Foundation Findings: When Buying a Home, Look From The Ground Up
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By Brenda Masse
Special Contributor
In a competitive market, you may not be able to negotiate every little thing you want, but you still need to go into a home purchase with an understanding of your future expenses, especially on the 5 major areas of the house: foundation, plumbing, electrical, HVAC, and roof.
In our experience, home buyers in North Texas have the most questions about foundations. So here are some recent foundation findings:
Pier-and-Beam Foundation
In North Texas, homes either have a slab foundation or a pier-and-beam foundation. Most of the older homes in the area (pre-1980s) are pier-and-beam. This type of home has a crawl space from which you can access the foundation structure as well as some plumbing and electrical. In this video, you can see an example of what it should look like under there. Yes, that’s right, this is a GOOD example!
Slab Foundation Repair
That deep dark hole is what it looks like when you have to dig into a slab foundation for repairs. In this case, they were able to tunnel in from outside the house – sometimes, to reach the problem, you have to go in through the middle of the house, which means dealing with flooring. You might see this type of tunnel to repair a frozen pipe, to replace cast iron pipes under the house, or in this case, to repair damage caused by foundation movement. The foundation pros will tunnel under the house and lift it up with a device similar to a car jack to add or repair concrete piers that will support the weight of the home.
Signs of Foundation Movement
How do you know if you need foundation work? Look around your property for signs of movement, like cracks, unlevel floors, or doors that don’t open or shut properly.
Investigate Cracks
Sometimes a crack is just a crack — normal wear and tear, or the effects of harsh weather on a home. But cracks can certainly be a sign that the house is under stress from movement. Here, the crack extends across the pavement and all the way up the wall.
If you have foundation concerns, ask a Realtor or Home Inspector to recommend a structural engineer or a foundation company they trust. If you’re purchasing a home that has evidence of foundation problems, this information will help you to know what to do, when you’ll need to do it, and how much it will cost.
