Foundation problems or settling?

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radius

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Hi,

I purchased this house about 8 months ago. These cracks started to show up about 3 months thereafter. Do you think it is settling or foundation issue?

The house was built in 2002.

Thanks!







 
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Welcome to the site. The bricks in front of the window do not look like they have a slope to the outside, is that correct?
At the bottom do the brick sit on the concrete foundation or a steel angle iron or??
Have you found any cracks in the foundation?
 
Thank you!

No, there is no slope to the outside.
The bricks/walls sit on the concrete foundation (slab).
No, I did not see any cracks in the foundation.
 
Is this a regular wood framed house with the brick just used as siding?
I don't know alot about brickwork but the window treatment say to me, poor workmanship and that could be the cause of the rest of the problems too.
I'm sure the pros will be along soon with some more info.
 
Settling IS a foundation issue. The foundation should have been built on solid soil to prevent settling.
 
Settling IS a foundation issue. The foundation should have been built on solid soil to prevent settling.

I beleive these have different action items associated with each issue.

One requires cosmatic repairs and the other requires structural?
 
The part of your post that’s “unsettling” pun intended, is the time line. The house was built in 2002 and sold in 2013. Ten plus years without a crack and then cracks show up in different locations within 3 months of the sale.

Did you have a home inspection before the sale? Was any repair to mortar noted? Could you have not seen them at purchase and just saw them 3 months later? In looking at your photos if the cracks were surface patched just to get the house sold they did a good job as I can’t see any difference in shade etc.

Unless you can tell us there was an earthquake or rapid freeze or something that happened 3 months after you bought it, my deductive reasoning tells me they have been there a long time and patched over for the sale. If you could get a brick out maybe you could get a clue as to when it happened. If it was covered up you may have a case against the seller.

Just my thoughts from across the country.
 
The part of your post that’s “unsettling” pun intended, is the time line. The house was built in 2002 and sold in 2013. Ten plus years without a crack and then cracks show up in different locations within 3 months of the sale.

Did you have a home inspection before the sale? Was any repair to mortar noted? Could you have not seen them at purchase and just saw them 3 months later? In looking at your photos if the cracks were surface patched just to get the house sold they did a good job as I can’t see any difference in shade etc.

Unless you can tell us there was an earthquake or rapid freeze or something that happened 3 months after you bought it, my deductive reasoning tells me they have been there a long time and patched over for the sale. If you could get a brick out maybe you could get a clue as to when it happened. If it was covered up you may have a case against the seller.

Just my thoughts from across the country.

Yes, there was a home inspection. I've sent inspector copy of these photos to review.

We haven't had any earthquake but it has been very cold lately. How do I get a brick out?
 
How do i find this out?

Not really a good answer for that one. I am not an expert so any ideas should be taken for what they are worth.
Usually the house is protected with a house wrap like Tyvek and a then the bricks are applied with some distance to the house with metal ties to the house,which allow the house to move a little, they also leave weep holes for water to drain out near the bottom of the wall and above doors and windows.

My fear here is they treated the brick like it was artificial stone and put wire against the house and a scratch coat, attaching the brick to the house. So when thing expand and contract, something has to give.

Just the fact that the window sills don't have a slope says this was not done by a pro.

If you have access to the attic in the garage you might remove a small peice of sheeting from the inside so you could see how the brick is attached.
 
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