Thread: inspector did not inspect slab

Hi everyone,

I came across a very useful discussion from this forum and I registered as a member. Glad to meet you here.

I am a first time home buyer. This morning I hired a licensed inspector to inspect a house built in 1949, which was a ranch on a cement slab and a second story was added on 40 years ago. The seller disclosed there are cracks in the slab. The inspector did not examine the slab because it was covered by carpet or tile. I think there must be an entrance for access to the slab.

My question is: can I ask the inspector to inspect the slab?

Thanks for any suggestion.

Wilson

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Originally Posted by Wilson Wang

Hi everyone,

I came across a very useful discussion from this forum and I registered as a member. Glad to meet you here.

I am a first time home buyer. This morning I hired a licensed inspector to inspect a house built in 1949, which was a ranch on a cement slab and a second story was added on 40 years ago. The seller disclosed there are cracks in the slab. The inspector did not examine the slab because it was covered by carpet or tile. I think there must be an entrance for access to the slab.

My question is: can I ask the inspector to inspect the slab?

Thanks for any suggestion.

Wilson

Access to the slab? A slab is concrete against the ground. The only way an inspector could access a slab is remove the carpeting / floor coverings.

Originally Posted by Wilson Wang

Hi everyone,

I came across a very useful discussion from this forum and I registered as a member. Glad to meet you here.

I am a first time home buyer. This morning I hired a licensed inspector to inspect a house built in 1949, which was a ranch on a cement slab and a second story was added on 40 years ago. The seller disclosed there are cracks in the slab. The inspector did not examine the slab because it was covered by carpet or tile. I think there must be an entrance for access to the slab.

My question is: can I ask the inspector to inspect the slab?

Thanks for any suggestion.

Wilson

Do You already Own Live in this House?
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How Would the Seller Know this ?

What type of Past Problems reviled this condition?

Busted Water or drain lines ?

Foundation Settlement ? ( mitigated or not ? )

Structural Damage and this condition was Also Found ?

What other things were also Disclosed ?
.

If you are willing to pay a flooring company to remove the carpeting, etc., then pay them to put it back so it is as good as it was before - and the seller accepts that re-installation, then I would have a structural engineer on had to give you an engineer's critique of the slab.

Of course, what if you pay the flooring company to put the carpet back down and there are some tears, wrinkles, etc., the seller may ask you to replace it with new. Just something to consider.

You can ask the inspector to do almost anything, but I doubt the inspector will do that because of the liability for what they removed and having to put it back down, and maybe replace it.

What???? The inspector did not have x-ray vision? Shocking.

Originally Posted by Jack Feldmann

What???? The inspector did not have x-ray vision? Shocking.

Jack,

Give him some slack, okay?

Originally Posted by Wilson Wang

I am a first time home buyer.

We were all unknowing with our first home purchase (even having been in construction most of my life, buying my first house at age 21 was not something I had ever done before - new learning experience, of course, but so was the wife of 2 years and a baby on the way ... heck, we didn't even have a phone until the baby was just about due, then we had to get one ... and I'm not talking 'cell phone', I'm talking wired, private line (remember when you could pay more and get a 'private line', or pay less and be on a 'party line'?).

Originally Posted by Jerry Peck

(remember when you could pay more and get a 'private line', or pay less and be on a 'party line'?).

No I can't.

Not to hijack the thread, but....
I remember party lines, and we always knew it was Mrs. Johnson that was listening in on our calls. Or the impatient Mrs. Kleinz that would click the phone constantly because she wanted to use the line. Oh, the good? old days.

Wilson,
If the addition (2nd floor) 40 yrs ago to a rancher built on a slab, I would first question if the structure was acceptable to add the 2nd floor to. Did they pull all permits and were they signed off on completion? If the origional house was built as a single story there is a possibility that the footers were not designed to carry the 2nd floor loads.

If the footers were not capable to carry the new loads it is possible that cracks could occur. If the footers were poured on disturbed earth cracks could occur, with or without a 2nd floor added. 40 yrs ago is really not that long ago so paperwork should have been generated.

I would question the sellers as to what types of cracks were discovered and their location along with a detailed description. Also how did they discover these cracks.

The Inspector may have no way to inspect the slab except for that area which is exposed and readily visible if in fact it is a slab construction.

I would suggest that you research what a slab construction really is and how it is constructed. Your statement "... .I think there must be an entrance for access to the slab...." makes me question your understanding of the houses construction. The Inspector can explain why he did not inspect the slab, just give him a call. If there are cracks in the slab that are a concern you should have a engineer provide a written evaluation with recommendations.

Originally Posted by Jack Feldmann

Not to hijack the thread, but....
I remember party lines, and we always knew it was Mrs. Johnson that was listening in on our calls. Or the impatient Mrs. Kleinz that would click the phone constantly because she wanted to use the line. Oh, the good? old days.

I'm so old, I remember our first phone had a crank. You called the operater by cranking it up. Then you call out the numer you wanted to call, 3 digits. that was mid 50's. I'm younger than the two Jerrys. though.

Around here, a 1949 slab home is rare indeed. Those older places are usually on a dirt crawlspace. The concrete foundation is often just poured in a trench, no footing.
To the OP - make sure the second storey had permits issued. Check with the town or municipality or whatever you call it there. The slab would have had to be approved for the added weight.

Originally Posted by John Kogel

The slab would have had to be approved for the added weight.

I wish that were true around here. I just inspected a home built 12 years ago with a second floor addition built in 2008. Right on the blueprint signed off by the local inspector it stated footings and soil conditions has not been verified and the owner assumes all responsibility.

I could see a half inch mortar separation at the walk out. Windows in the basement, main floor and second floor above the separation were sticky and didn't line up. Drywall cracks on he wall of the addition above the separation and a separation in the attic framing above the crack.

Plain and simple - the disclosed 'cracks in the slab' need to be expanded upon (no pun intended). Either ask the seller yourself or through your realtor. Better yet, have your Inspector ask. He should have a better understanding of any explanation offerred. Slab cracks can vary from hairline to gaping and everything in between. Either/both may or may not have indications of adverse structural integrity.

If no satisfactory answers are forthcoming...walk away.

I'm adding, that I have nothing to add, that already has not been said.
I was, however, just going to say WTH is a party line??

Originally Posted by Ian Page

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Plain and simple - the disclosed 'cracks in the slab' need to be expanded .

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My Guess is Wilson is The Seller trying to Hide Cracks.
* or He is trying to Find Someone to Sue ( as in The Inspector. )
.

Originally Posted by Billy Stephens

.
My Guess is Wilson is The Seller trying to Hide Cracks.
* or He is trying to Find Someone to Sue ( as in The Inspector. )
.

Probably. It's always the inspectors fault. "you missed it", "you should have seen it", "I would have never bought this house...blablabla

Originally Posted by Billy Stephens

.
My Guess is Wilson is The Seller trying to Hide Cracks.
* or He is trying to Find Someone to Sue ( as in The Inspector. )
.

I'm seeing this as the inspector may not explained this concern to the buyer, and or the buyer was not present to ask questions.

I know if I told my wife our slab was cracked, I would get the look/ asking what is a slab, and possibly the question, why can't you go under it and find out.

Originally Posted by Dan Harris

I'm seeing this as the inspector may not explained this concern to the buyer, and or the buyer was not present to ask questions.

I know if I told my wife our slab was cracked, I would get the look/ asking what is a slab, and possibly the question, why can't you go under it and find out.

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If that were the case OP would have responded instead of 1 and out.
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