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#1
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cracked concrete slab new home
I purchased a new home in spring 2005 in Leland,NC. Since then I was
replacing the flooring and found 5 10 foot long cracks in my on ground poured concrete slab. I also have 6 vertical cracks on the outside of my slab between ground level and the start of the siding. The builder (Veranda Homes LLC ) tells me these are normal and only offered to fill in the cracks. One crack is 1/4 inch wide and the rest are larger than hairline. 2 of the cracks are continuing in a straight line and do not look like "normal shrinkage cracks" . My back patio vinyl framed sliding door is out of square also along with having drywall screws poping out through the drywall 2 1/2 years later. Do you think I should have a structural engineer look at the house? I wanted to sell this house but I think a home inspector/ appraiser will question all my external foundation cracks. you can see pics he http://home.ec.rr.com/yankee/ |
#2
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cracked concrete slab new home
On Oct 22, 4:08 pm, hands on wrote:
I purchased a new home in spring 2005 in Leland,NC. Since then I was replacing the flooring and found 5 10 foot long cracks in my on ground poured concrete slab. I also have 6 vertical cracks on the outside of my slab between ground level and the start of the siding. The builder (Veranda Homes LLC ) tells me these are normal and only offered to fill in the cracks. One crack is 1/4 inch wide and the rest are larger than hairline. 2 of the cracks are continuing in a straight line and do not look like "normal shrinkage cracks" . My back patio vinyl framed sliding door is out of square also along with having drywall screws poping out through the drywall 2 1/2 years later. Do you think I should have a structural engineer look at the house? I wanted to sell this house but I think a home inspector/ appraiser will question all my external foundation cracks. you can see pics hehttp://home.ec.rr.com/yankee/ I think an engineer would be a good idea. Look for Forensic Engineer or Architect. Applied Building Science of Charleston SC is one group that does this kind of work. A review by a pro will be worth the reduced worry, if that is all that happens. T |
#3
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cracked concrete slab new home
On Oct 22, 4:36 pm, " wrote:
On Oct 22, 4:08 pm, hands on wrote: I purchased a new home in spring 2005 in Leland,NC. Since then I was replacing the flooring and found 5 10 foot long cracks in my on ground poured concrete slab. I also have 6 vertical cracks on the outside of my slab between ground level and the start of the siding. The builder (Veranda Homes LLC ) tells me these are normal and only offered to fill in the cracks. One crack is 1/4 inch wide and the rest are larger than hairline. 2 of the cracks are continuing in a straight line and do not look like "normal shrinkage cracks" . My back patio vinyl framed sliding door is out of square also along with having drywall screws poping out through the drywall 2 1/2 years later. Do you think I should have a structural engineer look at the house? I wanted to sell this house but I think a home inspector/ appraiser will question all my external foundation cracks. you can see pics hehttp://home.ec.rr.com/yankee/ I think an engineer would be a good idea. Look for Forensic Engineer or Architect. Applied Building Science of Charleston SC is one group that does this kind of work. A review by a pro will be worth the reduced worry, if that is all that happens. T A 1/4" crack in a concrete slab is not normal. Those cracks together with the fact that a door is out of square would indicate that something is significantly wrong and you should get a structural engineer in. In many states, new homes have warranties that cover varying types of defects for different lengths of time, structural/ foundation type being covered the longest. With a 2 1/2 year old house, I'd get this addressed now. |
#5
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cracked concrete slab new home
They look normal to me. Concrete cracks.
s "hands on" wrote in message ups.com... I purchased a new home in spring 2005 in Leland,NC. Since then I was replacing the flooring and found 5 10 foot long cracks in my on ground poured concrete slab. I also have 6 vertical cracks on the outside of my slab between ground level and the start of the siding. The builder (Veranda Homes LLC ) tells me these are normal and only offered to fill in the cracks. One crack is 1/4 inch wide and the rest are larger than hairline. 2 of the cracks are continuing in a straight line and do not look like "normal shrinkage cracks" . My back patio vinyl framed sliding door is out of square also along with having drywall screws poping out through the drywall 2 1/2 years later. Do you think I should have a structural engineer look at the house? I wanted to sell this house but I think a home inspector/ appraiser will question all my external foundation cracks. you can see pics he http://home.ec.rr.com/yankee/ |
#6
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cracked concrete slab new home
"hands on" wrote in message ups.com... I purchased a new home in spring 2005 in Leland,NC. Since then I was replacing the flooring and found 5 10 foot long cracks in my on ground poured concrete slab. I also have 6 vertical cracks on the outside of my slab between ground level and the start of the siding. It's structural. Simply inform the builder, using a certified letter, that you expect action on this item and that if no response is recieved within 30 days that you will take the repair into your own hands and bill the builder. |
#7
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cracked concrete slab new home
And he'll say. "ya, ok. go ahead, bill away".
s "Noozer" wrote in message news:k79Ti.116640$th2.83157@pd7urf3no... "hands on" wrote in message ups.com... I purchased a new home in spring 2005 in Leland,NC. Since then I was replacing the flooring and found 5 10 foot long cracks in my on ground poured concrete slab. I also have 6 vertical cracks on the outside of my slab between ground level and the start of the siding. It's structural. Simply inform the builder, using a certified letter, that you expect action on this item and that if no response is recieved within 30 days that you will take the repair into your own hands and bill the builder. |
#8
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cracked concrete slab new home
Steve Barker wrote:
They look normal to me. Concrete cracks. But if it has rebar it doesn't separate. |
#9
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cracked concrete slab new home
On Oct 22, 6:23 pm, "HeyBub" wrote:
Steve Barker wrote: They look normal to me. Concrete cracks. But if it has rebar it doesn't separate. My builder used fibre reinforced concrete-no rebar.My patio door is not square and he told me he can adjust the rollers.I tried that and one of his 'handymen" tried with no success.He pretty much is refusing to fix anything. |
#10
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cracked concrete slab new home
On Oct 22, 6:02 pm, hands on wrote:
On Oct 22, 6:23 pm, "HeyBub" wrote: Steve Barker wrote: They look normal to me. Concrete cracks. But if it has rebar it doesn't separate. My builder used fibre reinforced concrete-no rebar.My patio door is not square and he told me he can adjust the rollers.I tried that and one of his 'handymen" tried with no success.He pretty much is refusing to fix anything. Surely there is rebar in the footings. I don't want to sound like I'm defending your builder, because I'm not. But I don't think the door being out of square is related to the concrete cracking. Looks more like it was set out of square---if something had moved that much, you'd see more sheetrock cracking than a few nail pops. It needs to be taken out and reinstalled plumb, level and square. The cracks are unsightly and I wouldn't be happy about them either, but whether they indicate major structural problems is not a foregone conclusion. Calling an engineer is a good idea. Good luck. |
#11
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cracked concrete slab new home
On Oct 22, 8:25 pm, marson wrote:
On Oct 22, 6:02 pm, hands on wrote: On Oct 22, 6:23 pm, "HeyBub" wrote: Steve Barker wrote: They look normal to me. Concrete cracks. But if it has rebar it doesn't separate. My builder used fibre reinforced concrete-no rebar.My patio door is not square and he told me he can adjust the rollers.I tried that and one of his 'handymen" tried with no success.He pretty much is refusing to fix anything. Surely there is rebar in the footings. I don't want to sound like I'm defending your builder, because I'm not. But I don't think the door being out of square is related to the concrete cracking. Looks more like it was set out of square---if something had moved that much, you'd see more sheetrock cracking than a few nail pops. It needs to be taken out and reinstalled plumb, level and square. The cracks are unsightly and I wouldn't be happy about them either, but whether they indicate major structural problems is not a foregone conclusion. Calling an engineer is a good idea. Good luck. In North Carolina I have seen what they do first hand. They set up concrete forms, put sand on the ground inside, level the sand and next thing you know a cement truck is pouring cement. I saw them do the house across the road from mine. |
#12
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cracked concrete slab new home
In article , "Steve Barker" wrote:
They look normal to me. Concrete cracks. I would not consider a 1/4 inch crack normal. 1/16 inch, yes. A quarter inch crack needs further investigation. -- |~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| | Malcolm Hoar "The more I practice, the luckier I get". | | Gary Player. | | http://www.malch.com/ Shpx gur PQN. | ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ |
#13
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cracked concrete slab new home
On Oct 22, 6:08 pm, "Steve Barker" wrote:
And he'll say. "ya, ok. go ahead, bill away". s "Noozer" wrote in message news:k79Ti.116640$th2.83157@pd7urf3no... "hands on" wrote in message oups.com... I purchased a new home in spring 2005 in Leland,NC. Since then I was replacing the flooring and found 5 10 foot long cracks in my on ground poured concrete slab. I also have 6 vertical cracks on the outside of my slab between ground level and the start of the siding. It's structural. Simply inform the builder, using a certified letter, that you expect action on this item and that if no response is recieved within 30 days that you will take the repair into your own hands and bill the builder.- Hide quoted text - - Show quoted text - I agree it would be a big mistake to actually just hire someone to fix it after 30 days and then try to collect from the builder or any warranty that exists. To begin with, without a structural engineer, how would you know what needs to be fixed and what the proper way to do it is? This could also be very expensive. If you just hire some local contractor, pay him $15K to fix God knows what, I think you'd have a hard time collecting from the builder or warranty company. They will just say it wasn't structural and it's their opinion versus some contractor. On the other hand, if you send them a qualified engineer's report that says it's structural, due to faulty construction, etc, it's going to be hard for them to ignore that. And I'd invite them to come meet with the engineer to review it, inspect it again themselves, etc. If you get nowhere with that, then you could have it fixed and if necessary, sue and likely win. |
#14
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cracked concrete slab new home
There is no 1/4" crack in the pictures.
