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Inspecting Residential Foundations
by Ian Webster

Here are a few questions you may want to ask about the foundation that’s holding up the house you are contemplating buying: 1. What building codes were in effect when the house was built? Was the foundation inspected properly during construction? 2. The age of the structure? If it was built a long time ago construction methods and materials could affect the quality of the foundation. 3. Was the work done by a licensed contractor?

For at least the past 40 years or so most single story homes were built with proper foundations. But there are areas of the country that have what are called “expansive”, or, soft soils. These type of soils can present a settling problem as they tend to move under the weight of the house above. Especially when there is any water present. A foundation wall that has not been properly reinforced will tend to crack as it spans the soft soil area. The amount the footing moves depends on many factors, the extent of the soft soils, the load imposed on the footing from the house above and the depth of the stem wall. Whatever the cause, large cracks are easily seen from both the outside and inside.

There are times when the crack in the wall is not severe enough to cause damage to the structure above, but can be a source of groundwater infiltration. Cracks or openings that allow water into the basement or under the house can usually be sealed and made watertight. But it is always a good idea to check the structure above to see if any of the frame walls have moved. Look carefully around the openings that are over the crack in the foundation. If there is movement in the walls you should see cracks in the finish that extend out from the corners of the opening at a 45 degree angle. If the crack is vertical it means that the floor under the wall has moved which should be obvious just by looking at it. Sometimes these cracks can be covered over with plaster, paint or paneling, but it is difficult to hide any significant damage.

If the damage to the footing is severe enough to need repair, where do you start? It is both risky and cost prohibitive to remove the soil beneath the footing and try to replace it with adequate support of any type. The only practical way is to bridge the settled area with some structural support. This can involve jacking up the floor under the settled floor framing and providing a cross support to keep the framing above in place. This is an area where a local engineer can help solve the problem. It does not take long and the cost is usually quite low to have a proper structural solution to the problem that will actually work and keep the settlement from reoccurring. Just patching and painting over the sheetrock or plaster cracks will only hide the problem temporarily, and the cracks will soon reappear.

It is not often that a single story house has any real structural damage to the foundation walls. Unless the house was very poorly built in the first place, you shouldn’t have to worry about the normal amount of cracking that goes on with any concrete placement. Two story homes will, of course, impose greater loads on the footings and would generally need a closer look just to make sure everything is alright. If you are looking at houses in an area of the country where clay soils are common, foundation and frame wall inspection is very important as those types of soils tend to move, especially when water is present, and the damage to a house can be significant.

Second opinions are worth the time and cost if you are unsure about whether to purchase a house for repair and resale.

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