was being prepped to sell.
Here is a picture, in case that helps. I just showed the detail for one end of the I-beam, but both ends of the I-beam are visible through their respective foundation walls. There are also three steel columns supporting the I-beam, spaced fairly evenly throughout the basement.
Thanks!
Matt R.
Most Popular Reply

It would only worry me if there were no lolly columns in the basement to spread out the load . Sometimes they set the beam and then concrete around it , that may have just come loose.