s s s s "Malcolm Hoar" wrote in message ... In article , "Steve Barker" wrote: They look normal to me. Concrete cracks. I would not consider a 1/4 inch crack normal. 1/16 inch, yes. A quarter inch crack needs further investigation. -- |~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| | Malcolm Hoar "The more I practice, the luckier I get". | | Gary Player. | | http://www.malch.com/ Shpx gur PQN. | ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ |
#15
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cracked concrete slab new home
"hands on" wrote in message .. The builder (Veranda Homes LLC ) tells me these are normal and only offered to fill in the cracks. One crack is 1/4 inch wide and the rest are larger than hairline. 2 of the cracks are continuing in a straight line and do not look like "normal shrinkage cracks" . My back patio vinyl framed sliding door is out of square also along with having drywall screws poping out through the drywall 2 1/2 years later. Do you think I should have a structural engineer look at the house? I wanted to sell this house but I think a home inspector/ appraiser will question all my external foundation cracks. you can see pics he http://home.ec.rr.com/yankee/ Some cracks are normal. I have a couple of hairline cracks in mine and they have not moved in 29 years. 1/4" may be a bit more than usual, but it is not going to fall apart either. The slab is just that, not part of the foundation and footings. Put you mind at ease and call a pro to see if it should be investigated further. |
#16
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cracked concrete slab new home
In article .com,
hands on wrote: On Oct 22, 8:25 pm, marson wrote: On Oct 22, 6:02 pm, hands on wrote: On Oct 22, 6:23 pm, "HeyBub" wrote: Steve Barker wrote: They look normal to me. Concrete cracks. But if it has rebar it doesn't separate. My builder used fibre reinforced concrete-no rebar.My patio door is not square and he told me he can adjust the rollers.I tried that and one of his 'handymen" tried with no success.He pretty much is refusing to fix anything. Surely there is rebar in the footings. I don't want to sound like I'm defending your builder, because I'm not. But I don't think the door being out of square is related to the concrete cracking. Looks more like it was set out of square---if something had moved that much, you'd see more sheetrock cracking than a few nail pops. It needs to be taken out and reinstalled plumb, level and square. The cracks are unsightly and I wouldn't be happy about them either, but whether they indicate major structural problems is not a foregone conclusion. Calling an engineer is a good idea. Good luck. In North Carolina I have seen what they do first hand. They set up concrete forms, put sand on the ground inside, level the sand and next thing you know a cement truck is pouring cement. I saw them do the house across the road from mine. I bet they do that in South Carolina, too. What do you think about the OP's cracks? |
#17
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cracked concrete slab new home
On Oct 22, 1:08 pm, hands on wrote:
I purchased a new home in spring 2005 in Leland,NC. Since then I was replacing the flooring and found 5 10 foot long cracks in my on ground poured concrete slab. I also have 6 vertical cracks on the outside of my slab between ground level and the start of the siding. The builder (Veranda Homes LLC ) tells me these are normal and only offered to fill in the cracks. One crack is 1/4 inch wide and the rest are larger than hairline. 2 of the cracks are continuing in a straight line and do not look like "normal shrinkage cracks" . My back patio vinyl framed sliding door is out of square also along with having drywall screws poping out through the drywall 2 1/2 years later. Do you think I should have a structural engineer look at the house? I wanted to sell this house but I think a home inspector/ appraiser will question all my external foundation cracks. you can see pics hehttp://home.ec.rr.com/yankee/ OP- It is difficult to scale the cracks in your photos (a tape measure would have been a good idea). Concrete cracks. The cracks look pretty normal for slab on grade construction. I don't see any 1/4" cracks. If it will make you feel better , hire a civil / structural engineer. cheers Bob |
#18
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cracked concrete slab new home
On Oct 23, 1:21 am, BobK207 wrote:
On Oct 22, 1:08 pm, hands on wrote: I purchased a new home in spring 2005 in Leland,NC. Since then I was replacing the flooring and found 5 10 foot long cracks in my on ground poured concrete slab. I also have 6 vertical cracks on the outside of my slab between ground level and the start of the siding. The builder (Veranda Homes LLC ) tells me these are normal and only offered to fill in the cracks. One crack is 1/4 inch wide and the rest are larger than hairline. 2 of the cracks are continuing in a straight line and do not look like "normal shrinkage cracks" . My back patio vinyl framed sliding door is out of square also along with having drywall screws poping out through the drywall 2 1/2 years later. Do you think I should have a structural engineer look at the house? I wanted to sell this house but I think a home inspector/ appraiser will question all my external foundation cracks. you can see pics hehttp://home.ec.rr.com/yankee/ OP- It is difficult to scale the cracks in your photos (a tape measure would have been a good idea). Concrete cracks. The cracks look pretty normal for slab on grade construction. I don't see any 1/4" cracks. If it will make you feel better , hire a civil / structural engineer. cheers Bob I have a foundation repair company coming to look at it. My home is also on clay soil I found out.The close up picture is the 1/4 inch crack. Is it normal to have 6 vertical cracks on the outside of the slab above ground? 5 are flush across the crack but one crack is higher on one side than the other side. |
#19
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cracked concrete slab new home
On Oct 23, 7:18 am, hands on wrote:
On Oct 23, 1:21 am, BobK207 wrote: On Oct 22, 1:08 pm, hands on wrote: I purchased a new home in spring 2005 in Leland,NC. Since then I was replacing the flooring and found 5 10 foot long cracks in my on ground poured concrete slab. I also have 6 vertical cracks on the outside of my slab between ground level and the start of the siding. The builder (Veranda Homes LLC ) tells me these are normal and only offered to fill in the cracks. One crack is 1/4 inch wide and the rest are larger than hairline. 2 of the cracks are continuing in a straight line and do not look like "normal shrinkage cracks" . My back patio vinyl framed sliding door is out of square also along with having drywall screws poping out through the drywall 2 1/2 years later. Do you think I should have a structural engineer look at the house? I wanted to sell this house but I think a home inspector/ appraiser will question all my external foundation cracks. you can see pics hehttp://home.ec.rr.com/yankee/ OP- It is difficult to scale the cracks in your photos (a tape measure would have been a good idea). Concrete cracks. The cracks look pretty normal for slab on grade construction. I don't see any 1/4" cracks. If it will make you feel better , hire a civil / structural engineer. cheers Bob I have a foundation repair company coming to look at it. My home is also on clay soil I found out.The close up picture is the 1/4 inch crack. Is it normal to have 6 vertical cracks on the outside of the slab above ground? 5 are flush across the crack but one crack is higher on one side than the other side. OP- What do foundation repair companies do? Repair foundations. So I'm sure from their point of view it will "need repair", expensive repair. Hire a (more or less) unbiased professional (civil engineer)......the engineer won't make any extra $'s if he suggests repair and it won't cost him anything if he suggests no repair (unless he's wrong) do a Google search on expansive clay read the first four articles If you're expansive soil , steps needed to be taken in design, construction & maintenance to address those conditions without a measuring tape in "lone crack" photos, scaling is impossible the tack strip & the table leg do give some scale More importantly, what's the builder's track record? The home was built in 2005, near the middle of the housing construction frenzy. Workmanship can suffer in that environment. In a rising market, corners get cut, even crappy subs get work. Not enough good crews to go around. cheers Bob |
#20
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cracked concrete slab new home
On Oct 23, 11:36 am, BobK207 wrote:
On Oct 23, 7:18 am, hands on wrote: On Oct 23, 1:21 am, BobK207 wrote: On Oct 22, 1:08 pm, hands on wrote: I purchased a new home in spring 2005 in Leland,NC. Since then I was replacing the flooring and found 5 10 foot long cracks in my on ground poured concrete slab. I also have 6 vertical cracks on the outside of my slab between ground level and the start of the siding. The builder (Veranda Homes LLC ) tells me these are normal and only offered to fill in the cracks. One crack is 1/4 inch wide and the rest are larger than hairline. 2 of the cracks are continuing in a straight line and do not look like "normal shrinkage cracks" . My back patio vinyl framed sliding door is out of square also along with having drywall screws poping out through the drywall 2 1/2 years later. Do you think I should have a structural engineer look at the house? I wanted to sell this house but I think a home inspector/ appraiser will question all my external foundation cracks. you can see pics hehttp://home.ec.rr.com/yankee/ OP- It is difficult to scale the cracks in your photos (a tape measure would have been a good idea). Concrete cracks. The cracks look pretty normal for slab on grade construction. I don't see any 1/4" cracks. If it will make you feel better , hire a civil / structural engineer. cheers Bob I have a foundation repair company coming to look at it. My home is also on clay soil I found out.The close up picture is the 1/4 inch crack. Is it normal to have 6 vertical cracks on the outside of the slab above ground? 5 are flush across the crack but one crack is higher on one side than the other side. OP- What do foundation repair companies do? Repair foundations. So I'm sure from their point of view it will "need repair", expensive repair. Hire a (more or less) unbiased professional (civil engineer)......the engineer won't make any extra $'s if he suggests repair and it won't cost him anything if he suggests no repair (unless he's wrong) do a Google search on expansive clay read the first four articles If you're expansive soil , steps needed to be taken in design, construction & maintenance to address those conditions without a measuring tape in "lone crack" photos, scaling is impossible the tack strip & the table leg do give some scale More importantly, what's the builder's track record? The home was built in 2005, near the middle of the housing construction frenzy. Workmanship can suffer in that environment. In a rising market, corners get cut, even crappy subs get work. Not enough good crews to go around. cheers Bob I sent my photos to a structural engineer, he wanted $350.00 just to show up. He suggested I get a free estimate from a foundation repair company for free and go from there. |
#21
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cracked concrete slab new home
On Oct 23, 9:07 am, hands on wrote:
On Oct 23, 11:36 am, BobK207 wrote: On Oct 23, 7:18 am, hands on wrote: On Oct 23, 1:21 am, BobK207 wrote: On Oct 22, 1:08 pm, hands on wrote: I purchased a new home in spring 2005 in Leland,NC. Since then I was replacing the flooring and found 5 10 foot long cracks in my on ground poured concrete slab. I also have 6 vertical cracks on the outside of my slab between ground level and the start of the siding. The builder (Veranda Homes LLC ) tells me these are normal and only offered to fill in the cracks. One crack is 1/4 inch wide and the rest are larger than hairline. 2 of the cracks are continuing in a straight line and do not look like "normal shrinkage cracks" . My back patio vinyl framed sliding door is out of square also along with having drywall screws poping out through the drywall 2 1/2 years later. Do you think I should have a structural engineer look at the house? I wanted to sell this house but I think a home inspector/ appraiser will question all my external foundation cracks. you can see pics hehttp://home.ec.rr.com/yankee/ OP- It is difficult to scale the cracks in your photos (a tape measure would have been a good idea). Concrete cracks. The cracks look pretty normal for slab on grade construction. I don't see any 1/4" cracks. If it will make you feel better , hire a civil / structural engineer. cheers Bob I have a foundation repair company coming to look at it. My home is also on clay soil I found out.The close up picture is the 1/4 inch crack. Is it normal to have 6 vertical cracks on the outside of the slab above ground? 5 are flush across the crack but one crack is higher on one side than the other side. OP- What do foundation repair companies do? Repair foundations. So I'm sure from their point of view it will "need repair", expensive repair. Hire a (more or less) unbiased professional (civil engineer)......the engineer won't make any extra $'s if he suggests repair and it won't cost him anything if he suggests no repair (unless he's wrong) do a Google search on expansive clay read the first four articles If you're expansive soil , steps needed to be taken in design, construction & maintenance to address those conditions without a measuring tape in "lone crack" photos, scaling is impossible the tack strip & the table leg do give some scale More importantly, what's the builder's track record? The home was built in 2005, near the middle of the housing construction frenzy. Workmanship can suffer in that environment. In a rising market, corners get cut, even crappy subs get work. Not enough good crews to go around. cheers Bob I sent my photos to a structural engineer, he wanted $350.00 just to show up. He suggested I get a free estimate from a foundation repair company for free and go from there. OP- he wanted $350.00 just to show up That's what engineers charge, that's how they make their living. Call another one to see if that price is out of line. IMO....... pay the $350, cheap for the peace of mind it will give you (independent of his answers) That "free" estimate isn't really free....the cost is built into the work he's going to suggest you have done. Get the engineer's evaluation & fix the cracks yourself (if they even need fixing) with a suitable caulking product, the engineer can suggest a product. Did you read those first four Google hits? Even if you "fix" cracks IF you've got expansive soil issue AND the slab / foundation was under designed or under built. and oyu allow the soil moisture content to vary.....you'll get new cracks. You'll learn a lot more from the engineer's visit / letter report than you will from the repair contractor. Do you have the structural drawings for the home? How about a soils report form the builder? Before you do anything........ gather up the existing documentation it will give you, your contractor & your engineer (if you hire him) something to work with. cheers Bob cheers Bob |
