Michael Thomas
06-09-2008, 01:21 PM
The only significant stucco cracks on this structure are located 20.5 and 21.25 feet back from the front on their respective (east and west) sides, and extend from the bottom to top of the stucco, interrupted by windows. Both cracks are above window openings in the basement walls.
The east brick foundation wall is badly deteriorated above grade and has been partially rebuilt. The west exterior foundation wall is in good condition at the exterior.
The is no evidence of distress at the interior above the foundation - floors are reasonably flat, windows and doors operate, and there are no wall or ceiling problems in the area of the exterior cracking.
There is no visible movement out at the eaves above the cracks.
In the basement the tops of the foundation walls have no significant dips and the rim joists are not displaced inwards or outwards. The foundation walls are paged, on the east side the parging has horizontal hairline cracks along it's entire length.
Normally I would not be concerned about this degree of stucco cracking.
But it bothers me that it is the only cracking and that it's so symmetrical, that the cracks are present above both the deteriorated and intact foundation walls, as though the distress on the east side has transmitted itself to the west (perhaps by levering the joist ends at the west up, using the the center foundation beam as a fulcrum?) - so much that the little voice in the back of my head is staring to whisper "SE... get an SE's opinion....", which I have never recommended before absent something a lot more dramatic than this.
Comments or suggestions?
Pictures are:
1) West wall
2) Crack below west 1st floor window
3) Crack between west 1st and 2nd floor windows
4) East foundation wall below crack (entire wall is much like this)
5) Crack below east 1st floor window, there is another above it between the 1st and 2md floor
The east brick foundation wall is badly deteriorated above grade and has been partially rebuilt. The west exterior foundation wall is in good condition at the exterior.
The is no evidence of distress at the interior above the foundation - floors are reasonably flat, windows and doors operate, and there are no wall or ceiling problems in the area of the exterior cracking.
There is no visible movement out at the eaves above the cracks.
In the basement the tops of the foundation walls have no significant dips and the rim joists are not displaced inwards or outwards. The foundation walls are paged, on the east side the parging has horizontal hairline cracks along it's entire length.
Normally I would not be concerned about this degree of stucco cracking.
But it bothers me that it is the only cracking and that it's so symmetrical, that the cracks are present above both the deteriorated and intact foundation walls, as though the distress on the east side has transmitted itself to the west (perhaps by levering the joist ends at the west up, using the the center foundation beam as a fulcrum?) - so much that the little voice in the back of my head is staring to whisper "SE... get an SE's opinion....", which I have never recommended before absent something a lot more dramatic than this.
Comments or suggestions?
Pictures are:
1) West wall
2) Crack below west 1st floor window
3) Crack between west 1st and 2nd floor windows
4) East foundation wall below crack (entire wall is much like this)
5) Crack below east 1st floor window, there is another above it between the 1st and 2md floor