Is this a serious issue?

[andy xie]

Hello everyone, I am looking for buying house in Dallas TX now, and found this forum very helpful.

I am about to put a contract on one house I liked very much. This house has foundation work recently around the garage, which I think is a plus in this area.

After reading threads from this forum, I decided to get into the attic and look around. After I got into the attic, I immediately noticed that one wood supporter (left one with duct attached) is tilted. It is more obvious than the photo shows. Following that, I saw the left-side joint at the beam shifted compared to the right-side. (red arrows). Will this cause any structural problem?

I also saw many cracks on the bricks. Is it common?

thanks for your suggestions!
Andy

[Billy Stephens]

Hello everyone, I am looking for buying house in Dallas TX now, and found this forum very helpful.

I am about to put a contract on one house I liked very much. This house has foundation work recently around the garage, which I think is a plus in this area.

After reading threads from this forum, I decided to get into the attic and look around. After I got into the attic, I immediately noticed that one wood supporter (left one with duct attached) is tilted. It is more obvious than the photo shows. Following that, I saw the left-side joint at the beam shifted compared to the right-side. (red arrows). Will this cause any structural problem?

I also saw many cracks on the bricks. Is it common?

thanks for your suggestions!
Andy

Hi Andy,

Are you saying your concerned the attic supports are installed at an angle ?

Cracks in brick veneer are common, type and location would suggest a concern or not.

[andy xie]

Hi Billy,

Thanks for replying!

I worried that it is not installed with angle. It is actual shift of the support. From what I saw, the structure are supposed to be symmetric. If one installed with angle, the other one should be with angle too? Isn't it?

Thanks
Andy

[Billy Stephens]

Hi Billy,

Thanks for replying!

I worried that it is not installed with angle. It is actual shift of the support. From what I saw, the structure are supposed to be symmetric. If one installed with angle, the other one should be with angle too? Isn't it?

Thanks
Andy

Hard to see with the limited views but contact with the ridge does not seem to be shifted.
*symmetric is not always possible in a crowded attic with mechanical components, air supply & returns ect.

** many fine HI's from TX on this site contact one B 4 largest purchase of your life.:)

[andy xie]

Hi Billy
Thank you! HI will be 100% necessary!

Andy

[Lon Henderson]

When structural movement makes it into the attic, I see the truss gusset plates separating, pulling loose or some evidence of movement in the gussets. The peak gussets are the best place to look for that. It usually takes significant movement to start pulling the trusses apart, so my guess is that your concerns are unfounded.

[andy xie]

Hi Lon, Thank you. Your argument convinced me. So I do not need worry too much and will let the HI to evaluate the whole things.
Andy

[EmmanuelScanlan]

Hello everyone, I am looking for buying house in Dallas TX now, and found this forum very helpful.

I am about to put a contract on one house I liked very much. This house has foundation work recently around the garage, which I think is a plus in this area.

After reading threads from this forum, I decided to get into the attic and look around. After I got into the attic, I immediately noticed that one wood supporter (left one with duct attached) is tilted. It is more obvious than the photo shows. Following that, I saw the left-side joint at the beam shifted compared to the right-side. (red arrows). Will this cause any structural problem?

I also saw many cracks on the bricks. Is it common?

thanks for your suggestions!
Andy

Hello Andy,

As Billy pointed out the tilted vertical support is not necessarily a problem. There are many things to look at in the attic to help determine if anything negative is occurring. As for cracking brick here in the DFW area it does occur frequently for a variety of reasons as well. Without seeing the whole house there isn't much we can tell you. If you like the house then by all means have it inspected and let the Inspector review all of these concerns, as well as any the Inspector finds.

Good luck on the purchase!

[keithsines]

Hello everyone, I am looking for buying house in Dallas TX now, and found this forum very helpful.

I am about to put a contract on one house I liked very much. This house has foundation work recently around the garage, which I think is a plus in this area.