#22
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cracked concrete slab new home
The OP should have included a ruler across the crack in his picture for size
reference just as the CSIs in the cop programs do. Otherwise you cannot tell how wide the cracks are, most look normal concrete shrinkage cracks. "Steve Barker" wrote in message ... There is no 1/4" crack in the pictures. s s s s "Malcolm Hoar" wrote in message ... In article , "Steve Barker" wrote: They look normal to me. Concrete cracks. I would not consider a 1/4 inch crack normal. 1/16 inch, yes. A quarter inch crack needs further investigation. -- |~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| | Malcolm Hoar "The more I practice, the luckier I get". | | Gary Player. | | http://www.malch.com/ Shpx gur PQN. | ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ |
#23
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cracked concrete slab new home
On Tue, 23 Oct 2007 07:18:13 -0700, hands on
wrote Re cracked concrete slab new home: On Oct 23, 1:21 am, BobK207 wrote: On Oct 22, 1:08 pm, hands on wrote: I purchased a new home in spring 2005 in Leland,NC. Since then I was replacing the flooring and found 5 10 foot long cracks in my on ground poured concrete slab. I also have 6 vertical cracks on the outside of my slab between ground level and the start of the siding. The builder (Veranda Homes LLC ) tells me these are normal and only offered to fill in the cracks. One crack is 1/4 inch wide and the rest are larger than hairline. 2 of the cracks are continuing in a straight line and do not look like "normal shrinkage cracks" . My back patio vinyl framed sliding door is out of square also along with having drywall screws poping out through the drywall 2 1/2 years later. Do you think I should have a structural engineer look at the house? I wanted to sell this house but I think a home inspector/ appraiser will question all my external foundation cracks. you can see pics hehttp://home.ec.rr.com/yankee/ OP- It is difficult to scale the cracks in your photos (a tape measure would have been a good idea). Concrete cracks. The cracks look pretty normal for slab on grade construction. I don't see any 1/4" cracks. If it will make you feel better , hire a civil / structural engineer. cheers Bob I have a foundation repair company coming to look at it. I wouldn't be surprised if the said it needed a "repair". |
#24
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cracked concrete slab new home
On Oct 23, 4:36 pm, Caesar Romano wrote:
On Tue, 23 Oct 2007 07:18:13 -0700, hands on wrote Re cracked concrete slab new home: On Oct 23, 1:21 am, BobK207 wrote: On Oct 22, 1:08 pm, hands on wrote: I purchased a new home in spring 2005 in Leland,NC. Since then I was replacing the flooring and found 5 10 foot long cracks in my on ground poured concrete slab. I also have 6 vertical cracks on the outside of my slab between ground level and the start of the siding. The builder (Veranda Homes LLC ) tells me these are normal and only offered to fill in the cracks. One crack is 1/4 inch wide and the rest are larger than hairline. 2 of the cracks are continuing in a straight line and do not look like "normal shrinkage cracks" . My back patio vinyl framed sliding door is out of square also along with having drywall screws poping out through the drywall 2 1/2 years later. Do you think I should have a structural engineer look at the house? I wanted to sell this house but I think a home inspector/ appraiser will question all my external foundation cracks. you can see pics hehttp://home.ec.rr.com/yankee/ OP- It is difficult to scale the cracks in your photos (a tape measure would have been a good idea). Concrete cracks. The cracks look pretty normal for slab on grade construction. I don't see any 1/4" cracks. If it will make you feel better , hire a civil / structural engineer. cheers Bob I have a foundation repair company coming to look at it. I wouldn't be surprised if the said it needed a "repair". I have found from my immediate neighbors that they are having issues with there flooring like cracking builder installed tile, builder installed cheap imitation hardwood flooring flexing and making noises when it flexes (walking on it).My builder is not cooperative, he has the know it all attitude and if one of his handymen can't fix it-oh well. Would my local town building inspector have my soil survey info? |
#25
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cracked concrete slab new home
On Oct 23, 10:33 pm, hands on wrote:
On Oct 23, 4:36 pm, Caesar Romano wrote: On Tue, 23 Oct 2007 07:18:13 -0700, hands on wrote Re cracked concrete slab new home: On Oct 23, 1:21 am, BobK207 wrote: On Oct 22, 1:08 pm, hands on wrote: I purchased a new home in spring 2005 in Leland,NC. Since then I was replacing the flooring and found 5 10 foot long cracks in my on ground poured concrete slab. I also have 6 vertical cracks on the outside of my slab between ground level and the start of the siding. The builder (Veranda Homes LLC ) tells me these are normal and only offered to fill in the cracks. One crack is 1/4 inch wide and the rest are larger than hairline. 2 of the cracks are continuing in a straight line and do not look like "normal shrinkage cracks" . My back patio vinyl framed sliding door is out of square also along with having drywall screws poping out through the drywall 2 1/2 years later. Do you think I should have a structural engineer look at the house? I wanted to sell this house but I think a home inspector/ appraiser will question all my external foundation cracks. you can see pics hehttp://home.ec.rr.com/yankee/ OP- It is difficult to scale the cracks in your photos (a tape measure would have been a good idea). Concrete cracks. The cracks look pretty normal for slab on grade construction. I don't see any 1/4" cracks. If it will make you feel better , hire a civil / structural engineer. cheers Bob I have a foundation repair company coming to look at it. I wouldn't be surprised if the said it needed a "repair". I have found from my immediate neighbors that they are having issues with there flooring like cracking builder installed tile, builder installed cheap imitation hardwood flooring flexing and making noises when it flexes (walking on it).My builder is not cooperative, he has the know it all attitude and if one of his handymen can't fix it-oh well. Would my local town building inspector have my soil survey info?- Hide quoted text - - Show quoted text - Contacting the building inspector certainly can't hurt. He may know if there have been other homes built by this builder that did have structural problems. You could also ask him for a reference for a STRUCTURAL ENGINEER. I agree with those that have said getting a foundation repair company is not a good idea. You're in a potential dispute with a builder and/ or warranty company over what could be a major and expensive repair. What did you expect a structural engineer to charge? $350 to show up and give an initial opinion of whether more investigation needs to be done or it's nothing to worry about sounds about right to me. I would have asked him how much an hour they bill, and if the cracking/ door movement turn out to be structural, what range the total engineering work may fall into and exactly what you would be getting for the $350. I guess you could take the approach that if the foundation company says it's not a foundation problem, then it's likely not. Of course, you're relying on their expertise and without extensive investigation, who knows? If they say it is however, which I'm betting they will, then I would most definitely get a structural engineer in. If you expect to get the builder/warranty company to pay for it, you're in a 10X better bargaining/legal position with a structural engineers report, than with an estimate from a couple of foundation repair contractors. As I previously suggested, I'd find out if you have a new home warranty. If you do, contact them and tell them you think you have a structural problem. They will then send out one of their inspectors. Of course, he's not on your side, but if they're going to pay for it, they have to get involved. And if there is a warranty, I'd factor into whatever you do how long the warranty runs for, ie if you take a wait and see approach and this gets worse, are you still covered for X years? And if no warranty, then time may be of the essence anyway. Around here a couple good size builders already have gone bankrupt in the downturn. If that were to happen and you have no warranty, you are SOL. |
#26
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cracked concrete slab new home
On Oct 24, 9:31 am, wrote:
On Oct 23, 10:33 pm, hands on wrote: On Oct 23, 4:36 pm, Caesar Romano wrote: On Tue, 23 Oct 2007 07:18:13 -0700, hands on wrote Re cracked concrete slab new home: On Oct 23, 1:21 am, BobK207 wrote: On Oct 22, 1:08 pm, hands on wrote: I purchased a new home in spring 2005 in Leland,NC. Since then I was replacing the flooring and found 5 10 foot long cracks in my on ground poured concrete slab. I also have 6 vertical cracks on the outside of my slab between ground level and the start of the siding. The builder (Veranda Homes LLC ) tells me these are normal and only offered to fill in the cracks. One crack is 1/4 inch wide and the rest are larger than hairline. 2 of the cracks are continuing in a straight line and do not look like "normal shrinkage cracks" . My back patio vinyl framed sliding door is out of square also along with having drywall screws poping out through the drywall 2 1/2 years later. Do you think I should have a structural engineer look at the house? I wanted to sell this house but I think a home inspector/ appraiser will question all my external foundation cracks. you can see pics hehttp://home.ec.rr.com/yankee/ OP- It is difficult to scale the cracks in your photos (a tape measure would have been a good idea). Concrete cracks. The cracks look pretty normal for slab on grade construction. I don't see any 1/4" cracks. If it will make you feel better , hire a civil / structural engineer. cheers Bob I have a foundation repair company coming to look at it. I wouldn't be surprised if the said it needed a "repair". I have found from my immediate neighbors that they are having issues with there flooring like cracking builder installed tile, builder installed cheap imitation hardwood flooring flexing and making noises when it flexes (walking on it).My builder is not cooperative, he has the know it all attitude and if one of his handymen can't fix it-oh well. Would my local town building inspector have my soil survey info?- Hide quoted text - - Show quoted text - Contacting the building inspector certainly can't hurt. He may know if there have been other homes built by this builder that did have structural problems. You could also ask him for a reference for a STRUCTURAL ENGINEER. I agree with those that have said getting a foundation repair company is not a good idea. You're in a potential dispute with a builder and/ or warranty company over what could be a major and expensive repair. What did you expect a structural engineer to charge? $350 to show up and give an initial opinion of whether more investigation needs to be done or it's nothing to worry about sounds about right to me. I would have asked him how much an hour they bill, and if the cracking/ door movement turn out to be structural, what range the total engineering work may fall into and exactly what you would be getting for the $350. I guess you could take the approach that if the foundation company says it's not a foundation problem, then it's likely not. Of course, you're relying on their expertise and without extensive investigation, who knows? If they say it is however, which I'm betting they will, then I would most definitely get a structural engineer in. If you expect to get the builder/warranty company to pay for it, you're in a 10X better bargaining/legal position with a structural engineers report, than with an estimate from a couple of foundation repair contractors. As I previously suggested, I'd find out if you have a new home warranty. If you do, contact them and tell them you think you have a structural problem. They will then send out one of their inspectors. Of course, he's not on your side, but if they're going to pay for it, they have to get involved. And if there is a warranty, I'd factor into whatever you do how long the warranty runs for, ie if you take a wait and see approach and this gets worse, are you still covered for X years? And if no warranty, then time may be of the essence anyway. Around here a couple good size builders already have gone bankrupt in the downturn. If that were to happen and you have no warranty, you are SOL. I found out the 1 year warranty is it. There is a ten year structural one through the state of NC but it's a get a lawyer and sue them deal. The foundation repair company came out and said I do have a problem but it's not to the point of needing repair yet, he couldn't tell if it was normal settling or a more serious problem because the house is only 2.5 years old. Just told me to keep an eye on it and document everything. |
