Replies

1. 
   Gabe | Mar 16, 2003 02:05am | #1

   Start off by calling your "house inspector" and ask him exactly which house he was inspecting. Must of been one down the street.

   Bring him back and tell him he has a problem and what does he recommend a solution would be.

   Slab on grade that has settled can be a bit of a pain. The bulge in the wall can be fun too.

   First you have to know that the settling part is done. Then you have to decide the cost/benefit to the repairs.

   Have you ever done this kind of work before?

   Gabe

1. 
   CANTSANDIT | Mar 16, 2003 10:30pm | #2

   YORE RIGHT HE DOES HAVE A PROBLEM BUT HOWEVER SO DO I IN REGARD TO THE REPAIR IM THINKING  LIFTING THE MAIN SUPPORT AND POURING EXTRA LARGE FOOTINGS AND ADDING NEW LALLY COLUMS ASFAR AS THE BULGE GOES OPENING THE CEILINGS  USING SOME COME ALONGS AND SOME REBAR THREADED ON BOTH ENDS AND PLACING THEM EVERY 4' OR SO ALONG THE ENTIRE WIDTH OF THE HOUSE BY ALL MEANS NO SMALL TASK BUT AM I ON THE RIGHT TRACK?   THANKS AGAIN.

1. 
   UncleDunc | Mar 16, 2003 11:02pm | #3

   Your first message was a lot easier to read than this one. All caps and the near absence of punctuation make it real tough to figure out what you're trying to say.

2. 
   GUNN308 | Mar 16, 2003 11:48pm | #5

   If the inspector has been paid he has NO PROBLEM, have you ever read one of thier contracts? I have they are written by a Philadelphia lawyer, the one I read said in a round about way, if I can't see it I'm not responsible. I would jack and repair or replace bearing wall then see if that has pushed Js to the sheathing, if not and you have at least 2"bearing on plate, your next step is, can I live with it?, is it worth all the pullin, gruntin, & groanin for 3/4"? let alone all the extra mess

1. 
   MajorWool | Mar 19, 2003 10:51am | #10

   I totally agree with your assessment of home inspectors "recommended" by the realtor, and with the wording in their contracts. Mine missed more than he found. You think he'd notice the service neutral wasn't connected. This was picked up by an engineering friend of mine a few days before the new service panel was put in. I'm not dissing them in general; just be suspicious of one recommended by a realtor. In retrospect, I'm glad I didn't use her recommended mortgage broker. Might be paying 10% ;-)

   As a result, I have learned alot of stuff about houses that I never intended to learn. I've since gone and looked at places that friends were considering. I might not see everything, but I've learned enough to red-flag things that are obvious to me. Plus, I'm free and not connected to any realtor with a vested interest.

   Of course, the realtor we had for this house wasn't even called as we started looking for a house on the coast.

2. 
   rjw | Mar 19, 2003 12:13pm | #11

   If the inspector has been paid he has NO PROBLEM, have you ever read one of thier contracts? I have they are written by a Philadelphia lawyer, the one I read said in a round about way, if I can't see it I'm not responsible.

   And what's wrong with that?  You get what you pay for, and that's the way the system works.

   I offer my customers a choice: an ASHI standard visual inspection (in fact, all standards of practice for home inspeftions, including those adopted by various states limit the inspection to a visual inspection) or an upgraded inspection with invasive testing, various forms of analyses such as heating and cooling load and electrical load calculatgions etc, at a higher price.  The largest HI company in my area does the same.

   That company has done about 26,000 inspections; I've done about 2,000 - not one customer has ever asked fore the higher level inspecion.  Probably becasue they don't want to pay the amount that would be involved.

   And, do you think we can start tearing walls and stuff open during a routine inspection?  Of a house that doesn't belong to the customer yet?

   _______________________

   "I may have said the same thing before... But my explanation, I am sure, will always be different."  Oscar Wilde

3. 
   Gabe | Mar 17, 2003 12:15am | #7

   You're asking me to give an opinion based on a minimal description.

   Seems you're going to extremes but I don't know the whole picture so it's hard to judge.

   Any chance of you posting pictures or reasonable sketches?

   Gabe

2. 
   Davo304 | Mar 16, 2003 11:45pm | #4

   CANTSANDIT,

   You say "recently" purchased, how long ago is "recently?"... a few months...less than a year?... what?

