We are looking into purchasing this home from the 1940s. The house has a full block foundation with basement and the porch has a block crawl space foundation. The issue is found on the porch. Second picture is east side front corner of porch. Third picture is west side front corner of porch. Fourth picture is west side back corner where the porch meets the house. Any ideas? Should we run from this house?
Settling Brick Issues? (US poster)
- Thread starter Miapuff
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I see from the agent's pic that it's built on a hill. It has quite a bit of movement, perhaps it is trying to move down to the valley. If so, it will not stop without some serious work.
Construction methods in your country are not the same as here, but I wouldn't consider buying a house with such movement unless (1) it was underpriced for the location, and (2) a structural engineer had told me how it could be stabilised and repaired, or the cost of demolishing it and building anew.
If every part of the house is sound apart from the porch, it might just be inadequate porch foundations, so that could be knocked down and rebuilt.
It looks to me as if it used to be quite a small house and has been extended into the roof. Sometimes houses that were built small have foundations intended for a small house, that are inadequate for the extra load of extension.
If it is built on rock, it definitely needs an engineer with local knowledge as stability is unknown.
Construction methods in your country are not the same as here, but I wouldn't consider buying a house with such movement unless (1) it was underpriced for the location, and (2) a structural engineer had told me how it could be stabilised and repaired, or the cost of demolishing it and building anew.
If every part of the house is sound apart from the porch, it might just be inadequate porch foundations, so that could be knocked down and rebuilt.
It looks to me as if it used to be quite a small house and has been extended into the roof. Sometimes houses that were built small have foundations intended for a small house, that are inadequate for the extra load of extension.
If it is built on rock, it definitely needs an engineer with local knowledge as stability is unknown.
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As Del Shannon once said - Run away.
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Miapuff, good evening.
OK It is difficult for us over here to understand repair practices in the US also we have no understanding of ground conditions and original build specifications
There is [an obvious] large degree of movement in the porch, However, the movement does not at first appear to be downward [Subsidence] rather, especially in Pic 2 it appears that the bricks have been displaced outward to the left hand side of the Image posted, by what could be 25.mm [one Inch] Minimum, this is noticeable if you copy and paste the posted image into a format that allows zooming in Etc.
Going back to Subsidence at first glance [Pic 2] the base blocks appear to be sensibly level along their top surfaces where the blocks meet the brickwork.
In your Image Pic 3 there is a definite almost vertical crack in the base block, which is mirrored internally Pic 4 such distortion is more representative of Subsidence [a crack that starts at ground level]
Now where to go?
As johnD above price considerations? Etc.
How long has the property been offered for Sale? sometimes a steer on something amiss where other prospective purchasers have looked, investigated and walked away?
If your heart is set on the property / location then you will probably be looking at serious $$$ to effect a repair?? to the porch, such things as a Soils investigation to determine the bearing pressure of the ground below the porch, Structural Engineers input [and cost] as well as a Builder to remove and re-build the porch.
On another front how would a prospective lender react to this situation? over here it is unlikely that a mortgage lender would be up for the challenge?
If it were me, i would walk away?
Ken
OK It is difficult for us over here to understand repair practices in the US also we have no understanding of ground conditions and original build specifications
There is [an obvious] large degree of movement in the porch, However, the movement does not at first appear to be downward [Subsidence] rather, especially in Pic 2 it appears that the bricks have been displaced outward to the left hand side of the Image posted, by what could be 25.mm [one Inch] Minimum, this is noticeable if you copy and paste the posted image into a format that allows zooming in Etc.
Going back to Subsidence at first glance [Pic 2] the base blocks appear to be sensibly level along their top surfaces where the blocks meet the brickwork.
In your Image Pic 3 there is a definite almost vertical crack in the base block, which is mirrored internally Pic 4 such distortion is more representative of Subsidence [a crack that starts at ground level]
Now where to go?
As johnD above price considerations? Etc.
How long has the property been offered for Sale? sometimes a steer on something amiss where other prospective purchasers have looked, investigated and walked away?
If your heart is set on the property / location then you will probably be looking at serious $$$ to effect a repair?? to the porch, such things as a Soils investigation to determine the bearing pressure of the ground below the porch, Structural Engineers input [and cost] as well as a Builder to remove and re-build the porch.
On another front how would a prospective lender react to this situation? over here it is unlikely that a mortgage lender would be up for the challenge?
If it were me, i would walk away?
Ken
E
EddieM
Pic 4 looks bad to me...
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Why is there a soldier courses in that location?
Is it because they are on some steel/lintel?
Is it because they are on some steel/lintel?
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