The main carrying beam of our recently purchased 105 year old house is slightly rotated and seems to be putting more pressure on one side of the house. There is a vertical crack on both sides of the foundation (front and back of the house) stemming from the corner of the beam pocket on the side the beam is rotated towards. The cracks are not wide, but it's still concerning to me. Anyone else have similar experience or advice on how to proceed? Pictures of the back wall of the foundation(inside and outside)
Basement – Should I get a structural engineer to inspect
basementfoundation
Related Solutions
I worked concrete one summer while I was in high school, but I'm no expert and it was a long time ago. That being said, here's what I would try:
I'd give both of your solutions a shot first. However, if you end up completely destroying the two chips, I'd try to pour a new corner. Drill two holes into the corner of the foundation and dowel into it with a few inches of 3/8" re-bar. After you've hammered in the steel, form up the corner and pour the concrete.
Also, this forum includes discussion about how to repair similar cracks.
This website also explains a bit more about this type of foundation crack:
Brick that is laid directly in contact with concrete foundations can cause angular cracks like this in the top 12 - 16 inches of a foundation. These cracks are caused by the brick expanding and pushing the outer corner of the foundation with it. The cracks are not major structural problems.
It is often pointless to repair them as the next time it gets hot, a crack will likely appear in your repair material.
I realize that you don't want to proceed with the project but I thought I'd answer anyway in case someone else is curious. I am a licensed contractor and my company specializes in basement remodeling; we have done several window expansions or additions in concrete foundations. A few things:
- You definitely need a permit for this project (though you don't need to hire a contractor) this is a structural modification and needs to be done correctly.
- You definitely need a structural engineer to write you a letter after a site inspection stating his recommendations for keeping the structural integrity (when you get a permit, they'll require this any way.
- If you are making a bedroom in the area you are adding a window to, you'll want to make sure that the new window you put in meets egress code for inspection/permit reasons.
Though you can support the new opening with pressure treated wood (according the engineers prescription, of course), most likely the engineer will recommend a steel frame in the newly cut opening. We use a 4"x4"x1/4" steel frame that the engineer signs off on. You can have one made to fit your opening at your local steel fabricator. (see pic below)
After you install the frame with bolts into the concrete and silicone sealant around the entire perimeter, the installation of the window is a piece of cake.
Best Answer
Struc Engineer here and I have done a lot of foundation and as-built framing inspections.
Beam
The twisting of the beam is not an issue (based on the pictures and your comments).
Crack
The crack in the concrete of the foundation, which is wider at the top than the bottom, is caused by settling of the foundation in the one of the two adjoining corners. If you are on a hill or slope, then it is most likely on the downhill/downslope side. I expect the settlement is occurring to the left in the picture due to the crack being located on the left side of the beam pocket
Foundation settlement can also be caused by downspouts draining at the foundation or a lack of a curtain drain as well as other reason
Unless very recent, it can be very difficult to determine the age of a crack, especially via pictures. I can sometimes get a good feel about it onsite by close visual inspection of the interior of the crack as well from information that I would determine from the site and the history of the structure from the owner if possible
Is it a problem?
Yes, if it continues
Is it continuing?
That requires a site visit by a local structural engineer to determine
How fast is it occurring / how soon do I need to address it?
This is usually a relatively slow process and having an it inspected immediately is not necessary. However, as it continues to settle it will cause more issues in your house
How to mitigate it?
There are various methods, including 'pin piles' which is basically pipes driven into the ground with a bracket attached to the foundation, the load is carried by the pile rather than be the earth immediately under the footing
What do I recommend that you do?
Hire a local structural engineer to do a site visit by the end of the summer
Any tips?
Hire a smaller firm for better rates. They are also likely to have more experience in this area as the larger firms tend to deal with multifamily, commercial, etc