Foundations and the General Home Inspection
The Importance of the Foundation Inspection
The health of a home’s foundation is of vital concern to a home buyer for good reason. Depending on the type of foundation, flaws can affect far more than the cosmetic issues of wall cracks. Foundation cracks can break plumbing, leading to leaks which in turn lead to more cracks in a vicious, destructive cycle. Doors and windows can stick, affecting the overall enjoyment of the home and, in the case of windows, safe egress in the event of a fire. Siding, stucco, brick, and other veneers are subject to damage. This could allow moisture, insects, and even rodents to enter the living space. For these and other reasons, it is critical for a buyer to be confident a home’s foundation is performing as intended. It is the responsibility of the Home Inspector to provide observations and advice to help them achieve this goal.
What an Inspector Looks for
There are many tell-tale signs of foundation damage. These include cracks in interior and exterior walls, bowing or distorted siding, sticking doors, “saddleback” roof lines, and similar signs. Ideally, the Inspector would be able to look not only at all of the perimeter edges of the foundation, but at the top surface as well. Most of the time, the perimeter edges are visible, but not always. Decks, vegetation, mulch, soil, and personal possessions often block the visual path. Top surfaces are usually covered with flooring, but even so, a properly-trained inspector can pick out many signs of foundation damage. Oftentimes a buyer will see a crack in a wall and immediately assume there is a problem with the foundation. In fact, there are many conditions that can lead to wall cracks, sticking doors, etc. The competent Home Inspector will combine all of their observations to help form their conclusion. They will hesitate to conclude that there is foundation damage unless they can observe actual cracks in the foundation numerous and severe enough to warrant such a conclusion.
Structural Concerns Vs Foundation Damage
Often structure and foundation issues go hand-in-hand, but not always. A compromised foundation is, by definition, a structural concern. As mentioned before, wall cracks and other “tells” can result from causes other than foundation failure. These include termite damage, roof loading, substandard construction, rot, improper modifications, etc. This is why sometimes an Inspector will say a foundation appears to be “functioning as intended”, but also recommend review by a Structural Engineer. The Structural Engineer has the training and license to authoritatively discern the causes and remedies of troubling conditions at the property.
Interpreting the Report
An inspection report will include a statement about the performance of the foundation in their report. If an Inspector sees a home with no outward sign of foundation damage, they might state, “The foundation appears to be performing as intended”. Look for this statement of condition when examining the report. Keep in mind a foundation can have small cracks and still be considered to be “performing as intended”. On the other hand, the Inspector might see a constellation of conditions that point convincingly to the possibility of foundation damage. In this case, the report might state, “The foundation is in need of further evaluation”. The Inspector might recommend their client consult a foundation repair specialist or a Structural Engineer. This is because these professionals have specialized knowledge that make them qualified to reach conclusions and offer solutions that the General Home Inspector is not trained or equipped to provide.
When Further Examination is Called For
In cases of possible issues with the foundation, the Client may opt to hire a Structural Engineer to conduct an examination of the property. Alternatively, they may choose to have a foundation repair firm come and take a look. The advantage of choosing a Structural Engineer is that it ensures a disinterested third-party analysis, free of bias toward any particular solution. The advantage of choosing a foundation repair firm is that they typically make such examinations free of charge. A Structural Engineer’s report may cost as much or more than the original General Inspection. However, it will almost always carry more credibility with both the buyer and the seller.
Shooting Levels – Less Than Half the Story
Some inspection firms advertise evaluation of foundation levels as part of their inspection. This is typically accomplished by use of a Zip Level, which uses hydraulic principles to sense small deviations in the level of various areas of the foundation. When properly done, this quantitative information is combined with a comprehensive analysis of the history of the home, previous repairs, soil and drainage conditions. This, and other pertinent information, help produce a definitive analysis of the condition of the slab. Unfortunately, this is rarely the case with Inspectors who are offering this as a “free” added service. All too often, these measurements are offered as raw data, and the risk of drawing inaccurate conclusions is high. I believe that signs of foundation problems are easily observable without specialized equipment in the vast majority of cases. I further believe the use of such tools as the Zip Level require interpretation by individuals with specific training and knowledge to be of any significant value. It is also worth considering the time devoted to the process of shooting levels, and the attention that it unavoidably robs from the rest of the inspection process.
Limitations and Expectations
The General Home Inspector is almost always working under less-than-ideal conditions when examining the foundation. As mentioned before, floor coverings, decks, vegetation, mulch, soil, and personal possessions can hide significant problems. In the case of recently-remodeled homes (especially professional flips), cracks in interior and exterior walls are routinely patched and painted, masking possible foundation issues. A competent inspector will be mindful of such things, and advise their client to perform due diligence if they see any evidence of previous foundation work, or “improvements” meant to mask symptoms of foundation failure. That being said, real world conditions can lead even the most diligent Inspector to conclusions that prove inaccurate in retrospect. Such is the nature of human endeavor.
Summing Up
Potential foundation problems should not be taken lightly. They can result in conditions that require costly and extensive correction, and need to be addressed before conditions worsen. Fortunately, most foundation issues can be addressed without ruinous expense, and when done properly, will last the life of the structure. Don’t reject a property strictly because of foundation issues. Take time to gather more information and make an informed and rational decision.
Thank you for taking the time to read this article, and best of luck to you in all your endeavors!