Foundation repair wording

[Terry Acra]

I had a 1982 Brick veneer house yesterday that had the foundation repaired about 3 months ago. 14 piers installed. Recently sheetrock has been repaired, and painted.

Brick veneer had mortar cracks. Recommended "repair with approved materials, and monitor". Also recommended monitoring for new cracks in sheetrock.

The question is, "how do I word the foundation, to cover my booty"?

Terry

[Jim Luttrall]

Report what you saw and in this case, what you did not see.
I would also mention that it was reported that foundation repair was recently completed... recent paint and drywall repairs can mask symptoms... the buyer should request to be furnished with all engineers reports, warranties, etc.

[John Ghent]

Monitoring is a questionable recommendation. Do they buy the house only to find out that they have a big foundation problem after monitoring? You need to be aggressive without leaving the decision up to your client. Would you buy that house with the repairs you saw? Would you let your daughter buy it?

[Chad Fabry]

Recommended "repair with approved materials, and monitor". Also recommended monitoring for new cracks in sheetrock.

That's a mamby-pamby statement that provides no benefit to the client. Most folks can't afford to spend 10 grand or more to have foundation work after the mortgage is paid and the kids have braces.

If the place has just had some foundation work and there are already new cracks then the foundation is still moving.

We're supposed to provide a service to our client. If you're competent, honest and report what you see in a readable, understandable format, you don't have to worry so much about your liabilities. It's hard to win a case against someone who did everything humanly possible( including knowing their craft) to fulfill their obligation to their client.

[Eric Shuman]

Terry wrote:

"I had a 1982 Brick veneer house yesterday that had the foundation repaired about 3 months ago. 14 piers installed. Recently sheetrock has been repaired, and painted."


Maybe I missed something but isn't possible that these repaired dywall cracks are the result of the damage prior to the "recently" (3 months ago) repaired foundation that were "recently" patched up after the foundation repairs were completed? And perhaps the mortar cracks were not repaired after the foundation work?

Now if these are all cracks that occurred after the repair I can see the possibilty of it being a problem.

Just food for thought.

Eric

[Eric Shuman]

I'm not saying that an engineer doesn't need to be consulted, I am saying that is a very real possibility that these repaired and unrepaired cracks were the result of the original problem.

As I said previously my comments were "Food for thought," not a denial of possible continuing issues.

Hopefully, in this case, the seller used a reputable foundation repair company that offers a lifetime guarantee on their work, and hopefully the work was approved by a licensed engineer to begin with.

Either way, I have seen "repaired" foundations continue to have issues.


Eric

[Jerry Peck]

Either way, I have seen "repaired" foundations continue to have issues.

Yeppers ... when they address the 'foundation' and not the soil supporting the foundation.

[Phillip Stojanik]

The toughest foundation performance opinions to render is where the foundation has been "repaired" and yet the signs of damage that ultimately lead the homeowner to seek that "repair" were never themselves addressed.

We as home inspectors then walk on site only to find conflicting evidence
and yet are expected to render an opinion that then hangs like a millstone around our necks.

Remind me again why we do this for a living?