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/

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

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.

In article . com, wrote:

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.

I agree. trader4 has given you excellent advice.

The fact that the builder offered to fill the cracks
suggests there is some kind of warranty in place.
Check your contract, and the State requirements as
suggested.


--
|~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~|
| Malcolm Hoar "The more I practice, the luckier I get". |
| Gary Player. |
| http://www.malch.com/ Shpx gur PQN. |
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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/

"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.

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.

Steve Barker wrote:
They look normal to me. Concrete cracks.


But if it has rebar it doesn't separate.

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.

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.

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.

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. |
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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.

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. |
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"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.

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?

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

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.

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

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.

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

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. |
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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".

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?

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.

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.

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.

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 -

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.

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.

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

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

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.

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.

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

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

Well today I went out and my cracks on the outside of the concrete
slab on ground have grown from 6 to 11 cracks!

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.

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.