should I move away from the house?
yogibear66
| Posted in Construction Techniques on
Just plan to purchase a house as a first time buyer. The house was built in 1989. There is a crack more than 30 inch long, diagonal, from and above the corner of the door in second floor. It is wider than the like- hair crack . The corresponding door cannot be opened ealily too.
Does that situation already indicate a serious problem in the house? Shoud I just move away with no need to hire an inspector ? Or is there any chance the crack is a not big issue and can be fixed very easily
?
?Thanks
Replies
yogi
Whether you should blow off buying or not is your business.
Some questions might help us help you.
Is the wall in question paralell to floor joists or perpendicular.
If you go all the way down to the basement or crawl, is there a beam or foundation under that location?
Are there cuts or cracks in the joists below that door area?
Figuring why it's cracked and presumably sag'd a bit (the door doesn't open easily) is the important part-that'll help you decide what it's gonna take to fix.
I've seen this type of fracture in houses 200 yrs old right up to something recently framed. It's not that unusual.
But, it could also be an indicator of a pis-poor job of bldg. What you don't need are more costly headaches down the road.
Thanks....
Thanks. With my low knowledge about house, I think I need inspector help me to find the information that you asked.
Do you think there are some chance for the house that there just small problem and not a big one? If It is some chance like this, I will try the house.
However, my friend suggest me to move on. He think the not small crack and distorted door have already indicated a unnormal big problem and will need large time and cost to fix it. And he also told me normal inspector cannot tell me whether is crack will develop, and even cannot tell me the reasons of the crack.
Even an inspector suggest me to move on, although he didn't affirm that is a serous problem.
So I just confused. If there is still some chance for the crack to be a small problem, I would like to try for it. But if every experts think it is no worth, I will move on...
yo yogi
I just lost a good post to the invisible internet posting theif.
So, shortened version.
any home inspector-maybe..............maybe not. Good ones yes, poor ones , no.
Some licenses can be bought, others require meeting certain qualifications.
An honest qualified long time remodeler would be the best bet. They are familiar with this type of problem, know where to look for the source and can come up with what's necessary to do the repair.
I'm in Ohio, impossible from one photo to give you more.
Take the camera, back up-take a picture of that whole wall with door closed. Go on the other side and do the same.
Then go below and keep taking pictures of the area below this cracked wall.
All the way to the basement.
Same spot.
Come back and post. Maybe we'll see something.
Best of luck and know that you are way ahead of the game-you already know how to embed a photo here. More that even some long time posters.
Best of luck.
Thank you for the helpful suggestions.
So do you think there is some chance the the crack and its causes are just small problems that will spend low cost to fix them ? My friend said the crack and its causes will cretainly spend much money on it. Do you agree with him?
yogi
All I can do is say the same thing.
From here with one picture-no way I'll say anything other than it might be bad and it might be no big deal.
So no, I will not agree with your friend by simply looking at the one crack you mentioned in the first place nor the several others you just now mentioned. I would have to verify in the field and look at what might be causing the crack b/4 I put a number on the cost of any needed repair.
Best of luck.
Thanks. Well, what kind of results from the inspection will tell you the crack is not a big deal?
A crack like this in the Sheetrock can be merely due to wet or green framing lumber shrinking
But equally likely to be some sort of setling or foundation issue
Thank all of you
You all are so knowledgable. Encouraged by your opinions, I have sent an offer to the seller. Hope seller will accept it. If I have an inpection later, I will keep updating here.
yo yogi
Did anyone advise you to make the offer contingent upon the outcome of an inspection?
Thank you for giving me so many clues....
Do you mean there is still a worh -to- try chance to prove the crack is just a small problem? If I can provide all the information you mentioned, you/or other inpection expert can tell whether this is a big problem or just a small issue that can be easy fixed?
If it is a big problem, I cannot take the house as my responsibility, because I am not a handy person and know almost nothing about house. Even to anwer you question, I possibly need an inspector to help me.
Some friend suggested me to move on. They think the crack already indicate an unusual and big problem that will need large time and cost to fix it. Also because they think normal inspector cannot anwer my question like the reasons of the crack, its development in the future. Even one inspector suggested me to move on although he didn't affirm this is a big problem from the picture..... So I just confused. If there is a big chance it is just a small problem, I will try on the house. If on chance, I will move on.... How do you think so?
The crack, by itself, is not a big issue. After 20-odd years you expect a few things like that. (I wouldn't even bother fixing it, unless it's in a painfully obvious place.)
The only question is whether it indicates a more serious problem with the foundation -- something beyond minor settling.
If this is the worst of the issues with the house -- no (or very few) other similar cracks, and no large cracks in the foundation -- then likely there is no serious problem.
The thing that will get you is the stuff you can't see, such as a rotted out rim joist due to rainwater running down the house or soil heaped against the side of the house.
And of course a house of that vintage is likely in need of a new furnace and new kitchen appliances, etc.
Yes, I just worried the hidden big problem under the "crack"
Thanks. I have not invited a inspector to go into the house. Don't know how the foundation is. There are some other cracks(They are diagonal, vertical or horizontal) above other doors and windows of second floor. However, the "other" cracks are like -hair and much shorter than this big one.
I guess the foundation problems are big problems that will spend buyer much time and much moneny. I cannot take the responsibility like that. How about other causes? Are they all big problems? If we cannot easily to see the "rotted out rimjoist or soil heaped against the side", what kind of person can help buyer to find these problem and fix them?
Unless it was massively overbuilt, any house of that age will have experienced some minor settling. The foundation always settles (unevenly) into the soil (some soils are better than others in this regard), and even if the foundation doesn't move a millimeter, you can still have cracks from shrinkage in the wood framing.
In this regard a house of that age is in some ways less risky than a newer one -- most settling that's going to occur is already well underway and reasonably obvious, so there are unlikely to be "surprises" in the foundation.
No one can guarantee that cracks won't happen again. In fact, I can pretty much guarantee the opposite -- wait long enough an any house will develop cracks.
The only way to be (somewhat) confident that the house has no major defects is to have it inspected by a competent person. This goes for brand-new houses probably even more than older houses (since defects in new houses are covered by fresh paint).
Of course, finding a "competent" inspector is a job in itself.