Horizontal cracks arround base of wall

[Rick T]

This 300 sqft room was build on top of a concrete slab. The room is attached to the back wall of a two cars garage. There is a horizontal crack that runs around the wall along the base of the house where the concrete slab and the base of the wall join. The cracks are more severe on the left side wall at the door entrance.
The crack at the right side of the door, I can actually put a long stick into it. Also there is a spider like crack at the top left of the door.
This room was build around 1970.
Is this an indication of foundation problem? Or is this a settlement of the foundation at one time and it has stopped moving now? I can open the door without any problem; it doesn't seem to be warped.
Should I be concern about the crack? or can I just fix up the stucco?

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[wayne soper]

How to Evaluate and Diagnose Foundation Cracks: Foundation cracking, foundation bowing, foundation settlement, foundation leaning, foundation movement - Chapter on how to diagnose the cause and how to repair foundation cracks, foundation leaning, fou

[Jerry Peck]

Looks like a 'done-it-myself' job someone probably bragged about doing.

Looks like the slab has no "footing", that it is only poured in place *on* the ground, not down into the ground.

It is likely, then, that the concrete blocks were simply laid up on the floor slab (no vertical bars tying it together) or frame walls were set up and there has been movement between the floor and the walls.

Yes, it looks like 'something' is moving, but you are in CA, and doesn't the earth shake out there now and then? That 'could' account for that cracking, which could be exposing that it was not constructed properly.

Was it permitted? Inspected? Given a CO? If not, the seller should pull an after-the-fact permit and get it inspected and signed off, making it a legal room for the buyer to buy, and for the buyer to pass on to the next buyer.

[wayne soper]

There's no block there right. That's wood frame with stucco over the surface.From the depth of the window trim I would say not the original finished surface either. upper crack may be due to lack of gutter and water causing swelling at rafter connection to concrete.
What is the finished surface inside?

[Rick T]

According to the seller, the room is permitted. I did have a Property Inspector inspected the whole house and I did pointed out to him the crack at the top left of the door. But I belief the inspector either missed the the crack at the base, or he thinks that it is not a major issue, because in his Inspection Report, all he stated was "Some stucco cracks at garage storage room". He did not even take any picture to document the crack area.

I am in the process of trying to get him to go out there to do further inspection.

Hopefully this will not be a major issue.

Thanks for all your help and recommendations

[Jerry Peck]

According to the seller, the room is permitted.

he thinks that it is not a major issue,

Hopefully this will not be a major issue.

This 300 sqft room

This room was build around 1970.

Rick,

#1 - It is only a 300 sq ft storage room.

#2 - Built in 1970, with a permit.

#3 - How can this "be a major issue"? See #1 and #2 above.

It's a storage room, your earth moves, it is still standing with some cracking, that says it has withstood whatever has been thrown at it to date.

If it were "finished living space" you would be more concerned about things such as water intrusion than for a storage space.

I hope that is not being planned on being converted into living space, sure it is big, but you would have to meet all the requirements for living space if you were to do that.

[John Carroll]

Good call, Jerry, looks like you had your Wheaties this morning...

[Gunnar Alquist]

Rick T

It would be more helpful if you gave more than just California as your location. California is a pretty big state. If you were in my area, I would guess adobe/expansive soils. But, as I don't know... Well, I don't know.