Looked at a house built in the 1900’s the other day. Place hasn’t been touched since the 50’s. I was sort of interested in fixing it up but when I got down to the basement I discovered a dirt floor with a small trench dug under the foundation all around the perimeter. There was nothing supporting the interior brick wall down there. Could that just be a brick veneer? I know they use to build these places on grade but didn’t they double up the bricks for a footing or something?
What do you think, could I just pour a footing / curb in the trench, let the house eventually settle onto it?
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Have you looked outside, above grade, to see what kind of foundation is there? At that age it could be anything from dry laid up boulders with a mud sill to a reinforced, poured concrete wall.
could be a seriously thickrubble foundation with the veneer...
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming
WOW!!! What a Ride!
Forget the primal scream, just ROAR!!!
And it could be there once was an old log there.
at 4 bucks a pill and I didn't last four hours I want my money back!sobriety is the root cause of dementia.
that it could be....Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming<!----><!----><!---->
WOW!!! What a Ride!Forget the primal scream, just ROAR!!!
did you look in the attic for helium balloons???
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I have Transcended the need for Pants....
oooohhhhmmmmmm......
Was the brick laid in a running bond style or were there some headers (short sides of the brick facing out)?
It was running bond style and the brick and mortar were in great shape. No cracks, no rot. The other clues I failed to mention, the bottom foot of old framing in the basement was completely rotted away. Nothing there. I wonder if the basement had standing water in it for a couple decades?
Ah, a mystery. Well, something I've never seen before. Here it's rubblestone foundations for the brick houses of that vintage. Now that you have piqued my curiosity. I hope a solution is forthcoming.
From the outside. Drive a rod down at a 45 degree angle to the foundation. If you start the rod 18" away from the wall and hit something solid, the foundation goes down at least 18". Repeat at various distances until you get no resistance and you will know how deep the foundation footings are.
lumbermonkey,
Have you checked for "invisible to the naked eye wires" ?
Might try running you hand over the roof to see if that is the case.
"Poor is not the person who has too little, but the person who craves more."...Seneca
Could also be a gravitational anomaly. Some older structures I've seen were held up by tradition (ie "they have always been there").
Whithout having an inspection on this house, I WOULD RUN FOR THE HILLS, sorry.