Hi to all,
here is todays question. (picture courtesy Ben Kelly)
Regards
Gerry
Gerry,
That is a awful tall stem wall…
Yes, my mistake, when looking at the tumbnail it looked lower than the 6ft that it is.
Regards
Gerry
Sorry,
A structural engineer would most likey condemn this. It is unstable and unsafe.
It looks like the bow runs the entire length. I vote for immediate repair.
Raymond Wand
Alton, ON
ooops ray… letting cat out of the bag again…
Gerry
How come
It is toast
Is not one of the answers
Hey Larry, i was going to make one of the options “It’s Knackered”, but thought no one would know what I meant :mrgreen:
Regards
Gerry
It looks like I feel after Thanksgiving dinner. :mrgreen:
I,ve seen that happen in a case when the tennants parked their vehicles in the yard for a number of years. So what you do then is plant trees. It doesn’t cure the problem but it keeps the cars off the lawn. There should be a law…
let’s not forget that the camara adds 10 lbs.
I can’t understand why so many are calling for an engineer when the overwhelming evidence suggests it has failed. It is well beyond the tolerances acceptable.
Are we as inspectors so frieghtened to call things out that are obviously failed? What manner are you serving your client with a situation like this. I think the last thing a client would want to hear from an experienced inspector would be the wall is failed and should be rebuilt.
Of course I am sure others will disagree.
Raymond Wand
Alton, ON
You go…Raymond, I’m with you!
I don’t disagree at all. Why would someone want to have or (pay) an engineer to look at something of this nature, which is obvious to a chimpanzee.
Any licensed foundation contractor would give a repair quote. Simple as that.
Because the inspector is a novice, the client has money to burn, the realtor is relying on the inspectors ability…? This is a very expensive fix, it is beyond butressing. 
Raymond Wand
Alton, ON
Most Canadians would but we do spell some words differently too.
How many would knock you up in the mornin Gerry
Roy sr
Exactly,
And if an inspector cannot determine this, he/she should buy a chimpanzee
Hi to all,
The correct answer is:
Evaluation by a Structural Engineer
OK, now the fun begins :mrgreen:
I am not disputing that the foundation has completely and demonstrably failed, however the required repairs to this system would require to be Engineered rather than just “Fixed” it is for this reason that I would call for an SE rather than a contractor.
The Existing system has failed and without knowing why (ground hydraulic problems, footing washout, under sized foundations etc) it would require further analysis to determine the correct methods of repair.
Let Battle begin 
Regards
Gerry
Surely a qualified person would assess the cause and address it when replacement is carried out? But then again we all know about common sense these days.
Fwiw.
Cheers,
Raymond Wand
Alton, ON
Ray, it is not really a home inspector issue persee, more a customer protection issue, we have all seen “repairs” carried out to a poor standard by General Contractors, if I recommend an SE I know that the repair has to be engineered rather than fudged.
Regards
Gerry
Gerry, NO disrespect intended, you honestly think any & every SE has the right answers for these types of problems? audio/video http://www.wcpo.com/wcpo/localshows/callforaction/4bc6a0f.html
imo, when this SE states he is Not concerned about further cracks continuing to occur in ‘all’ walls is ridiculous. to then recommend Only an Interior perimeter system to ‘control’ the water is crap too! hey, im sure this SE is a super guy and means well, and maybe with cameras on was under some pressure but to make those statements of Not being concerned is bs, im sorry man. please watch VID, listen, see where injections have already been done to cracks, still leaking, more cracks in all walls. And sure looks like 1 wall, along floor, an inside method was already done and it is still leaking.
Due to the Fact there are quite a few sorry and incompetent Waterproofing/foundation contractors, i`ll give you the better choice more often may be an SE,Not always and, what if the SE provides wrong solution,then what? I am asking. It isnt protecting the consumer either. How do ya ‘know’ the repair will be engineered–correctly defined by any/every SE? Sure looks to other waterproofing/foundations contractors here in MI and myself, the SE in Vid is Wrong to be ‘not concerned’.
Gerry/other HIs, question for yas?
Do any of you think it is possible that there are foundation/basement waterproofing contractors who are…MORE knowledgeable than SE`s on these matters? let me know,THX.