Subjective Tolerance Levels First, the good news: assuming the house is a couple of decades old (or older!), the settling is very likely historic. So, for a home that was built in say, 1925, the settling likely occurred (and stopped) by 1927. The bad news? It’s (very) hard to correct. It’s possible to use floor...Read More
“When the bones are good, the rest don’t matter Yeah, the paint could peel, the glass could shatter Let it rain ’cause you and I remain the same When there ain’t a crack in the foundation Baby, I know any storm we’re facing Will blow right over while we stay put The house don’t fall...Read More
A Tale of Two Cities Foundations At the end of an unexpectedly long day yesterday, I finally caught a break: my client’s 1950’s rambler (and my upcoming listing) in Edina had a blissfully straightforward, rectangular foundation that took me less than 10 minutes to measure. No additions, bump-outs, bay windows, or other nooks and crannies. In fact,...Read More
Gullible Homeowner? Not So Fast . . . It sure sounds like a line: a builder who tells their client that they intentionally put a crack in the foundation floor to alleviate settling-related stress. But, it happens to be true. The two caveats: 1) it should be a small crack, barely more than a hairline; and...Read More
Subjective Tolerance Levels First, the good news: assuming the house is a couple of decades old, the settling is very likely historic. So, for a home that was built in say, 1925, the settling likely occurred (and stopped) by 1928. The bad news? It’s (very) hard to correct. It’s possible to use floor jacks —...Read More
Telltale Symptom: Wavy or Uneven Floors How do prospective home Buyers (and their agents) know that a home has pronounced settling without setting foot in the home? (note: foundation settling is usually benign — up to a point — and typically results in wavy or uneven floors). A. The settling shows up in the (online)...Read More
