Would you buy a home with foundation issues? (floors, how much, pools)
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I'm under contract to buy a home and have learned that it has had the foundation repaired by Olshan with a Cable-Lock system. It may have settled a little more (since 2001) and one of the walls appears to have moisture in it in the basement. Not weeping but feels damp to the touch. I know the two are different issues but how difficult is it to stop water from entering the basement?
The foundation repair should have a lifetime warenty. Ask for the warrenty. If it was repaired and has moved, it should cost nothing to redo. If no warrenty, why? Olshan always has a lifetime warerenty. The water or damp basement is another issue I know little about. Someone else may have that information.
Now that you've been moved here, I don't know your location...
But here in Houston, I would buy a house with "fixed" foundation problems if it were an older home. Because our soil is garbage, and *everything* will settle eventually. Even well-built homes.
But a home newer 10-15 years? Not a chance. I would worry that the foundation was poorly laid to begin with.
If properly performed a home with piers is many times much better than one that has not been, at least in areas with active soils. Here in the Blacklands (expansive clay soil) there is a saying among Engineers that "It is not a matter of if a homes foundation moves, it is a matter of when and how much?". A home that has experienced settlement and required piers has its weak points identified and repaired. Many times that makes it better than a home that is waiting to have problems.
It should be noted though that additional movement might potentially indicate a pier job that has not been completely performed. Yes, there is most likely a warranty for the pier work but if you are purchasing the home I would highly recommend that you have a good licensed Engineer, highly intimate with residential foundations, review the new movement, review the original piering documentation, and make a determination if the job was performed properly and if this is just the odd case of additional settlement.
There are many causes for the additional movement and can be as simple as mud packed piers, a condition that occurs if dirt is caught between pier sections, or between the pier and foundation. When the dirt washes out finally it causes additional settlement. The Cable-Lock system is a series of sectioned pier elements that are inserted one on top of the other and a hydraulic ram is used to push them into the ground. It is possible that mud packing, or other installation issues caused the new movement.
As for waterproofing the basement walls, it is difficult to say without having a full view of the conditions. It can be as simple as using a waterproof coating applied to the interior walls. On the other hand it could also require excavation of the exterior to reapply the waterproof coating there. You do not mention if there are any imperfections in the visible parts of the wall which might indicate cracking, spalling or other issues that can contribute to the dampness. I may be in the land of virtually no basements (Dallas, TX) but I'm just a damn Yankee transplant and know basements. When the Engineer comes to review the foundation movement the Engineer can also review the wall dampness issue and provide insight in that area as well.
I agree with descovy. I'd have no problem buying an older home with a foundation problem because it will have finished settling and you can be certain of what you're getting. A newer home with a foundation problem is a disaster because you can fix the problem and the house will likely settle again and an even greater problem can present itself.
Thanks for all the insight. I'm having the home inspected tomorrow and will post some pictures of the questionable areas tomorrow evening. I have obtained the Olshan warranty but was concerned because it's a forclosure. That being said I don't have the option to speak with the former owner and get the full details. I do know this... The home was built in 1994 and Olshan did the repairs in 2001 and another firm added supports in the basement to level the floors at the same time. It's a 1.5 story over a full basement.
A newer home with a foundation problem is a disaster because you can fix the problem and the house will likely settle again and an even greater problem can present itself.
I had serious foundation problems in a new home I purchased. After many years, and the lawsuit was settled, I had the foundation repaired with piers. With that system, the pier supports go all the way down to hard rock, no matter how far that may be, ten feet to hundreds, so the house is now sitting on solid rock, and will never move. If the job is done properly, doesn't matter how new or how old, it will never settle again...
Here are some pictures if anyone cares to take a look. We found that the water appears to be coming from a downspout that exits at the foot of the house and just pools due to poor grading.
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