Large vertical crack at end of concrete block wall

cracksfoundationusa

I'm thinking of putting an offer in on this house. It is 40 years old and a lake front property (Kentucky).

This picture is from the basement and you can see a large vertical crack at the end of a concrete block wall which has been poorly filled in the past.

This is literally all the details I have right now. I'll get more pictures and details shortly, and will have an expert out during the inspection period if I offer and it is accepted. In the meantime, I'd love to know if this was clearly a sign of a serious problem, because then I'll save myself some trouble and pass.

It's location both at the end of a wall and under that large support beem seems important, but I don't know if that makes it less serious or more.

Any thoughts?

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Best Answer

Concrete cracks. The fact that the crack reappeared after a cosmetic repair attempt is no surprise. If the wall was reinforced properly when built I wouldn’t be too concerned but you definitely want to get a structural engineer’s opinion. The only part about it that causes me pause is that it’s so close to an outside corner with a potentially heavy bearing load on it.