NYCGeordie

I'm hoping to close on a house in 10 days time and then the fun starts (lots of DIY ahead for me!).
One of the 'problems' I'm hoping to resolve is something the Home inspection brought up, and I'm thinking I may need to jack up and replce shims in the crawlspace. This is what the inspector said, would appreciate it if some of you more experienced DIY'ers could say what you think :

"Beam size: Double 2 x 10" lumber. Inadequate bearing surface
at support located at the center beam. Soft OSB was used to
shim the load bearing wall on top of the beams. Hardwood
blocks or lumber is generally used in this application. This
condition appears to be related to some uneven floor areas
observed at the interior. On of the lower wood block shims is
not making full contact with the beam splice at the center piers.
Recommend correction of shim for proper support."

The house is single storey, 1400sqft and only 13 years old in Upstate SC.

One thing to mention which may be relevant, the home inspector seemed to me to be extremely picky - eg things like "wrong wattage lightbulb in porch light" - on some things and also said the HVAC was not working at all - I visited the house 2 days later and simply flicked the switch on the thermostat to 'On' and the HVAC sprang to life. This is a foreclosure and my 'accepted' offer is already way under the house value so it's not like I can negotiate any further price drop because of the Home Inspectors report.

handyguys

I would say don't worry about it. You likely have a lot on your plate.

I am of the opinion that shims are used to compensate for something else wrong. The problem is not in the shims but in the structure below the shims. Cant tell from here but it sounds like the column may be too short and the shims were used to "fix" the problem.

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travelover

At worst, it sounds like the inspector is recommending that you change the shims to a hard wood or metal. In the big picture, this is a minor issue.

NYCGeordie

OK, sorry, I should have added that the Home inspection also has these comments : "Rear door is out of square or plumb with the
frame. Condition appears to be related to drop in supporting floor
level." and for the Kitchen "Floor is sloped and uneven. Additio nal
supports may be required. Drywall. Stress cracking observed corner bead and ceiling joint tape, possibly related to localized settlement. Ceiling, Stress cracking observed corner bead and wall joint tape, possibly related to localized settlement." and Bathroom "Sag in floor observed at master
bath. This is an indication that previous settlem ent has occurred at
this location. Inspector is unable to determine when settlement
occurred or if additional settlement is likely."
Both the kitchen and Bathroom are at the rear of the property, the 'Rear Door' he talks about leads out of the kitchen, so to me it sounds as if he is attributing the floor sagging and drywall/ceiling cracks to OSB being used to shim the load bearing wall on the beams.

southernelitecrete

many houses down here're blt on pedestals,,, sounds as if the bldr didn't have his elevations nutz-on so had to shim,,, 10t hydraulic jack & some oak shims'll work fine when you get 'round to it.

you've got the advantage of actually SEEING this marvelous dwelling, tho,,, may need a carrier beam to spread the weight.

OSB ? ? ?,,, oy VEY ! ! !

NYCGeordie

Thanks for the advice, got some more info when the inspector finally called me back (I'd queried his comments about the HVAC not working). Had a nice chat with the guy and it seems he doesn't think things are that bad, he suggested repairing the wall/ceiling cracks and then waiting a month or so to see if they reappear, if they do then replace the shims, if not then the 'sagging' has probably bottomed out.
Have to wait untill I can get in there and have a good look around to be sure, but I might replace them anyway and in the process (hopefully) get the floors level again as I want to put hardwoods down in the kitchen and living room.
Might even get my digital camera out and post some pics.