mdsjohna

Basically I had big plans to lay some flooring in my house, redo the bathroom and all that fun stuff. I was going to do a lot of the work myself with a friend who is experienced. So anyway I call in a contractor to look at the brick work on the front of the house and he says he won't touch it as there is a foundation problem. I took some pictures and have a couple questions about this.

http://groups.msn.com/Winnipegboy/house.msnw?Page=1


First off, no one can come and take a look for around a month. I am worried about this how bad does this look?

Are the steps falling due to the foundation problem?

What should be be looking for in a contracor and what questions should I be asking.

inspectorD

These look like typical breaks ..however not seeing it and adding all the pieces up I could not say for sure.
Looks like your steps slope down towards the house = water problem.
Brick and Stucco exterior can mask or cover water infiltration issues from flashing and window problems a foundation person would not see, these issues can cause these cracks. Call a qualified engineer or home inspector(www.ashi.com) for a good piece of mind and better qualified questions and answers....and a direction to go in ... not lookin for more of your money.

__________________
Just My
Made in the

glennjanie

Welcome to the Forum MDSJohna:

Just going by your pictures, you may have some interior foundation pier problems (like in the dryer area) this can be fixed by going under the house, jacking it up and using concrete blocks to hold it. You may need some 4 X 6 treated wood beams to distribute the weight and level the floors.

The steps appear to be manufactured and have simply settled in the ground on the heaviest part of the unit (next to the house). You can raise the steps back to a suitable height, dig under them to some hardpan and fill back with crushed limestone, pea gravel, concrete or whatever works best for you. Just be sure to make the steps slope away from the house for good drainage.

The brick or stone on the front appears to be laid on a piece of angle iron probably bolted to the house and the remainder of the house looks like gunnite concrete, which is blown on. I would consider removing the exterior cover completely and use something that can hang on the framing of the house in increments. I prefer vinyl siding, some like the new hardi-board and wood can look good if properly maintained. Removing the current wall covering will also give access to use more insulation and install a waterproofing barrier.

You certainly have a major challenge there and I wish you the very best with it. Just remember, success comes before work only in the dictionary.

Glenn