#27
Posted to alt.home.repair
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cracked concrete slab new home
On Oct 24, 9:31 am, wrote:
On Oct 23, 10:33 pm, hands on wrote: On Oct 23, 4:36 pm, Caesar Romano wrote: On Tue, 23 Oct 2007 07:18:13 -0700, hands on wrote Re cracked concrete slab new home: On Oct 23, 1:21 am, BobK207 wrote: On Oct 22, 1:08 pm, hands on wrote: I purchased a new home in spring 2005 in Leland,NC. Since then I was replacing the flooring and found 5 10 foot long cracks in my on ground poured concrete slab. I also have 6 vertical cracks on the outside of my slab between ground level and the start of the siding. The builder (Veranda Homes LLC ) tells me these are normal and only offered to fill in the cracks. One crack is 1/4 inch wide and the rest are larger than hairline. 2 of the cracks are continuing in a straight line and do not look like "normal shrinkage cracks" . My back patio vinyl framed sliding door is out of square also along with having drywall screws poping out through the drywall 2 1/2 years later. Do you think I should have a structural engineer look at the house? I wanted to sell this house but I think a home inspector/ appraiser will question all my external foundation cracks. you can see pics hehttp://home.ec.rr.com/yankee/ OP- It is difficult to scale the cracks in your photos (a tape measure would have been a good idea). Concrete cracks. The cracks look pretty normal for slab on grade construction. I don't see any 1/4" cracks. If it will make you feel better , hire a civil / structural engineer. cheers Bob I have a foundation repair company coming to look at it. I wouldn't be surprised if the said it needed a "repair". I have found from my immediate neighbors that they are having issues with there flooring like cracking builder installed tile, builder installed cheap imitation hardwood flooring flexing and making noises when it flexes (walking on it).My builder is not cooperative, he has the know it all attitude and if one of his handymen can't fix it-oh well. Would my local town building inspector have my soil survey info?- Hide quoted text - - Show quoted text - Contacting the building inspector certainly can't hurt. He may know if there have been other homes built by this builder that did have structural problems. You could also ask him for a reference for a STRUCTURAL ENGINEER. I agree with those that have said getting a foundation repair company is not a good idea. You're in a potential dispute with a builder and/ or warranty company over what could be a major and expensive repair. What did you expect a structural engineer to charge? $350 to show up and give an initial opinion of whether more investigation needs to be done or it's nothing to worry about sounds about right to me. I would have asked him how much an hour they bill, and if the cracking/ door movement turn out to be structural, what range the total engineering work may fall into and exactly what you would be getting for the $350. I guess you could take the approach that if the foundation company says it's not a foundation problem, then it's likely not. Of course, you're relying on their expertise and without extensive investigation, who knows? If they say it is however, which I'm betting they will, then I would most definitely get a structural engineer in. If you expect to get the builder/warranty company to pay for it, you're in a 10X better bargaining/legal position with a structural engineers report, than with an estimate from a couple of foundation repair contractors. As I previously suggested, I'd find out if you have a new home warranty. If you do, contact them and tell them you think you have a structural problem. They will then send out one of their inspectors. Of course, he's not on your side, but if they're going to pay for it, they have to get involved. And if there is a warranty, I'd factor into whatever you do how long the warranty runs for, ie if you take a wait and see approach and this gets worse, are you still covered for X years? And if no warranty, then time may be of the essence anyway. Around here a couple good size builders already have gone bankrupt in the downturn. If that were to happen and you have no warranty, you are SOL. I found out the 1 year warranty is it. There is a ten year structural one through the state of NC but it's a get a lawyer and sue them deal. The foundation repair company came out and said I do have a problem but it's not to the point of needing repair yet, he couldn't tell if it was normal settling or a more serious problem because the house is only 2.5 years old. Just told me to keep an eye on it and document everything. |
#28
Posted to alt.home.repair
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cracked concrete slab new home
On Oct 24, 4:09 pm, hands on wrote:
On Oct 24, 9:31 am, wrote: On Oct 23, 10:33 pm, hands on wrote: On Oct 23, 4:36 pm, Caesar Romano wrote: On Tue, 23 Oct 2007 07:18:13 -0700, hands on wrote Re cracked concrete slab new home: On Oct 23, 1:21 am, BobK207 wrote: On Oct 22, 1:08 pm, hands on wrote: I purchased a new home in spring 2005 in Leland,NC. Since then I was replacing the flooring and found 5 10 foot long cracks in my on ground poured concrete slab. I also have 6 vertical cracks on the outside of my slab between ground level and the start of the siding. The builder (Veranda Homes LLC ) tells me these are normal and only offered to fill in the cracks. One crack is 1/4 inch wide and the rest are larger than hairline. 2 of the cracks are continuing in a straight line and do not look like "normal shrinkage cracks" . My back patio vinyl framed sliding door is out of square also along with having drywall screws poping out through the drywall 2 1/2 years later. Do you think I should have a structural engineer look at the house? I wanted to sell this house but I think a home inspector/ appraiser will question all my external foundation cracks. you can see pics hehttp://home.ec.rr.com/yankee/ OP- It is difficult to scale the cracks in your photos (a tape measure would have been a good idea). Concrete cracks. The cracks look pretty normal for slab on grade construction. I don't see any 1/4" cracks. If it will make you feel better , hire a civil / structural engineer. cheers Bob I have a foundation repair company coming to look at it. I wouldn't be surprised if the said it needed a "repair". I have found from my immediate neighbors that they are having issues with there flooring like cracking builder installed tile, builder installed cheap imitation hardwood flooring flexing and making noises when it flexes (walking on it).My builder is not cooperative, he has the know it all attitude and if one of his handymen can't fix it-oh well. Would my local town building inspector have my soil survey info?- Hide quoted text - - Show quoted text - Contacting the building inspector certainly can't hurt. He may know if there have been other homes built by this builder that did have structural problems. You could also ask him for a reference for a STRUCTURAL ENGINEER. I agree with those that have said getting a foundation repair company is not a good idea. You're in a potential dispute with a builder and/ or warranty company over what could be a major and expensive repair. What did you expect a structural engineer to charge? $350 to show up and give an initial opinion of whether more investigation needs to be done or it's nothing to worry about sounds about right to me. I would have asked him how much an hour they bill, and if the cracking/ door movement turn out to be structural, what range the total engineering work may fall into and exactly what you would be getting for the $350. I guess you could take the approach that if the foundation company says it's not a foundation problem, then it's likely not. Of course, you're relying on their expertise and without extensive investigation, who knows? If they say it is however, which I'm betting they will, then I would most definitely get a structural engineer in. If you expect to get the builder/warranty company to pay for it, you're in a 10X better bargaining/legal position with a structural engineers report, than with an estimate from a couple of foundation repair contractors. As I previously suggested, I'd find out if you have a new home warranty. If you do, contact them and tell them you think you have a structural problem. They will then send out one of their inspectors. Of course, he's not on your side, but if they're going to pay for it, they have to get involved. And if there is a warranty, I'd factor into whatever you do how long the warranty runs for, ie if you take a wait and see approach and this gets worse, are you still covered for X years? And if no warranty, then time may be of the essence anyway. Around here a couple good size builders already have gone bankrupt in the downturn. If that were to happen and you have no warranty, you are SOL. I found out the 1 year warranty is it. There is a ten year structural one through the state of NC but it's a get a lawyer and sue them deal. Who told you that you have to sue to collect on the 10 yr structural warranty? It's true most of them aren't very eager to pay out, but this is the first time I've heard of a warranty where you have to sue them as the first step. Usually, you can file a claim with them, have them come look at it, show them your experts report, etc, and then they either agree to cover it or deny it, at which point then you could sue. Keep in mind there is small claims court too. The foundation repair company came out and said I do have a problem but it's not to the point of needing repair yet, he couldn't tell if it was normal settling or a more serious problem because the house is only 2.5 years old. Just told me to keep an eye on it and document everything.- Hide quoted text - - Show quoted text - |
#29
Posted to alt.home.repair
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cracked concrete slab new home
On Oct 24, 4:37 pm, wrote:
On Oct 24, 4:09 pm, hands on wrote: On Oct 24, 9:31 am, wrote: On Oct 23, 10:33 pm, hands on wrote: On Oct 23, 4:36 pm, Caesar Romano wrote: On Tue, 23 Oct 2007 07:18:13 -0700, hands on wrote Re cracked concrete slab new home: On Oct 23, 1:21 am, BobK207 wrote: On Oct 22, 1:08 pm, hands on wrote: I purchased a new home in spring 2005 in Leland,NC. Since then I was replacing the flooring and found 5 10 foot long cracks in my on ground poured concrete slab. I also have 6 vertical cracks on the outside of my slab between ground level and the start of the siding. The builder (Veranda Homes LLC ) tells me these are normal and only offered to fill in the cracks. One crack is 1/4 inch wide and the rest are larger than hairline. 2 of the cracks are continuing in a straight line and do not look like "normal shrinkage cracks" . My back patio vinyl framed sliding door is out of square also along with having drywall screws poping out through the drywall 2 1/2 years later. Do you think I should have a structural engineer look at the house? I wanted to sell this house but I think a home inspector/ appraiser will question all my external foundation cracks. you can see pics hehttp://home.ec.rr.com/yankee/ OP- It is difficult to scale the cracks in your photos (a tape measure would have been a good idea). Concrete cracks. The cracks look pretty normal for slab on grade construction. I don't see any 1/4" cracks. If it will make you feel better , hire a civil / structural engineer. cheers Bob I have a foundation repair company coming to look at it. I wouldn't be surprised if the said it needed a "repair". I have found from my immediate neighbors that they are having issues with there flooring like cracking builder installed tile, builder installed cheap imitation hardwood flooring flexing and making noises when it flexes (walking on it).My builder is not cooperative, he has the know it all attitude and if one of his handymen can't fix it-oh well. Would my local town building inspector have my soil survey info?- Hide quoted text - - Show quoted text - Contacting the building inspector certainly can't hurt. He may know if there have been other homes built by this builder that did have structural problems. You could also ask him for a reference for a STRUCTURAL ENGINEER. I agree with those that have said getting a foundation repair company is not a good idea. You're in a potential dispute with a builder and/ or warranty company over what could be a major and expensive repair. What did you expect a structural engineer to charge? $350 to show up and give an initial opinion of whether more investigation needs to be done or it's nothing to worry about sounds about right to me. I would have asked him how much an hour they bill, and if the cracking/ door movement turn out to be structural, what range the total engineering work may fall into and exactly what you would be getting for the $350. I guess you could take the approach that if the foundation company says it's not a foundation problem, then it's likely not. Of course, you're relying on their expertise and without extensive investigation, who knows? If they say it is however, which I'm betting they will, then I would most definitely get a structural engineer in. If you expect to get the builder/warranty company to pay for it, you're in a 10X better bargaining/legal position with a structural engineers report, than with an estimate from a couple of foundation repair contractors. As I previously suggested, I'd find out if you have a new home warranty. If you do, contact them and tell them you think you have a structural problem. They will then send out one of their inspectors. Of course, he's not on your side, but if they're going to pay for it, they have to get involved. And if there is a warranty, I'd factor into whatever you do how long the warranty runs for, ie if you take a wait and see approach and this gets worse, are you still covered for X years? And if no warranty, then time may be of the essence anyway. Around here a couple good size builders already have gone bankrupt in the downturn. If that were to happen and you have no warranty, you are SOL. I found out the 1 year warranty is it. There is a ten year structural one through the state of NC but it's a get a lawyer and sue them deal. Who told you that you have to sue to collect on the 10 yr structural warranty? It's true most of them aren't very eager to pay out, but this is the first time I've heard of a warranty where you have to sue them as the first step. Usually, you can file a claim with them, have them come look at it, show them your experts report, etc, and then they either agree to cover it or deny it, at which point then you could sue. Keep in mind there is small claims court too. The foundation repair company came out and said I do have a problem but it's not to the point of needing repair yet, he couldn't tell if it was normal settling or a more serious problem because the house is only 2.5 years old. Just told me to keep an eye on it and document everything.- Hide quoted text - - Show quoted text - I called a few lawyers and discussed the problem. I have since found an exposed bolt in the slab that is holding down the house to the foundation for high winds. If it's not structural problems then they sold me a house with known defects. They looked at the door once, adjusted it and said that's as good as they can get it. I guess I will get some estimates to have the problems repaired, have an engineer look at at and then off to court. Would a structural engineer or civil engineer be best for evaluating the house and the soil below? I think the soil is an issue also. |
