Function: A foundations function is to transmit
the weight of the house onto the footing below, and to resist the lateral pressure of the
soil outside. Also, it is critical in preventing water intrusion into the inside of the
house.
What We Look At: Are the
foundations sound and intact, and are they performing as originally intended? Have
any alterations been made to the structure that would affect its integrity?
Typical problems we see are: Inward bowing & cracking; foundation settlement (I
once inspected a house in a rural area where the homeowner parked an old pickup truck
against one wall of his tuck-under garage, in an effort to keep it from leaning any
further!); the foundations aren't below frost line and thereby
susceptible to frost-induced uplift; expansive soil problems creating
movement;
evidence of past water intrusion (for more information see Basement
Water Problems); exterior grading problems; no frost footings under
additions; etc.
Some
Examples Of Foundation Problems We've Encountered