After reading threads from this forum, I decided to get into the attic and look around. After I got into the attic, I immediately noticed that one wood supporter (left one with duct attached) is tilted. It is more obvious than the photo shows. Following that, I saw the left-side joint at the beam shifted compared to the right-side. (red arrows). Will this cause any structural problem?

I also saw many cracks on the bricks. Is it common?

thanks for your suggestions!
Andy


Andy,

This is a stick frame hip roof. As long as the ceiling joists are in place (or rafter ties) to keep the walls from spreading the only purpose those two uprights serve is to hold the ridge in place for the initial framing of the roof. After that you could take them out if you wanted to but they don't hurt anything by being there, plumb or not.
Keith

[Mark Reinmiller]

Hello everyone, I am looking for buying house in Dallas TX now, and found this forum very helpful.

I am about to put a contract on one house I liked very much. This house has foundation work recently around the garage, which I think is a plus in this area.

After reading threads from this forum, I decided to get into the attic and look around. After I got into the attic, I immediately noticed that one wood supporter (left one with duct attached) is tilted. It is more obvious than the photo shows. Following that, I saw the left-side joint at the beam shifted compared to the right-side. (red arrows). Will this cause any structural problem?

I also saw many cracks on the bricks. Is it common?

thanks for your suggestions!
Andy

Andy,
I am a structural engineer. Based on what I see in the photos, Keith's answer is 100% correct.

[John Kogel]

Not enough info. We need to see how well those rafters and the joists, which are rafter ties, are all nailed.

The support could have been shifted over to land on a bearing wall below. The oldtimers who built very strong houses would avoid setting a rafter support out on an open span.

It could be good work, needs more info.

[andy xie]

Thank you all for answering my questions! Really appreciate!

Now I have the contract signed! Any recommendations for the Structure Engineer to inspect the house?
The house is in North Dallas /TX area.

thanks again!
Andy

[Lon Henderson]

Thank you all for answering my questions! Really appreciate!

Now I have the contract signed! Any recommendations for the Structure Engineer to inspect the house?
The house is in North Dallas /TX area.

thanks again!
Andy
You may not need a structural engineer although some home inspectors are engineers, too. Start with the inspection and see if the home inspector sees any structural conditions that a structural engineer should look at. Experienced home inspectors can recognize structural concerns.

[andy xie]

Hi Lon,

I apologize that I did not make it clear in the last post.
We found another house with better price/square footage, and signed the contract. But that house has a crack developed on the brick wall near the corner (master bedroom). It is certainly not the expansion joint. I can see bricks cracked as the images showed. It's why I am looking for Structural Engineer for foundation inspection.

the first house now became our 2nd option.


sincerely
andy

[Dale Word]

I've lived in North east Texas for 57 years and the houses with cracks out number the ones without 4 to 1. Doesn't mean its good or bad but very common for this area. Slabs on black gumbo dirt with 105 degree days with no rain for months will cause all kinds of shifts. Good luck but I wouldn't worry too much about it down here.

[BARRY ADAIR]

Hi Lon,

I apologize that I did not make it clear in the last post.
We found another house with better price/square footage, and signed the contract. But that house has a crack developed on the brick wall near the corner (master bedroom). It is certainly not the expansion joint. I can see bricks cracked as the images showed. It's why I am looking for Structural Engineer for foundation inspection.

the first house now became our 2nd option.


sincerely
andy

Andy,
18A (http://www.gobrick.com/TechnicalNotes/LinkstoTechnicalNotes/tabid/11294/Default.aspx)will better explain what is happening at the corner/quoin detail.
Many residences I see are absent altogether or don't have properly installed expansion details.
There are numerous D/FW foundation companies that provide free foundation evaluation with baseline elevations for current conditions and future reference.
Of course they do this to get their foot in the door for repair work but you'll still receive the baseline info.
Numerous clients have 3 or more companies evaluate the same property too assure receipt of factual conditions.
The better SEs concentrate on their field of expertise and home inspecting isn't on their radar, ymmv.