#30
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cracked concrete slab new home
On Oct 26, 5:06 pm, hands on wrote:
On Oct 24, 4:37 pm, wrote: On Oct 24, 4:09 pm, hands on wrote: On Oct 24, 9:31 am, wrote: On Oct 23, 10:33 pm, hands on wrote: On Oct 23, 4:36 pm, Caesar Romano wrote: On Tue, 23 Oct 2007 07:18:13 -0700, hands on wrote Re cracked concrete slab new home: On Oct 23, 1:21 am, BobK207 wrote: On Oct 22, 1:08 pm, hands on wrote: I purchased a new home in spring 2005 in Leland,NC. Since then I was replacing the flooring and found 5 10 foot long cracks in my on ground poured concrete slab. I also have 6 vertical cracks on the outside of my slab between ground level and the start of the siding. The builder (Veranda Homes LLC ) tells me these are normal and only offered to fill in the cracks. One crack is 1/4 inch wide and the rest are larger than hairline. 2 of the cracks are continuing in a straight line and do not look like "normal shrinkage cracks" . My back patio vinyl framed sliding door is out of square also along with having drywall screws poping out through the drywall 2 1/2 years later. Do you think I should have a structural engineer look at the house? I wanted to sell this house but I think a home inspector/ appraiser will question all my external foundation cracks. you can see pics hehttp://home.ec.rr.com/yankee/ OP- It is difficult to scale the cracks in your photos (a tape measure would have been a good idea). Concrete cracks. The cracks look pretty normal for slab on grade construction. I don't see any 1/4" cracks. If it will make you feel better , hire a civil / structural engineer. cheers Bob I have a foundation repair company coming to look at it. I wouldn't be surprised if the said it needed a "repair". I have found from my immediate neighbors that they are having issues with there flooring like cracking builder installed tile, builder installed cheap imitation hardwood flooring flexing and making noises when it flexes (walking on it).My builder is not cooperative, he has the know it all attitude and if one of his handymen can't fix it-oh well. Would my local town building inspector have my soil survey info?- Hide quoted text - - Show quoted text - Contacting the building inspector certainly can't hurt. He may know if there have been other homes built by this builder that did have structural problems. You could also ask him for a reference for a STRUCTURAL ENGINEER. I agree with those that have said getting a foundation repair company is not a good idea. You're in a potential dispute with a builder and/ or warranty company over what could be a major and expensive repair. What did you expect a structural engineer to charge? $350 to show up and give an initial opinion of whether more investigation needs to be done or it's nothing to worry about sounds about right to me. I would have asked him how much an hour they bill, and if the cracking/ door movement turn out to be structural, what range the total engineering work may fall into and exactly what you would be getting for the $350. I guess you could take the approach that if the foundation company says it's not a foundation problem, then it's likely not. Of course, you're relying on their expertise and without extensive investigation, who knows? If they say it is however, which I'm betting they will, then I would most definitely get a structural engineer in. If you expect to get the builder/warranty company to pay for it, you're in a 10X better bargaining/legal position with a structural engineers report, than with an estimate from a couple of foundation repair contractors. As I previously suggested, I'd find out if you have a new home warranty. If you do, contact them and tell them you think you have a structural problem. They will then send out one of their inspectors. Of course, he's not on your side, but if they're going to pay for it, they have to get involved. And if there is a warranty, I'd factor into whatever you do how long the warranty runs for, ie if you take a wait and see approach and this gets worse, are you still covered for X years? And if no warranty, then time may be of the essence anyway. Around here a couple good size builders already have gone bankrupt in the downturn. If that were to happen and you have no warranty, you are SOL. I found out the 1 year warranty is it. There is a ten year structural one through the state of NC but it's a get a lawyer and sue them deal. Who told you that you have to sue to collect on the 10 yr structural warranty? It's true most of them aren't very eager to pay out, but this is the first time I've heard of a warranty where you have to sue them as the first step. Usually, you can file a claim with them, have them come look at it, show them your experts report, etc, and then they either agree to cover it or deny it, at which point then you could sue. Keep in mind there is small claims court too. The foundation repair company came out and said I do have a problem but it's not to the point of needing repair yet, he couldn't tell if it was normal settling or a more serious problem because the house is only 2.5 years old. Just told me to keep an eye on it and document everything.- Hide quoted text - - Show quoted text - I called a few lawyers and discussed the problem. And they told you that the only recourse with the home warranty is to sue? Without even knowing what warranty you have or making a simple phone call to the warranty company? You should have documentation from the closing that specifies the warranies, if any, involved. I'd go read that, if I were you. The process you're describing sounds like recovering from the builder, absent any warranty. I've never heard yet of a warranty where the first step is you have to sue them. I have since found an exposed bolt in the slab that is holding down the house to the foundation for high winds. If it's not structural problems then they sold me a house with known defects. They looked at the door once, adjusted it and said that's as good as they can get it. I guess I will get some estimates to have the problems repaired, have an engineer look at at and then off to court. Would a structural engineer or civil engineer be best for evaluating the house and the soil below? I think the soil is an issue also.- Hide quoted text - - Show quoted text - If you want an engineer, I'd ask the local building inspector for a recommendation. You'll likely find that many firms have engineers in multiple specialties and can figure out who which guy is most appropriate. Given you're considering legal action, I'd make sure the guy has impecable credentials. Consider that whoever it is, their opinion is going to be questioned. And before you figure on going off to court, you better figure out how much the whole thing is gonna cost. If it's small, $2k -5K, whatever the limit is in your state, then you can go to small claims without a lawyer and have a decent shot at prevailing. If it's $10-25K, you're in a bad spot, because it could cost that much or more to pursue and you could lose. Above that, then I guess it starts to make more sense to sue, assuming you have a good case. |
#31
Posted to alt.home.repair
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cracked concrete slab new home
On Oct 26, 7:01 pm, wrote:
On Oct 26, 5:06 pm, hands on wrote: On Oct 24, 4:37 pm, wrote: On Oct 24, 4:09 pm, hands on wrote: On Oct 24, 9:31 am, wrote: On Oct 23, 10:33 pm, hands on wrote: On Oct 23, 4:36 pm, Caesar Romano wrote: On Tue, 23 Oct 2007 07:18:13 -0700, hands on wrote Re cracked concrete slab new home: On Oct 23, 1:21 am, BobK207 wrote: On Oct 22, 1:08 pm, hands on wrote: I purchased a new home in spring 2005 in Leland,NC. Since then I was replacing the flooring and found 5 10 foot long cracks in my on ground poured concrete slab. I also have 6 vertical cracks on the outside of my slab between ground level and the start of the siding. The builder (Veranda Homes LLC ) tells me these are normal and only offered to fill in the cracks. One crack is 1/4 inch wide and the rest are larger than hairline. 2 of the cracks are continuing in a straight line and do not look like "normal shrinkage cracks" . My back patio vinyl framed sliding door is out of square also along with having drywall screws poping out through the drywall 2 1/2 years later. Do you think I should have a structural engineer look at the house? I wanted to sell this house but I think a home inspector/ appraiser will question all my external foundation cracks. you can see pics hehttp://home.ec.rr.com/yankee/ OP- It is difficult to scale the cracks in your photos (a tape measure would have been a good idea). Concrete cracks. The cracks look pretty normal for slab on grade construction. I don't see any 1/4" cracks. If it will make you feel better , hire a civil / structural engineer. cheers Bob I have a foundation repair company coming to look at it. I wouldn't be surprised if the said it needed a "repair". I have found from my immediate neighbors that they are having issues with there flooring like cracking builder installed tile, builder installed cheap imitation hardwood flooring flexing and making noises when it flexes (walking on it).My builder is not cooperative, he has the know it all attitude and if one of his handymen can't fix it-oh well. Would my local town building inspector have my soil survey info?- Hide quoted text - - Show quoted text - Contacting the building inspector certainly can't hurt. He may know if there have been other homes built by this builder that did have structural problems. You could also ask him for a reference for a STRUCTURAL ENGINEER. I agree with those that have said getting a foundation repair company is not a good idea. You're in a potential dispute with a builder and/ or warranty company over what could be a major and expensive repair. What did you expect a structural engineer to charge? $350 to show up and give an initial opinion of whether more investigation needs to be done or it's nothing to worry about sounds about right to me. I would have asked him how much an hour they bill, and if the cracking/ door movement turn out to be structural, what range the total engineering work may fall into and exactly what you would be getting for the $350. I guess you could take the approach that if the foundation company says it's not a foundation problem, then it's likely not. Of course, you're relying on their expertise and without extensive investigation, who knows? If they say it is however, which I'm betting they will, then I would most definitely get a structural engineer in. If you expect to get the builder/warranty company to pay for it, you're in a 10X better bargaining/legal position with a structural engineers report, than with an estimate from a couple of foundation repair contractors. As I previously suggested, I'd find out if you have a new home warranty. If you do, contact them and tell them you think you have a structural problem. They will then send out one of their inspectors. Of course, he's not on your side, but if they're going to pay for it, they have to get involved. And if there is a warranty, I'd factor into whatever you do how long the warranty runs for, ie if you take a wait and see approach and this gets worse, are you still covered for X years? And if no warranty, then time may be of the essence anyway. Around here a couple good size builders already have gone bankrupt in the downturn. If that were to happen and you have no warranty, you are SOL. I found out the 1 year warranty is it. There is a ten year structural one through the state of NC but it's a get a lawyer and sue them deal. Who told you that you have to sue to collect on the 10 yr structural warranty? It's true most of them aren't very eager to pay out, but this is the first time I've heard of a warranty where you have to sue them as the first step. Usually, you can file a claim with them, have them come look at it, show them your experts report, etc, and then they either agree to cover it or deny it, at which point then you could sue. Keep in mind there is small claims court too. The foundation repair company came out and said I do have a problem but it's not to the point of needing repair yet, he couldn't tell if it was normal settling or a more serious problem because the house is only 2.5 years old. Just told me to keep an eye on it and document everything.