Pier Support Specialist, Hank, On a Residential Assessment

Hank , one of our leading Pier Support Specialists takes us with him on a recent walk-through to assess an investment property:

“I recently visited with a couple in regards to their investment property. They had just purchased it from an elderly woman who had been in the house for over 20 years. During their walk-through, the unfinished portion of the basement had been stacked high with holiday decorations and craft projects. Once the deal closed and she started moving out, however, foundation cracks were exposed that had been hidden by the craft shelves. So they called Colorado Structural Repair. 

The house is a ranch style with a full basement, on a relatively flat lot, built in the early 1970s. While it shows some signs of neglect, it was in generally good shape. During the inspection, I found horizontal and diagonal cracks in the rear and side basement walls, indicative of inward deflection caused by hydro-static pressure. In this case, the walls had deflected both vertically and laterally. The new owners were aware that the gutter and downspout systems were inadequate – particularly in that corner. The house also had poor drainage and negative grade in areas, along with a concrete patio that was now tipping back towards the home. Colorado Structural Repair recommends 6-8 feet of positive grade all around a home, and that all downspouts have extensions to help direct water away from the foundation. Exterior measurements confirmed that the foundation had bowed inward from the main level framing and sill plate by up to 2 inches.

To stabilize and secure the failing walls, we employ a wall anchor system. All components are high quality steel, completely galvanized to protect against exterior elements. On the interior, the system is low profile enough that it can easily fit inside a finished wall. On this property, wall anchors were perfect for the rear wall, but the side lot line unfortunately did not provide enough room. Our alternative in such situations is interior steel wall braces. 

In addition to the work provided by CSR, we also recommended contacting a landscaper to correct the grading issues and to consider replacing or mudjacking the rear patio to correct its negative tilt.

Although the couple had not expected a structural issue with this investment, they were pleased to know it was professionally repaired by CSR and comforted that they would be able to provide a potential buyer with the lifetime warranty backed by both CSR and the manufacturer.”

We are happy to work with investors and flippers. Give us a call if you have a property with structural/foundation concerns and we will provide a complimentary assessment and fair and honest quote for repair.

Hank serves the Colorado Springs area and is often up in Denver metro, so he can assess your property anywhere in Colorado. 719-641-8341/ hank@coloradostructuralrepair.com