   Contact your original home inspector AND contact your City and/or County Building Inspector ( which ever has jursidiction for your home location) AND contact your Home Insurance Agent.

   Ask your insurance agent to come and see the problems and try to co-ordinate his/her visit to meet  with the other inspectors on site at your home. Let them as a group tell you what procedures you should follow.  I'm betting that the City/County B.I. will know how to handle this situation ( as far as correcting the physical problems you have stated), and I'm also betting that your home insurance will cover most of the repair work....I'm also thinking that both the B.I. and the insurance rep will want to meet with your original home inspector to discuss just what was filed in his /her original report.

   I would not do any work until at the very least, your insurance company is first contacted and has been apprised of the situation.

   It sounds as though the structural integrity is not sound. Seek professional advice from someone who will see your home first hand and has such knowledge...(such as a structural/City Engineer or Architect...a competent Building Inspector....etc.) Do not rely on any "quick fixes" that you want to attempt on your own AND do not attempt any corrective measures mentioned soley by your original home inspector without first double-checking with someone more compentent( Engineer, B.I., etc.)

   It seems as though your home inspector sold you a bill of goods.

   Just curious....who arranged for this inspection?....was it you...or was it by a realator who was representing the sellers?  Or from a bank who was providing the loan? If this inspection took place on arrangement from a realestate office who was trying to sell you this home...there could be some legal ramifications against them as well.

   Unfortunately, a lot of home inspectors working on arrangement with a relator, will "gloss" over certain problems in order for the realestate agent to still be able to make a sell. If a home inspector finds too many faults with a house and the house does not get sold, the relator may no longer use that home inspector ever again. This may or may not be the case in your instance, but it does occur from time to time.

   What I'm getting at is this....I don't know what state this is in, or what your laws are there concerning such matters, but in some states, and in many cases, this sort of thing can be rectified without you having to dip into your own pocket. Do seriously check this out.

   Just my 2 cents worth.

   LOL

   Davo

1. 
   GUNN308 | Mar 17, 2003 12:05am | #6

   you guys are fast ayuh I know my typing is slow but in Maine realtor, inspector, home owners insurance will all defer to caveat emptor or buyer beware . Couple of years ago I was contracted by an old friend to do some renovations on his "just closed on yesterday" house I ended up replacing an 18' 4x4 cornerpost of which 15'6" was rotted so bad I only had to use tools to remove the siding, the rest was a HAND JOB. Inspectors really! took me less than 1 hour to get into trouble, and he got $275.00 for his time

2. 
   BillHartmann | Mar 17, 2003 08:05pm | #8

   Home Owners insurance won't fix this. They wont' pay for structural problems or anything caused by long term problems.

   Read the policy, but basically they pay for sudden occurances.

   Yesterday the house was fine. Now it has a hole in the roof where the tree fell. Now it has water in the basement when the water pipe burst. Now it just a pile of charred wood from the fire.

   Calling the insurance co will probably just get the policy canceled.

1. 
   Davo304 | Mar 19, 2003 09:37am | #9

   "They won't pay for structural problems or long term problems..." In 2 cases I am familiar with, this statment simply isn't true.

   1. Friend bought a house that was built in 1940s. He lived in the house for 3 years...noticed roof line had a terrible sag...sag was always present long before he bought the home. Work to straighten out sag required new ridge beam and several new rafters. Insurance company paid for the structural repair and paid cost of new shingles ( he re-roofed house at this time) too.

   2. Friend had a new home built with a large great room/cathedral ceiling. Ceiling was not vented. Within 5 years, roof sheathing was rotting and shingles were failing. Entire cathedral ceiling had to be replaced; including interior drywall work as well. Owner buit the house himself. He turned it into insurance and they agreed to pay 100 % for all new work.

   In both instances, insurer was State Farm.

   3. Recently (again State Farm), a house shingled 35 years ago with "T" interlocker shingles needed re-roofed. Roof was in bad shape..shingles simply crumbling away everywhere. Old lady turned to insurance and said a wind storm had damaged some of her shingles ( heck those shingles were so far gone that if you blew on them yourself, they would fall off). Insurance agent paid 100% the entire cost for a new roof job.

   Soooo, I stand by what I said earlier...check with your insurance company; especially if it happens to be State Farm.

   Davo