Do I need a structural engineer?

Krishna Kothamasu · 11-10-2012, 11:14 AM

I am currently bidding on a house that fits a lot of what I am looking for but a few things of concern have emerged.

Being a first time home buyer I am looking for some advice as to how to proceed.

The house is a tri-level style and seems to have some cracking in the basement. One crack is from ceiling to floor on the wall that hugs the area supporting the garage. The crack was professionally sealed but seems to have re-cracked. There's another one from the corner of a glass block window down to the floor. There's also some cracking on the inside, about a 8 inch crack from the corner of the front door to the ceiling and some cracking by the overhanging support beam between two walls (beam would be right above head when going to bedrooms). Finally, the door that leads to the garage sticks quite a bit, takes a lot of effort to close and open. I heard the door sticking is a sign of home settling.

I went through the house a second time after heavy rains and was happy to find no water in the basement but wanted to know how I should proceed once the bid has been accepted. I plan to be there for the inspection and a architect friend of mine is really concerned based on the above and highly recommends I move on or at lease bring in a structural engineer to examine the issues further.

How can I ensure I am not ending up with a home that I can't sell after 5 years given the issues above?

Thanks in advance for all your help.

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**Dan Harris** · 11-10-2012, 11:21 AM

Originally Posted by Krishna Kothamasu

I am currently bidding on a house that fits a lot of what I am looking for but a few things of concern have emerged.

Being a first time home buyer I am looking for some advice as to how to proceed.

The house is a tri-level style and seems to have some cracking in the basement. One crack is from ceiling to floor on the wall that hugs the area supporting the garage. The crack was professionally sealed but seems to have re-cracked. There's another one from the corner of a glass block window down to the floor. There's also some cracking on the inside, about a 8 inch crack from the corner of the front door to the ceiling and some cracking by the overhanging support beam between two walls (beam would be right above head when going to bedrooms). Finally, the door that leads to the garage sticks quite a bit, takes a lot of effort to close and open. I heard the door sticking is a sign of home settling.

I went through the house a second time after heavy rains and was happy to find no water in the basement but wanted to know how I should proceed once the bid has been accepted. I plan to be there for the inspection and a architect friend of mine is really concerned based on the above and highly recommends I move on or at lease bring in a structural engineer to examine the issues further.

How can I ensure I am not ending up with a home that I can't sell after 5 years given the issues above?

Thanks in advance for all your help.

I would say listen to your architect friend

Krishna Kothamasu · 11-10-2012, 11:23 AM

Originally Posted by Dan Harris

I would say listen to your architect friend

Do you mean move on or bring in a structural engineer??

Garry Blankenship · 11-10-2012, 11:27 AM

Yes; IMHO. Home Inspectors are trained to identify cracks and common causes of same. In your case the cause obviously remains and I feel certian identification of the cause is beyond an H.I.s scope. We can suggest possible causes, as can a contractor, but an engineer should be the one to name the cause.

**Dan Harris** · 11-10-2012, 11:36 AM

Originally Posted by Krishna Kothamasu

Do you mean move on or bring in a structural engineer??

Thats something you will have to decide. There is no perfect home, every home will have some issue. If the home fits your needs, an engineer can help you decide if the issue fits your budget.