- Hide quoted text - - Show quoted text - I called a few lawyers and discussed the problem. And they told you that the only recourse with the home warranty is to sue? Without even knowing what warranty you have or making a simple phone call to the warranty company? You should have documentation from the closing that specifies the warranies, if any, involved. I'd go read that, if I were you. The process you're describing sounds like recovering from the builder, absent any warranty. I've never heard yet of a warranty where the first step is you have to sue them. I have since found an exposed bolt in the slab that is holding down the house to the foundation for high winds. If it's not structural problems then they sold me a house with known defects. They looked at the door once, adjusted it and said that's as good as they can get it. I guess I will get some estimates to have the problems repaired, have an engineer look at at and then off to court. Would a structural engineer or civil engineer be best for evaluating the house and the soil below? I think the soil is an issue also.- Hide quoted text - - Show quoted text - If you want an engineer, I'd ask the local building inspector for a recommendation. You'll likely find that many firms have engineers in multiple specialties and can figure out who which guy is most appropriate. Given you're considering legal action, I'd make sure the guy has impecable credentials. Consider that whoever it is, their opinion is going to be questioned. And before you figure on going off to court, you better figure out how much the whole thing is gonna cost. If it's small, $2k -5K, whatever the limit is in your state, then you can go to small claims without a lawyer and have a decent shot at prevailing. If it's $10-25K, you're in a bad spot, because it could cost that much or more to pursue and you could lose. Above that, then I guess it starts to make more sense to sue, assuming you have a good case. My closing attorney said all that I had was a 1 year. The state of North Carolina says you have a 10 year structural but getting a dirtbag builder to honor it means the legal system. Live and learn-Veranda Homes LLC spends more time telling me what they are not responsible for than checking to see how homes are built. The general manager(Robert Exum) is the only employee who holds a NC contractors license for Veranda Homes LLC. I have never seen him checking any of the 200+ homes they have built, so you are left to the technical expertise of a few Mexicans. I am pursuing this with the NC State Attorney Generals office along with others. He is also developing another project, Waterford of the Carolinas. You can't be a developer and a builder at the same time-IT SHOWS1 |
#32
Posted to alt.home.repair
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cracked concrete slab new home
On Oct 26, 7:42?pm, hands on wrote:
On Oct 26, 7:01 pm, wrote: On Oct 26, 5:06 pm, hands on wrote: On Oct 24, 4:37 pm, wrote: On Oct 24, 4:09 pm, hands on wrote: On Oct 24, 9:31 am, wrote: On Oct 23, 10:33 pm, hands on wrote: On Oct 23, 4:36 pm, Caesar Romano wrote: On Tue, 23 Oct 2007 07:18:13 -0700, hands on wrote Re cracked concrete slab new home: On Oct 23, 1:21 am, BobK207 wrote: On Oct 22, 1:08 pm, hands on wrote: I purchased a new home in spring 2005 in Leland,NC. Since then I was replacing the flooring and found 5 10 foot long cracks in my on ground poured concrete slab. I also have 6 vertical cracks on the outside of my slab between ground level and the start of the siding. The builder (Veranda Homes LLC ) tells me these are normal and only offered to fill in the cracks. One crack is 1/4 inch wide and the rest are larger than hairline. 2 of the cracks are continuing in a straight line and do not look like "normal shrinkage cracks" . My back patio vinyl framed sliding door is out of square also along with having drywall screws poping out through the drywall 2 1/2 years later. Do you think I should have a structural engineer look at the house? I wanted to sell this house but I think a home inspector/ appraiser will question all my external foundation cracks. you can see pics hehttp://home.ec.rr.com/yankee/ OP- It is difficult to scale the cracks in your photos (a tape measure would have been a good idea). Concrete cracks. The cracks look pretty normal for slab on grade construction. I don't see any 1/4" cracks. If it will make you feel better , hire a civil / structural engineer. cheers Bob I have a foundation repair company coming to look at it. I wouldn't be surprised if the said it needed a "repair". I have found from my immediate neighbors that they are having issues with there flooring like cracking builder installed tile, builder installed cheap imitation hardwood flooring flexing and making noises when it flexes (walking on it).My builder is not cooperative, he has the know it all attitude and if one of his handymen can't fix it-oh well. Would my local town building inspector have my soil survey info?- Hide quoted text - - Show quoted text - Contacting the building inspector certainly can't hurt. He may know if there have been other homes built by this builder that did have structural problems. You could also ask him for a reference for a STRUCTURAL ENGINEER. I agree with those that have said getting a foundation repair company is not a good idea. You're in a potential dispute with a builder and/ or warranty company over what could be a major and expensive repair. What did you expect a structural engineer to charge? $350 to show up and give an initial opinion of whether more investigation needs to be done or it's nothing to worry about sounds about right to me. I would have asked him how much an hour they bill, and if the cracking/ door movement turn out to be structural, what range the total engineering work may fall into and exactly what you would be getting for the $350. I guess you could take the approach that if the foundation company says it's not a foundation problem, then it's likely not. Of course, you're relying on their expertise and without extensive investigation, who knows? If they say it is however, which I'm betting they will, then I would most definitely get a structural engineer in. If you expect to get the builder/warranty company to pay for it, you're in a 10X better bargaining/legal position with a structural engineers report, than with an estimate from a couple of foundation repair contractors. As I previously suggested, I'd find out if you have a new home warranty. If you do, contact them and tell them you think you have a structural problem. They will then send out one of their inspectors. Of course, he's not on your side, but if they're going to pay for it, they have to get involved. And if there is a warranty, I'd factor into whatever you do how long the warranty runs for, ie if you take a wait and see approach and this gets worse, are you still covered for X years? And if no warranty, then time may be of the essence anyway. Around here a couple good size builders already have gone bankrupt in the downturn. If that were to happen and you have no warranty, you are SOL. I found out the 1 year warranty is it. There is a ten year structural one through the state of NC but it's a get a lawyer and sue them deal. Who told you that you have to sue to collect on the 10 yr structural warranty? It's true most of them aren't very eager to pay out, but this is the first time I've heard of a warranty where you have to sue them as the first step. Usually, you can file a claim with them, have them come look at it, show them your experts report, etc, and then they either agree to cover it or deny it, at which point then you could sue. Keep in mind there is small claims court too. The foundation repair company came out and said I do have a problem but it's not to the point of needing repair yet, he couldn't tell if it was normal settling or a more serious problem because the house is only 2.5 years old. Just told me to keep an eye on it and document everything.- Hide quoted text - - Show quoted text - I called a few lawyers and discussed the problem. And they told you that the only recourse with the home warranty is to sue? Without even knowing what warranty you have or making a simple phone call to the warranty company? You should have documentation from the closing that specifies the warranies, if any, involved. I'd go read that, if I were you. The process you're describing sounds like recovering from the builder, absent any warranty. I've never heard yet of a warranty where the first step is you have to sue them. I have since found an exposed bolt in the slab that is holding down the house to the foundation for high winds. If it's not structural problems then they sold me a house with known defects. They looked at the door once, adjusted it and said that's as good as they can get it. I guess I will get some estimates to have the problems repaired, have an engineer look at at and then off to court. Would a structural engineer or civil engineer be best for evaluating the house and the soil below? I think the soil is an issue also.- Hide quoted text - - Show quoted text - If you want an engineer, I'd ask the local building inspector for a recommendation. You'll likely find that many firms have engineers in multiple specialties and can figure out who which guy is most appropriate. Given you're considering legal action, I'd make sure the guy has impecable credentials. Consider that whoever it is, their opinion is going to be questioned. And before you figure on going off to court, you better figure out how much the whole thing is gonna cost. If it's small, $2k -5K, whatever the limit is in your state, then you can go to small claims without a lawyer and have a decent shot at prevailing. If it's $10-25K, you're in a bad spot, because it could cost that much or more to pursue and you could lose. Above that, then I guess it starts to make more sense to sue, assuming you have a good case. My closing attorney said all that I had was a 1 year. The state of North Carolina says you have a 10 year structural but getting a dirtbag builder to honor it means the legal system. Live and learn-Veranda Homes LLC spends more time telling me what they are not responsible for than checking to see how homes are built. The general manager(Robert Exum) is the only employee who holds a NC contractors license for Veranda Homes LLC. I have never seen him checking any of the 200+ homes they have built, so you are left to the technical expertise of a few Mexicans. I am pursuing this with the NC State Attorney Generals office along with others. He is also developing another project, Waterford of the Carolinas. You can't be a developer and a builder at the same time-IT SHOWS1- Hide quoted text - - Show quoted text - Note LLC that limits their exposure Builders frequently go out of business, ending ALL their liability. Then start anew, to scam people again |
#33
Posted to alt.home.repair
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cracked concrete slab new home
On Oct 26, 11:56 pm, " wrote:
On Oct 26, 7:42?pm, hands on wrote: On Oct 26, 7:01 pm, wrote: On Oct 26, 5:06 pm, hands on wrote: On Oct 24, 4:37 pm, wrote: On Oct 24, 4:09 pm, hands on wrote: On Oct 24, 9:31 am, wrote: On Oct 23, 10:33 pm, hands on wrote: On Oct 23, 4:36 pm, Caesar Romano wrote: On Tue, 23 Oct 2007 07:18:13 -0700, hands on wrote Re cracked concrete slab new home: On Oct 23, 1:21 am, BobK207 wrote: On Oct 22, 1:08 pm, hands on wrote: I purchased a new home in spring 2005 in Leland,NC. Since then I was replacing the flooring and found 5 10 foot long cracks in my on ground poured concrete slab. I also have 6 vertical cracks on the outside of my slab between ground level and the start of the siding. The builder (Veranda Homes LLC ) tells me these are normal and only offered to fill in the cracks. One crack is 1/4 inch wide and the rest are larger than hairline. 2 of the cracks are continuing in a straight line and do not look like "normal shrinkage cracks" . My back patio vinyl framed sliding door is out of square also along with having drywall screws poping out through the drywall 2 1/2 years later. Do you think I should have a structural engineer look at the house? I wanted to sell this house but I think a home inspector/ appraiser will question all my external foundation cracks. you can see pics hehttp://home.ec.rr.com/yankee/ OP- It is difficult to scale the cracks in your photos (a tape measure would have been a good idea). Concrete cracks. The cracks look pretty normal for slab on grade construction. I don't see any 1/4" cracks. If it will make you feel better , hire a civil / structural engineer. cheers Bob I have a foundation repair company coming to look at it. I wouldn't be surprised if the said it needed a "repair". I have found from my immediate neighbors that they are having issues with there flooring like cracking builder installed tile, builder installed cheap imitation hardwood flooring flexing and making noises when it flexes (walking on it).My builder is not cooperative, he has the know it all attitude and if one of his handymen can't fix it-oh well. Would my local town building inspector have my soil survey info?