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I went to look at a home today and found that the basement floor/foundation has a crack that ran throughout. The thing is that there are two rooms that are finished and have carpeting, and then another room that is unfinished and has multiple slabs of concrete. The cracks are in the room with the concrete and it runs through both slabs, which seems odd.
The finished rooms very well may have the cracks underneath the carpeting as well.
The problem is that during a major storm several years ago, the owners say that water seaped into the cracks. They have since sealed it up.
I have no idea how good such a sealant is, nor do I understand why they didn't seal it before they had a chance for a storm to do this.
They claim no water damage in the basement, but they were running an air filter down there.
What is the best way to approach this? I like the house, but do not want to go through the trouble of bidding if there are major issues, because I have no idea how to properly price the cost of such a repair. Should I approach the seller to allow us to have an engineer to inspect this one issue prior to a bid? Or should I make an offer contingent on the seller paying the cost of a special separate inspection by the engineer (not a regular home inspector) that I choose?
Or should I just walk away? The other thing is that there is a lot of wet lands on one side of the house and I have no idea if there are further water issues below the house. I'd like to know why the foundation broke to begin with, is there some kind of water presure or shifting ground underneath the house? The house is in New Hampshire.
I went to look at a home today and found that the basement floor/foundation has a crack that ran throughout. The thing is that there are two rooms that are finished and have carpeting, and then another room that is unfinished and has multiple slabs of concrete. The cracks are in the room with the concrete and it runs through both slabs, which seems odd.
The finished rooms very well may have the cracks underneath the carpeting as well.
The problem is that during a major storm several years ago, the owners say that water seaped into the cracks. They have since sealed it up.
I have no idea how good such a sealant is, nor do I understand why they didn't seal it before they had a chance for a storm to do this.
They claim no water damage in the basement, but they were running an air filter down there.
What is the best way to approach this? I like the house, but do not want to go through the trouble of bidding if there are major issues, because I have no idea how to properly price the cost of such a repair. Should I approach the seller to allow us to have an engineer to inspect this one issue prior to a bid? Or should I make an offer contingent on the seller paying the cost of a special separate inspection by the engineer (not a regular home inspector) that I choose?
Or should I just walk away? The other thing is that there is a lot of wet lands on one side of the house and I have no idea if there are further water issues below the house. I'd like to know why the foundation broke to begin with, is there some kind of water presure or shifting ground underneath the house? The house is in New Hampshire.
Thanks for any advice you can offer.
If you really like the house, make an offer subject to the engineers/inspectors report; if it comes in ok, move ahead, if not, either renegotiate or walk away.
That's my 2 cents
Cracks are normal in concrete, if they have already had it sealed then there should not be a problem. Epoxy injection is just as strong as the concrete itself and repairs it's structural integrity.
It is still wise to have a home inspector look at any house you plan on buying. Make sure all permits for previously done work were pulled and oked. I have repaired some major problems that homeowners started but realized they didn't have the knowledge to complete on their own.
Cracks are normal in concrete, if they have already had it sealed then there should not be a problem. Epoxy injection is just as strong as the concrete itself and repairs it's structural integrity.
It is still wise to have a home inspector look at any house you plan on buying. Make sure all permits for previously done work were pulled and oked. I have repaired some major problems that homeowners started but realized they didn't have the knowledge to complete on their own.
Well how can one tell if there is not a structural problem that may just re-break the concrete somewhere else in the slabs? Is that worth having a structural engineer look at it? If they did the sealant themselves, I guess that would be a big negative? Is a permit required (typically?) for filling cracks in the foundation/basement floor?
Also, would it be worth re-doing the basement floor and getting a new warranty? What would that cost (typicall?) for a ~3k sq foot home?
If you really like the house, make an offer subject to the engineers/inspectors report; if it comes in ok, move ahead, if not, either renegotiate or walk away.
That's my 2 cents
Does this mean we should not make our offer based on our perceived concerns, but make it as if they all come back as not being a problem? And only if they are a problem do we seek to change the price? Or should we pad some of the offer lower in anticipation of negative reports?
Describe the cracks....are they hairline? Is there vertical displacement (one side is higher than the other)? Does it start out hairline and get wider as it progresses?
Permits depend on area. You will pay a premium for and engineer when all you need is a home inspector. Don't make things more complicated than they are. Don't try to lower the price of the home for something that is probably nothing to be worried about.
- Try to find out everything you can about the home's drainage situation and how the foundation is waterproofed. Do they have a french drain? If so, where does it discharge? Is there a sump pump?
- Concrete is indeed prone to cracks, however the water seepage usually indicates a drainage problem. There should be a perimeter drain tile (usually buried outside by the footing), and that drain should collect any water around the foundation and divert it to a known place or a sump pump. Those drains however tend to clog because they are buried and not easily serviceable. Modern homes have installed internal perimeter drainage along the basement walls that can be flushed as needed.
- Not all foundation cracks must be taken lightly. You should have a structural engineer take a look, specially if there is seepage.
The good news is, none of the above are necessarily a reason for you to walk out of the deal.
Some waterproofing and foundation repair companies offer free estimates for real estate transaction purposes. I other words, they will go to the home, evaluate the problem, give you a written estimate at no charge.
You can then use that as basis to negotiate down the price of the home, or have the homeowner fix the problem. Reputable waterproofing companies offer lifetime transferable warranty, so even if they are the ones who fix the problem, you will be covered by the warranty after you become the owner.
- Try to find out everything you can about the home's drainage situation and how the foundation is waterproofed. Do they have a french drain? If so, where does it discharge? Is there a sump pump?
- Concrete is indeed prone to cracks, however the water seepage usually indicates a drainage problem. There should be a perimeter drain tile (usually buried outside by the footing), and that drain should collect any water around the foundation and divert it to a known place or a sump pump. Those drains however tend to clog because they are buried and not easily serviceable. Modern homes have installed internal perimeter drainage along the basement walls that can be flushed as needed.
- Not all foundation cracks must be taken lightly. You should have a structural engineer take a look, specially if there is seepage.
The good news is, none of the above are necessarily a reason for you to walk out of the deal.
Some waterproofing and foundation repair companies offer free estimates for real estate transaction purposes. I other words, they will go to the home, evaluate the problem, give you a written estimate at no charge.
You can then use that as basis to negotiate down the price of the home, or have the homeowner fix the problem. Reputable waterproofing companies offer lifetime transferable warranty, so even if they are the ones who fix the problem, you will be covered by the warranty after you become the owner.
The basement in my previous house had a crack in it. Most houses with basements do. There is a rule of thumb about the width shouldn't be larger than "x" number of inches. We were told that as long as there was no water or no bugs coming out of it then it was ok. We never had a problem.
Make an offer contingent on the inspection and specifically about that crack. You can walk away if the inspector says its a problem of if the problem is more than it is worth.
Good luck!
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