Foundation crack ?

[Jason Bloxom]

Hey guys, new to the site and had a question. I have a home for sale and I recently had a potential buyer back out because he said my foundation was cracked. My house is typical concrete slab, no basement, with brick exterior. I checked on the potential "crack" and it is only "hair line" and you have to get down on your knees to see it. There is no separation/movement of the slab, but the morter above the crack is separated a touch, but only in the back. The crack seems to be in the same place in the front and the back. The house was built in 1968 and I've had no typical foundations problems that usually accompany a cracked slab in the 11 years I've owned it. I had one fine crack in the sheetrock on the other end of the house, but that was it. It was so fine that it was covered by the paint when we painted the room. It went from the corner of the window to the corner of the electrical outlet that was just below and to the side. I'm wondering if this is a problem that will require attention before I sale, or if it is just a stress crack that really doesn't have a lot to do with structural integrity. The buyer in question wouldn't even look at the interior of the house. He just got in his car and left. He acted like I was being shady and that th ehouse was a complete loss. He also said I needed $10k+ in repairs done before I even tried to sale. Thanks for any and all opinions/thoughts. Jason

[William E. Siegel]

Probably just a jittery buyer. Doesnt sound like much (any pictures). But for your peace of mind and for future buyers, you can have an engineer come out and issure you a written letter stating that it is OK. Or, you can wait until a sane buyer comes along, has an inspection, and go fromt here.

[Larry D. Kage]

Well, from what I can see, everything looks fine.

Seriously, a picture would help if you can, but Bill's engineer advice is probably the best.

[Jeffrey R. Jonas]

Don't be surprised if you get a knock on the door, from a contractor saying he can fix the "problem" for a measley $10k. Potential "buyer" could be in cahoots drumming up business.

[James H. Bushart]

If you are a seller and have a foundation crack that you want to disclose without fear of losing a buyer, I recommend that you find a home inspector who is contracted by an engineer to provide you with an Engineer's Certification that the crack in your foundation is not threatening the structure. Depending upon the engineer he is contracted with, the inspector may be able to provide you with a contractor's detailed estimate for repair should the engineer be unable to certify the integrity of the structure.

I provide this service for as little as $395. Hang a copy of this certification right next to the crack during the showing of your house.

[Jason Bloxom]

I would be happy to post a pick, but there isn't much to see. I doubt it would be noticeable on film since I have to get right down on it to see it. This guy seemed to think that since the crack was in relatively the same place from front to back that the foundation was ruined and that the house needed to have piers dug in and so forth. Thanks for the quick reply's guys. It makes me feel much better.

[ROBERT W. NEWLAND, JR.]

Originally Posted by jbushart

If you are a seller and have a foundation crack that you want to disclose without fear of losing a buyer, I recommend that you find a home inspector who is contracted by an engineer to provide you with an Engineer's Certification that the crack in your foundation is not threatening the structure. Depending upon the engineer he is contracted with, the inspector may be able to provide you with a contractor's detailed estimate for repair should the engineer be unable to certify the integrity of the structure.

I provide this service for as little as $395. Hang a copy of this certification right next to the crack during the showing of your house.

Very good advice!

[Kenton H. Shepard, CMI]

Originally Posted by jbushart

If you are a seller and have a foundation crack that you want to disclose without fear of losing a buyer, I recommend that you find a home inspector who is contracted by an engineer to provide you with an Engineer's Certification that the crack in your foundation is not threatening the structure. Depending upon the engineer he is contracted with, the inspector may be able to provide you with a contractor's detailed estimate for repair should the engineer be unable to certify the integrity of the structure.

I provide this service for as little as $395. Hang a copy of this certification right next to the crack during the showing of your house.

Forget the home inspector and get a written evaluation directly from a structural engineer if you feel you need it. From what you've written, it sounds to me like you had a buyer try to bluff you into dropping your price. The crack sounds fairly minor the way you describe it.

[James H. Bushart]

Originally Posted by kshepard

Forget the home inspector and get a written evaluation directly from a structural engineer if you feel you need it. From what you've written, it sounds to me like you had a buyer try to bluff you into dropping your price. The crack sounds fairly minor the way you describe it.

LOL....

I am contracted by a structural engineer. When you call him and pay him the $500 to $750 for an evaluation, I'm the one he sends with the camera and who does a report describing the conditions. He then, from my data, provides you with a certification or a detailed estimate for repair.

Calling me, or other home inspectors like me directly, gets you the same service for $395.

[Billy Boerner]

Originally Posted by lkage

Well, from what I can see, everything looks fine.

Seriously, a picture would help if you can, but Bill's engineer advice is probably the best.

You crack me up sometimes Larry