- Hide quoted text - - Show quoted text - Contacting the building inspector certainly can't hurt. He may know if there have been other homes built by this builder that did have structural problems. You could also ask him for a reference for a STRUCTURAL ENGINEER. I agree with those that have said getting a foundation repair company is not a good idea. You're in a potential dispute with a builder and/ or warranty company over what could be a major and expensive repair. What did you expect a structural engineer to charge? $350 to show up and give an initial opinion of whether more investigation needs to be done or it's nothing to worry about sounds about right to me. I would have asked him how much an hour they bill, and if the cracking/ door movement turn out to be structural, what range the total engineering work may fall into and exactly what you would be getting for the $350. I guess you could take the approach that if the foundation company says it's not a foundation problem, then it's likely not. Of course, you're relying on their expertise and without extensive investigation, who knows? If they say it is however, which I'm betting they will, then I would most definitely get a structural engineer in. If you expect to get the builder/warranty company to pay for it, you're in a 10X better bargaining/legal position with a structural engineers report, than with an estimate from a couple of foundation repair contractors. As I previously suggested, I'd find out if you have a new home warranty. If you do, contact them and tell them you think you have a structural problem. They will then send out one of their inspectors. Of course, he's not on your side, but if they're going to pay for it, they have to get involved. And if there is a warranty, I'd factor into whatever you do how long the warranty runs for, ie if you take a wait and see approach and this gets worse, are you still covered for X years? And if no warranty, then time may be of the essence anyway. Around here a couple good size builders already have gone bankrupt in the downturn. If that were to happen and you have no warranty, you are SOL. I found out the 1 year warranty is it. There is a ten year structural one through the state of NC but it's a get a lawyer and sue them deal. Who told you that you have to sue to collect on the 10 yr structural warranty? It's true most of them aren't very eager to pay out, but this is the first time I've heard of a warranty where you have to sue them as the first step. Usually, you can file a claim with them, have them come look at it, show them your experts report, etc, and then they either agree to cover it or deny it, at which point then you could sue. Keep in mind there is small claims court too. The foundation repair company came out and said I do have a problem but it's not to the point of needing repair yet, he couldn't tell if it was normal settling or a more serious problem because the house is only 2.5 years old. Just told me to keep an eye on it and document everything.- Hide quoted text - - Show quoted text - I called a few lawyers and discussed the problem. And they told you that the only recourse with the home warranty is to sue? Without even knowing what warranty you have or making a simple phone call to the warranty company? You should have documentation from the closing that specifies the warranies, if any, involved. I'd go read that, if I were you. The process you're describing sounds like recovering from the builder, absent any warranty. I've never heard yet of a warranty where the first step is you have to sue them. I have since found an exposed bolt in the slab that is holding down the house to the foundation for high winds. If it's not structural problems then they sold me a house with known defects. They looked at the door once, adjusted it and said that's as good as they can get it. I guess I will get some estimates to have the problems repaired, have an engineer look at at and then off to court. Would a structural engineer or civil engineer be best for evaluating the house and the soil below? I think the soil is an issue also.- Hide quoted text - - Show quoted text - If you want an engineer, I'd ask the local building inspector for a recommendation. You'll likely find that many firms have engineers in multiple specialties and can figure out who which guy is most appropriate. Given you're considering legal action, I'd make sure the guy has impecable credentials. Consider that whoever it is, their opinion is going to be questioned. And before you figure on going off to court, you better figure out how much the whole thing is gonna cost. If it's small, $2k -5K, whatever the limit is in your state, then you can go to small claims without a lawyer and have a decent shot at prevailing. If it's $10-25K, you're in a bad spot, because it could cost that much or more to pursue and you could lose. Above that, then I guess it starts to make more sense to sue, assuming you have a good case. My closing attorney said all that I had was a 1 year. The state of North Carolina says you have a 10 year structural but getting a dirtbag builder to honor it means the legal system. Live and learn-Veranda Homes LLC spends more time telling me what they are not responsible for than checking to see how homes are built. The general manager(Robert Exum) is the only employee who holds a NC contractors license for Veranda Homes LLC. I have never seen him checking any of the 200+ homes they have built, so you are left to the technical expertise of a few Mexicans. I am pursuing this with the NC State Attorney Generals office along with others. He is also developing another project, Waterford of the Carolinas. You can't be a developer and a builder at the same time-IT SHOWS1- Hide quoted text - - Show quoted text - Note LLC that limits their exposure Builders frequently go out of business, ending ALL their liability. Then start anew, to scam people again Need an opinion as what to do with the front door. It's a standard 36 inch fiberglass door with a sidelite on the opening side. On the hinge side the door is hitting the door frame at the top and bottom but has a 1/4 inch gap between the center hinge and the door frame. |
#34
Posted to alt.home.repair
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cracked concrete slab new home
Remove the jamb casing on the hinge side. Cut or remove nails if
necessary, though you can probably lever the door jamb into position without removing the nails. Shim the jamb to correct the problem. Reinstall the trim. There should be at least 3 existing shim sets - top, middle, and bottom. Maybe you didn't get any at the mid point or they were installed poorly. Some carpenters would use 5 sets. -- ______________________________ Keep the whole world singing . . . . DanG (remove the sevens) "hands on" wrote in message ups.com... On Oct 26, 11:56 pm, " wrote: On Oct 26, 7:42?pm, hands on wrote: On Oct 26, 7:01 pm, wrote: On Oct 26, 5:06 pm, hands on wrote: On Oct 24, 4:37 pm, wrote: On Oct 24, 4:09 pm, hands on wrote: On Oct 24, 9:31 am, wrote: On Oct 23, 10:33 pm, hands on wrote: On Oct 23, 4:36 pm, Caesar Romano wrote: On Tue, 23 Oct 2007 07:18:13 -0700, hands on wrote Re cracked concrete slab new home: On Oct 23, 1:21 am, BobK207 wrote: On Oct 22, 1:08 pm, hands on wrote: I purchased a new home in spring 2005 in Leland,NC. Since then I was replacing the flooring and found 5 10 foot long cracks in my on ground poured concrete slab. I also have 6 vertical cracks on the outside of my slab between ground level and the start of the siding. The builder (Veranda Homes LLC ) tells me these are normal and only offered to fill in the cracks. One crack is 1/4 inch wide and the rest are larger than hairline. 2 of the cracks are continuing in a straight line and do not look like "normal shrinkage cracks" . My back patio vinyl framed sliding door is out of square also along with having drywall screws poping out through the drywall 2 1/2 years later. Do you think I should have a structural engineer look at the house? I wanted to sell this house but I think a home inspector/ appraiser will question all my external foundation cracks. you can see pics hehttp://home.ec.rr.com/yankee/ OP- It is difficult to scale the cracks in your photos (a tape measure would have been a good idea). Concrete cracks. The cracks look pretty normal for slab on grade construction. I don't see any 1/4" cracks. If it will make you feel better , hire a civil / structural engineer. cheers Bob I have a foundation repair company coming to look at it. I wouldn't be surprised if the said it needed a "repair". I have found from my immediate neighbors that they are having issues with there flooring like cracking builder installed tile, builder installed cheap imitation hardwood flooring flexing and making noises when it flexes (walking on it).My builder is not cooperative, he has the know it all attitude and if one of his handymen can't fix it-oh well. Would my local town building inspector have my soil survey info?- Hide quoted text - - Show quoted text - Contacting the building inspector certainly can't hurt. He may know if there have been other homes built by this builder that did have structural problems. You could also ask him for a reference for a STRUCTURAL ENGINEER. I agree with those that have said getting a foundation repair company is not a good idea. You're in a potential dispute with a builder and/ or warranty company over what could be a major and expensive repair. What did you expect a structural engineer to charge? $350 to show up and give an initial opinion of whether more investigation needs to be done or it's nothing to worry about sounds about right to me. I would have asked him how much an hour they bill, and if the cracking/ door movement turn out to be structural, what range the total engineering work may fall into and exactly what you would be getting for the $350. I guess you could take the approach that if the foundation company says it's not a foundation problem, then it's likely not. Of course, you're relying on their expertise and without extensive investigation, who knows? If they say it is however, which I'm betting they will, then I would most definitely get a structural engineer in. If you expect to get the builder/warranty company to pay for it, you're in a 10X better bargaining/legal position with a structural engineers report, than with an estimate from a couple of foundation repair contractors. As I previously suggested, I'd find out if you have a new home warranty. If you do, contact them and tell them you think you have a structural problem. They will then send out one of their inspectors. Of course, he's not on your side, but if they're going to pay for it, they have to get involved. And if there is a warranty, I'd factor into whatever you do how long the warranty runs for, ie if you take a wait and see approach and this gets worse, are you still covered for X years? And if no warranty, then time may be of the essence anyway. Around here a couple good size builders already have gone bankrupt in the downturn. If that were to happen and you have no warranty, you are SOL. I found out the 1 year warranty is it. There is a ten year structural one through the state of NC but it's a get a lawyer and sue them deal. Who told you that you have to sue to collect on the 10 yr structural warranty? It's true most of them aren't very eager to pay out, but this is the first time I've heard of a warranty where you have to sue them as the first step. Usually, you can file a claim with them, have them come look at it, show them your experts report, etc, and then they either agree to cover it or deny it, at which point then you could sue. Keep in mind there is small claims court too. The foundation repair company came out and said I do have a problem but it's not to the point of needing repair yet, he couldn't tell if it was normal settling or a more serious problem because the house is only 2.5 years old. Just told me to keep an eye on it and document everything.- Hide quoted text - - Show quoted text - I called a few lawyers and discussed the problem. And they told you that the only recourse with the home warranty is to sue? Without even knowing what warranty you have or making a simple phone call to the warranty company? You should have documentation from the closing that specifies the warranies, if any, involved. I'd go read that, if I were you. The process you're describing sounds like recovering from the builder, absent any warranty. I've never heard yet of a warranty where the first step is you have to sue them. I have since found an exposed bolt in the slab that is holding down the house to the foundation for high winds. If it's not structural problems then they sold me a house with known defects. They looked at the door once, adjusted it and said that's as good as they can get it. I guess I will get some estimates to have the problems repaired, have an engineer look at at and then off to court. Would a structural engineer or civil engineer be best for evaluating the house and the soil below? I think the soil is an issue also.- Hide quoted text - - Show quoted text - If you want an engineer, I'd ask the local building inspector for a recommendation. You'll likely find that many firms have engineers in multiple specialties and can figure out who which guy is most appropriate. Given you're considering legal action, I'd make sure the guy has impecable credentials. Consider that whoever it is, their opinion is going to be questioned. And before you figure on going off to court, you better figure out how much the whole thing is gonna cost. If it's small, $2k -5K, whatever the limit is in your state, then you can go to small claims without a lawyer and have a decent shot at prevailing. If it's $10-25K, you're in a bad spot, because it could cost that much or more to pursue and you could lose. Above that, then I guess it starts to make more sense to sue, assuming you have a good case. My closing attorney said all that I had was a 1 year. The state of North Carolina says you have a 10 year structural but getting a dirtbag builder to honor it means the legal system. Live and learn-Veranda Homes LLC spends more time telling me what they are not responsible for than checking to see how homes are built. The general manager(Robert Exum) is the only employee who holds a NC contractors license for Veranda Homes LLC. I have never seen him checking any of the 200+ homes they have built, so you are left to the technical expertise of a few Mexicans. I am pursuing this with the NC State Attorney Generals office along with others. He is also developing another project, Waterford of the Carolinas. You can't be a developer and a builder at the same time-IT SHOWS1- Hide quoted text - - Show quoted text - Note LLC that limits their exposure Builders frequently go out of business, ending ALL their liability. Then start anew, to scam people again Need an opinion as what to do with the front door. It's a standard 36 inch fiberglass door with a sidelite on the opening side. On the hinge side the door is hitting the door frame at the top and bottom but has a 1/4 inch gap between the center hinge and the door frame. |
#35
Posted to alt.home.repair
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cracked concrete slab new home
On Nov 3, 10:58 am, "DanG" wrote:
