031004 1047 - Zhixin Tang wrote:

Hi, I found out there is a vertical crack on the foundation wall
(poured concrete) all the way from ceiling to floor. It is on the 40'
foundation wall, in the middle of garage, close to steel pieces in the
concrete, about 1/8" wide. The foundation is only 2 months old and the
house is close to completion.

I think one wall is settling down more to cause the crack. I am afraid
that the crack will become bigger when settling continues. Is not rare
for a 2-month foundation has such a long and wide crack? I am
currently requesting the builder to hire a structural engineer to
assess the problem.

Since the house has been closed, I may have to option to walk away if
it is a serious foundation problem.

Folks, I would appreciate your advice on this problem. Also if I do
accept the home, I have to disclose the problem when I sell the house
in the future?

Thanks.

Tom


My brother had a house built on a cliff overlooking a lake. He had a deck
built overlooking this view. He was in the process of finishing the
basement area when he noticed a crack in the concrete basement foundation
wall near the cliff edge. He contacted the builder and had the crack
patched. A few months later the crack widened. He was about to have some
paneling done to that wall. The builder had to come back and repatch the
crack. My brother then paneled the wall and carpeted the floor and did
other and sundry finishing projects in the basement area, and a few months
later noticed that the paneling over where the crack area was separating
from the wall. He removed the paneling and saw the crack was ever widening.
He recontacted the builder, who did an investigation of the history of the
area, and found that the house was built on a fault line. A new basement
had to be dug out, and the house was "dragged" about 20 feet back from the
cliff area and over the new basement.