All Forum Posts by: Gary Landon

Amir

As a structural engineer I would recommend that your first step is to contact a reputable investor friendly structural engineer to assess the damage and provide some preliminary repair options.  I would be glad to help you out but I live across the country from you.  I have provided design repairs for similar walls as you described with repair costs ranging from $5K to over $20K depending on the wall size.  One thing I would caution you on is that if one wall has a defect the other may have similar flaws that have not shown up yet.  Your structural engineer should be able to help you out.  After getting preliminary input from engineer contact a contractor for pricing.

I hope this helps a bit.  I would be excited about this opportunity for the right price.

Taylor

Is this a brick veneer house.  It looks like from your picture that the brick may have been placed on the concrete slab which has settled.  I looked at a similar house this week that appeared to have the same issue.  I am a structural engineer so I was able to assess the problem quickly.  The cracks were not caused by foundation settlement but simply the exterior slab that it rested on.  The fix for the one I looked at should be minor unless someone talks the new owner into foundation repairs.

Keep in min that the $300 to $350 will only get you an opinion if there is a condition that's needs repair.  If you do have foundation problems you may also have other structural issues that need to be addressed.  A structural engineer should be able to tell you if there are other apparent problems with the wall and roof framing.  As a structural engineer, I would want to get the opinion and recommendations of foundation repair options from a geotechnical engineer.  How are the mechanical and electrical systems?  Do you know if there are any liens on the property?

Keep in mind that a foundation contractor is in the business of fixing foundations to make money. I have worked with several good and reputable foundation repair companies in my area but I have also had a geotechnical and structural engineer evaluate the repairs before proceeding.

Is the wall you are removing and adding the header a bearing wall?  If it is, check with your building official about the permit requirements.  They will probably tell you that the header needs to be designed by a structural engineer and design details submitted for review.  Does your costs included engineering, permitting, post supports for the header, and possible foundation work?  If this is a bearing wall, I would add another couple thousand.

You will need a structural and geotechnical engineer to provide an inspection and recommendations. From your description it sounds like you are pretty much buying the land.  The foundation will likely have to be underpinned, the house stripped of all cabinets doors and windows, the drywall removed, the structural framing replaced or repaired, probably a new roof, new gypboard, new or replaced windows doors windows, and cabinets $$$$$$.   If you are looking at around 1000 square feet of space, my fist guess at a repair budget would be in the range of $75k to $100K.  It could be less or it could be more but this is the number I would use to make a decision if I wanted to make the offer.  Are there any liens on the property? $10k sounds almost to good to be true.    I would be concerned about the fact that there are several vacant houses in the neighborhood.  This may be a great opportunity to buy several properties and start a revitalization project.  If I were in your shoes I would buy the property,  (assuming there are no other liens) and then look for other investors,(unless you have the funds yourself) to help with the much larger revitalization project.

From the pictures it is hard to tell,  but to me the cracks appear to be normal shrinkage and temperature cracks.  Monitor the cracks for several months to see if there is still movement. A little movement is typical.  If the cracks continue to open up, then call in your structural engineer.

If I was in your situation, I would want to know the dimensions of the tank.  A residential floor is required by code to be designed for 40 pounds per square foot for a framed floor.  If it is on the ground floor and a slab on grade it is much greater.  Is there a basement and tenants below the ground level?  A 75 gal tank on a 4' X 5' base can be safely stored on properly designed and constructed framed floor.  I would be most concerned about the ceramic tile cracking.  You have to be comfortable with your decision. 

Blair Poelman's recommendations are great if you have to comply.  Also, consider requiring the tank to be supported on a platform for structural  reasons  as I suggested above.

Seth

Your approach to having inspections done but not relying on the inspection alone is wise and will go a long ways to minimize risk.As far hidden structural defects there are several simple and easy things you can do yourself to identify possible symptoms of structural problems that may need correction.

• Roof and floors; look for any obvious sagging.Sometimes you can feel a floor slope just by walking on it.Also as you are walking on a floor, be aware of any excessive movement. I was looking a two story SFR that as I walked across the floor you could actually see water sloshing in a fish aquarium.Also listen for floor squeaks. The fix on this particular house was not too bad.The nailing of the floor sheathing had not been done properly and needed to be redone.The big cost was in the removal and replacement of the carpets and floor tiles.
• Ceilings;look for cracks and excessive deflections. Cracks in the middle of rooms can be an issue
• Walls; look for cracking in the walls.Small hairline cracks a common and normally not a problem.Also small cracks above window and door openings are common.Larger cracks may be a sign of foundation movement or improper construction of the wall framing.
• Foundations; walk around the building to observe any apparent foundation movements.While not major problem in the area, this can be an expensive fix.Thousands of dollars.
• Others; doors and window not opening and closing properly.Several things may be the cause of this including foundation settlement and framing problems. Check for displacement cracking in the walls around the openings.

Finding the cause of a structural defect is kind of like going to a doctor because you have pain.You know something is wrong but you do not know what the cause is. That is where the doctor and testing hopefully can pin point the cause.In the case of a building, a structural engineer may be able to help you out if you or your inspector suspect that there may be a structural defect.I would suggest that you have an experienced investor friendly structural engineer on your team to help you diagnose possible structural defects that you may suspect.

This may sound like a lot but from my experience, most single and multi-family residences do not exhibit symptoms of structural distress.If you do find a property that you are interested in and it appears to have some hidden defects, this may be a great opportunity to negotiate a good deal.

Hello Rick

It is hard to tell from the picture but it looks like two possible problems:

1.  Foundation settlement.

2.  The addition was not properly connected to the existing structure.

You should have a structural engineer and a contractor that is experienced with foundation underpinning take a look at it and give you an estimate or repairs.