Remove the jamb casing on the hinge side. Cut or remove nails if necessary, though you can probably lever the door jamb into position without removing the nails. Shim the jamb to correct the problem. Reinstall the trim. There should be at least 3 existing shim sets - top, middle, and bottom. Maybe you didn't get any at the mid point or they were installed poorly. Some carpenters would use 5 sets. -- ______________________________ Keep the whole world singing . . . . DanG (remove the sevens) "hands on" wrote in message ups.com... On Oct 26, 11:56 pm, " wrote: On Oct 26, 7:42?pm, hands on wrote: On Oct 26, 7:01 pm, wrote: On Oct 26, 5:06 pm, hands on wrote: On Oct 24, 4:37 pm, wrote: On Oct 24, 4:09 pm, hands on wrote: On Oct 24, 9:31 am, wrote: On Oct 23, 10:33 pm, hands on wrote: On Oct 23, 4:36 pm, Caesar Romano wrote: On Tue, 23 Oct 2007 07:18:13 -0700, hands on wrote Re cracked concrete slab new home: On Oct 23, 1:21 am, BobK207 wrote: On Oct 22, 1:08 pm, hands on wrote: I purchased a new home in spring 2005 in Leland,NC. Since then I was replacing the flooring and found 5 10 foot long cracks in my on ground poured concrete slab. I also have 6 vertical cracks on the outside of my slab between ground level and the start of the siding. The builder (Veranda Homes LLC ) tells me these are normal and only offered to fill in the cracks. One crack is 1/4 inch wide and the rest are larger than hairline. 2 of the cracks are continuing in a straight line and do not look like "normal shrinkage cracks" . My back patio vinyl framed sliding door is out of square also along with having drywall screws poping out through the drywall 2 1/2 years later. Do you think I should have a structural engineer look at the house? I wanted to sell this house but I think a home inspector/ appraiser will question all my external foundation cracks. you can see pics hehttp://home.ec.rr.com/yankee/ OP- It is difficult to scale the cracks in your photos (a tape measure would have been a good idea). Concrete cracks. The cracks look pretty normal for slab on grade construction. I don't see any 1/4" cracks. If it will make you feel better , hire a civil / structural engineer. cheers Bob I have a foundation repair company coming to look at it. I wouldn't be surprised if the said it needed a "repair". I have found from my immediate neighbors that they are having issues with there flooring like cracking builder installed tile, builder installed cheap imitation hardwood flooring flexing and making noises when it flexes (walking on it).My builder is not cooperative, he has the know it all attitude and if one of his handymen can't fix it-oh well. Would my local town building inspector have my soil survey info?- Hide quoted text - - Show quoted text - Contacting the building inspector certainly can't hurt. He may know if there have been other homes built by this builder that did have structural problems. You could also ask him for a reference for a STRUCTURAL ENGINEER. I agree with those that have said getting a foundation repair company is not a good idea. You're in a potential dispute with a builder and/ or warranty company over what could be a major and expensive repair. What did you expect a structural engineer to charge? $350 to show up and give an initial opinion of whether more investigation needs to be done or it's nothing to worry about sounds about right to me. I would have asked him how much an hour they bill, and if the cracking/ door movement turn out to be structural, what range the total engineering work may fall into and exactly what you would be getting for the $350. I guess you could take the approach that if the foundation company says it's not a foundation problem, then it's likely not. Of course, you're relying on their expertise and without extensive investigation, who knows? If they say it is however, which I'm betting they will, then I would most definitely get a structural engineer in. If you expect to get the builder/warranty company to pay for it, you're in a 10X better bargaining/legal position with a structural engineers report, than with an estimate from a couple of foundation repair contractors. As I previously suggested, I'd find out if you have a new home warranty. If you do, contact them and tell them you think you have a structural problem. They will then send out one of their inspectors. Of course, he's not on your side, but if they're going to pay for it, they have to get involved. And if there is a warranty, I'd factor into whatever you do how long the warranty runs for, ie if you take a wait and see approach and this gets worse, are you still covered for X years? And if no warranty, then time may be of the essence anyway. Around here a couple good size builders already have gone bankrupt in the downturn. If that were to happen and you have no warranty, you are SOL. I found out the 1 year warranty is it. There is a ten year structural one through the state of NC but it's a get a lawyer and sue them deal. Who told you that you have to sue to collect on the 10 yr structural warranty? It's true most of them aren't very eager to pay out, but this is the first time I've heard of a warranty where you have to sue them as the first step. Usually, you can file a claim with them, have them come look at it, show them your experts report, etc, and then they either agree to cover it or deny it, at which point then you could sue. Keep in mind there is small claims court too. The foundation repair company came out and said I do have a problem but it's not to the point of needing repair yet, he couldn't tell if it was normal settling or a more serious problem because the house is only 2.5 years old. Just told me to keep an eye on it and document everything.- Hide quoted text - - Show quoted text - I called a few lawyers and discussed the problem. And they told you that the only recourse with the home warranty is to sue? Without even knowing what warranty you have or making a simple phone call to the warranty company? You should have documentation from the closing that specifies the warranies, if any, involved. I'd go read that, if I were you. The process you're describing sounds like recovering from the builder, absent any warranty. I've never heard yet of a warranty where the first step is you have to sue them. I have since found an exposed bolt in the slab that is holding down the house to the foundation for high winds. If it's not ... read more » Thanks |
#36
Posted to alt.home.repair
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cracked concrete slab new home
On Nov 3, 10:58 am, "DanG" wrote:
Remove the jamb casing on the hinge side. Cut or remove nails if necessary, though you can probably lever the door jamb into position without removing the nails. Shim the jamb to correct the problem. Reinstall the trim. There should be at least 3 existing shim sets - top, middle, and bottom. Maybe you didn't get any at the mid point or they were installed poorly. Some carpenters would use 5 sets. -- ______________________________ Keep the whole world singing . . . . DanG (remove the sevens) "hands on" wrote in message ups.com... On Oct 26, 11:56 pm, " wrote: On Oct 26, 7:42?pm, hands on wrote: On Oct 26, 7:01 pm, wrote: On Oct 26, 5:06 pm, hands on wrote: On Oct 24, 4:37 pm, wrote: On Oct 24, 4:09 pm, hands on wrote: On Oct 24, 9:31 am, wrote: On Oct 23, 10:33 pm, hands on wrote: On Oct 23, 4:36 pm, Caesar Romano wrote: On Tue, 23 Oct 2007 07:18:13 -0700, hands on wrote Re cracked concrete slab new home: On Oct 23, 1:21 am, BobK207 wrote: On Oct 22, 1:08 pm, hands on wrote: I purchased a new home in spring 2005 in Leland,NC. Since then I was replacing the flooring and found 5 10 foot long cracks in my on ground poured concrete slab. I also have 6 vertical cracks on the outside of my slab between ground level and the start of the siding. The builder (Veranda Homes LLC ) tells me these are normal and only offered to fill in the cracks. One crack is 1/4 inch wide and the rest are larger than hairline. 2 of the cracks are continuing in a straight line and do not look like "normal shrinkage cracks" . My back patio vinyl framed sliding door is out of square also along with having drywall screws poping out through the drywall 2 1/2 years later. Do you think I should have a structural engineer look at the house? I wanted to sell this house but I think a home inspector/ appraiser will question all my external foundation cracks. you can see pics hehttp://home.ec.rr.com/yankee/ OP- It is difficult to scale the cracks in your photos (a tape measure would have been a good idea). Concrete cracks. The cracks look pretty normal for slab on grade construction. I don't see any 1/4" cracks. If it will make you feel better , hire a civil / structural engineer. cheers Bob I have a foundation repair company coming to look at it. I wouldn't be surprised if the said it needed a "repair". I have found from my immediate neighbors that they are having issues with there flooring like cracking builder installed tile, builder installed cheap imitation hardwood flooring flexing and making noises when it flexes (walking on it).My builder is not cooperative, he has the know it all attitude and if one of his handymen can't fix it-oh well. Would my local town building inspector have my soil survey info?- Hide quoted text - - Show quoted text - Contacting the building inspector certainly can't hurt. He may know if there have been other homes built by this builder that did have structural problems. You could also ask him for a reference for a STRUCTURAL ENGINEER. I agree with those that have said getting a foundation repair company is not a good idea. You're in a potential dispute with a builder and/ or warranty company over what could be a major and expensive repair. What did you expect a structural engineer to charge? $350 to show up and give an initial opinion of whether more investigation needs to be done or it's nothing to worry about sounds about right to me. I would have asked him how much an hour they bill, and if the cracking/ door movement turn out to be structural, what range the total engineering work may fall into and exactly what you would be getting for the $350. I guess you could take the approach that if the foundation company says it's not a foundation problem, then it's likely not. Of course, you're relying on their expertise and without extensive investigation, who knows? If they say it is however, which I'm betting they will, then I would most definitely get a structural engineer in. If you expect to get the builder/warranty company to pay for it, you're in a 10X better bargaining/legal position with a structural engineers report, than with an estimate from a couple of foundation repair contractors. As I previously suggested, I'd find out if you have a new home warranty. If you do, contact them and tell them you think you have a structural problem. They will then send out one of their inspectors. Of course, he's not on your side, but if they're going to pay for it, they have to get involved. And if there is a warranty, I'd factor into whatever you do how long the warranty runs for, ie if you take a wait and see approach and this gets worse, are you still covered for X years? And if no warranty, then time may be of the essence anyway. Around here a couple good size builders already have gone bankrupt in the downturn. If that were to happen and you have no warranty, you are SOL. I found out the 1 year warranty is it. There is a ten year structural one through the state of NC but it's a get a lawyer and sue them deal. Who told you that you have to sue to collect on the 10 yr structural warranty? It's true most of them aren't very eager to pay out, but this is the first time I've heard of a warranty where you have to sue them as the first step. Usually, you can file a claim with them, have them come look at it, show them your experts report, etc, and then they either agree to cover it or deny it, at which point then you could sue. Keep in mind there is small claims court too. The foundation repair company came out and said I do have a problem but it's not to the point of needing repair yet, he couldn't tell if it was normal settling or a more serious problem because the house is only 2.5 years old. Just told me to keep an eye on it and document everything.- Hide quoted text - - Show quoted text - I called a few lawyers and discussed the problem. And they told you that the only recourse with the home warranty is to sue? Without even knowing what warranty you have or making a simple phone call to the warranty company? You should have documentation from the closing that specifies the warranies, if any, involved. I'd go read that, if I were you. The process you're describing sounds like recovering from the builder, absent any warranty. I've never heard yet of a warranty where the first step is you have to sue them. I have since found an exposed bolt in the slab that is holding down the house to the foundation for high winds. If it's not ... read more » Thanks for the info |
#37
Posted to alt.home.repair
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cracked concrete slab new home
Well today I went out and my cracks on the outside of the concrete
slab on ground have grown from 6 to 11 cracks! |
#38
Posted to alt.home.repair
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cracked concrete slab new home
On Fri, 09 Nov 2007 06:10:23 -0800, hands on
wrote Re cracked concrete slab new home: Well today I went out and my cracks on the outside of the concrete slab on ground have grown from 6 to 11 cracks! Get a structural engineer in to look at it. If he says they will be a problem, then go to a lawyer with the expert opinion. If the engineer says they are not a problem, then you have peace of mind. |
#39
Posted to alt.home.repair
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cracked concrete slab new home
On Nov 9, 7:38 pm, Caesar Romano wrote:
On Fri, 09 Nov 2007 06:10:23 -0800, hands on wrote Re cracked concrete slab new home: Well today I went out and my cracks on the outside of the concrete slab on ground have grown from 6 to 11 cracks! Get a structural engineer in to look at it. If he says they will be a problem, then go to a lawyer with the expert opinion. If the engineer says they are not a problem, then you have peace of mind. I had a soil test/sample done-all sand and wet clay down six feet right next to the slab in 5 places. Funny thing in 2 spots after 6 feet down there was nothing for about one foot, the soil compression tester just dropped down 1 foot with no resistance. |
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