Steven L. Smith, Bellingham, WA Home Inspector (King of the House)

 A dilemma for home inspectors is when to call for further evaluation, and when not to. Some cases are pretty clear cut, like when an inspector finds a number of exposed wiring splices or a chimney like the creosote coated wonder I posted a couple days ago. Foundation cracks are one of those things that requires a judgement call. Often the cracks are simple shrinkage cracks, a natural part of the concrete curing and there from the early days after the pour. On the other hand, there are often settlement cracks and these are not necessarily anything to worry about either. But they can be! An inspector, who understands his or her role, will look at a number of factors before deciding what to say. How wide is the crack, how old does it appear to be, how many cracks are there, does movement appear to be taking place? Sometimes it is not easy to discern all of this data but, simply put, a 1/8" to 1/4" crack that has been in place for 50 years on a 100 year old house is less of a concern than a 1/8" crack that looks like it is spreading at a two year old house. The photos below are among the largest foundation cracks I have seen. This crack, one of five in a 100 year old house, was between 3" and 4" across and crumbling. In the first photo you can see it peaking out behind the tree. The other two pictures are closeup and one from in the crawl space. Those of you who have not been in crawl spaces, looking at these, will see that sometimes they are different looking from the back. In this case, it is big but not as wide. This crack, and the whole foundation, requires further evaluation by a structural engineer. This is one of the few times I have made that recommendation but it is sure justified here.

Thanks for reading and commenting,

Steven L. Smith

www.kingofthehouse.com